Pray with Spurgeon

Daily Newsletter from SpurgeonBooks

DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Hide not your face from us, do not put your servants away in anger; deal graciously with your children and let us walk in the light, as God is in the light, and have fellowship with the Father and with the Son, and may joy and peace abound in us. Is there anything this morning between us and God; does anything darken our light? Lord take it away. Do we have any doubts? Let the light remove them. Does anything trouble us? May we cast our care on you. Have we any dark foreboding? May we put our foreboding away, for each day has enough trouble of its own. Enable every child of God to have perfect rest in God, this morning. May we be on loving terms with God.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7)

What a bright light this sheds upon all affliction: that it is for our profit, that by it that we are made partakers of the holiness of God. While you feel the weight of God’s hand upon you, never forget that it is your Father’s hand. Whatever form your trial may take—whether it is the loss of a child or of a parent, or the withdrawal of temporal prosperity, or the smiting of the body with aches and pains—the rod is never in any hand but the paternal one, and even while the Father smites he loves. Let this be your comfort, that it is not the hand of an enemy that is upon you. You are not suffering from a crushing blow from the foe’s mailed hand, but the stroke, whether it is heavy or light, is wholly caused by your loving Father’s hand.

PRAY FOR THE NATIONS

The leaders of the Tama claim to be descended from the Prophet Mohammad. The Tama believe in a false god.

Pray that the Tama would turn from idols to serve the living and true God.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Gospel-centered hope for your trials

Did you know that Spurgeon faced intense suffering throughout his life? He was beaten down with depression, physical illness, and more until he died at the early age of 57.

But, as we are remembering this week as we reflect on the theme of God’s discipline, often when God’s people suffer, they learn. Spurgeon said, “In heaven we shall see that we had not one trial too many.” In the fire of suffering, Spurgeon was purified and given an incredible amount of wisdom on a Christian approach to weakness, pain, and suffering.

A few years ago, I collected some of Spurgeon’s best sermons on trials and suffering into a book, Spurgeon on Suffering: Reflections on Our Pain and God’s Grace. Reading these sermons has helped me view my suffering in a more biblical (and hopeful!) way. I know that they will encourage you as well.

Buy Spurgeon on Suffering on Amazon (Paperback or Kindle edition)