Pray with Spurgeon

Daily Newsletter from SpurgeonBooks

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)

If you cannot gain an entrance to mercy, it is because sin, like a huge stone, has been rolled against it, and remains there. If the way to God and salvation is, indeed, blocked up, it is only blocked up by your own sin. Your sin lies at the door, and makes you a prisoner, where else you might be free as air. I desire to press this point home upon any unconverted persons who are somewhat anxious, but yet cannot get peace. A secret something is keeping you from being accepted as Abel was accepted. I am sure it is sin in one shape or another.

My dear friend, why should you grow despondent because another enters heaven? A sin-offering lies at your door also. You can have your sin forgiven.

PRAY FOR THE NATIONS

This week, we’re praying for the Idaksahak in Mali.

The Idaksahak make their living as nomadic herders — they live in camps, travel around a region, and raise livestock.

Pray that God would provide rain and grass for their livestock.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Pursue holiness like your life depends on it.

This week, we are praying about conquering sin. We know that only God can forgive us of our sins, but we must also pursuit holiness. In this pursuit of holiness, we need a lot of help along the way.

One of the most motivating and empowering books on personal holiness that I have ever read is The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. This book will show you the high calling of holiness that God has laid on all of his people (and why it’s so important) while also giving grace-fueled practical guidance on actually pursuing holiness in your own life.

Jerry Bridges is one of my all-time favorite authors. All of his books are worth reading — he does an excellent job at applying the truths of the gospel to the problems we face in life.

This book will equip you and empower you to pursue holiness. I hope you’ll grab a copy and be blessed by it.

Buy The Pursuit of Holiness:

• Amazon (Paperback or Kindle editions)

• ChristianBook.com (Paperback or ebook editions)

FAITH’S CHECKBOOK

Spurgeon’s classic devotional, The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith, contains a promise of God for every day of the year. Pray with Spurgeon Plus subscribers receive the daily readings every weekday.

If you want to strengthen your faith in God’s promises (and support this ministry!), subscribe to Pray with Spurgeon Plus here.

“Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Timothy 4:15)

This is practically a promise that, by diligent meditation and the giving up of our whole mind to our work for the Lord, we shall make a progress which all can see. Not by hasty reading, but by deep meditation, we will profit from the Word of God. Not by doing a great deal of work in a disorganized manner, but by giving our best thought to what we attempt we shall get real profit. “There is profit in all hard work” (Proverbs 14:23), but not in fuss and hurry without true heart-energy.

If we divide our loyalty between God and money or Christ and self, we shall make no progress. We must give ourselves wholly to holy things or else we shall be poor traders in heavenly business and no profit will be shown when we take stock of our progress.

Am I a minister? Let me be a minister wholly and not spend my energies upon secondary concerns. What have I to do with party politics or vain amusements? Am I a Christian? Let me make my service of Jesus my occupation, my life-work, my one pursuit. We must be all-in with Jesus and then sold out for Jesus or else we shall make neither progress nor profit and neither the church nor the world will feel that forceful influence which the Lord would have us exercise.

Something to think about today if you’re feeling like you will never grow: God is at work in your life through his Word.