prayer

God Hears Prayer

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. – Psalm 65:2

Observe, here, that God hears prayer. It is, in some aspects, the lowest form of worship, and yet He accepts it. It is not the worship of heaven, and it is, in a measure, selfish. Praise is superior worship, for it is elevating; it is the utterance of a soul that has received good from God and is returning its love to Him in acknowledgment. Praise has a sublime aspect. Now, observe, if prayer is heard, then praise will be heard too. If the lower form, on weaker wing as it were, reaches the throne of the majesty on high, how much more shall the seraphic wing of praise bear itself into the divine presence. Prayer is heard of God: therefore, our praises and vows will be. And this is a very great encouragement, because it seems terrible to pray when you are not heard, and discouraging to praise God if He will not accept it. What would be the use of it? But if prayer and yet more praise be most surely heard, ah, brethren, then let us continue and abide in thanksgiving. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me, saith the Lord.”

Observe too according to the text, that all prayer, if it be true prayer, is heard of God, for so it is put-“Unto Thee shall all flesh come.” Oh, how glad I am at that word. My poor prayer-shall God reject it? Yes, I might have feared so if He had said, “Unto Thee shall all spirits come.” Behold, my brethren, He takes the grosser part as it were, and looks at prayer in His infinite compassion, perceiving it to be what it is-a feeble thing-a cry coming from poor fallen flesh, and yet He puts it, “Unto Thee shall all flesh come. My broken prayer, my groaning prayer shall get to Thee, though it seems to me a thing of flesh, it is nevertheless wrought in me by Thy Spirit. And O my God, my song, though my voice be hoarse and oftentimes my notes most feeble, shall reach Thee. Though I groan because it is so imperfect, yet even that shall come to Thee. Prayer, if true, shall be received of God, notwithstanding all its faultiness, through Jesus Christ. Then so it will be with our praises and our vows. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1023.cfm

Heart-felt Silent Praise

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

“Praise is silent unto Thee”… – Psalm 65:1

There is praise for God in Zion, and it is often spoken; but there is often praise for God in Zion, and it is silence. There are some who cannot sing vocally, but perhaps, before God, they sing best. There are some, I know, who sing very harshly and inharmoniously-that is to say, to our ears; and yet God may accept them rather than the noise of stringed instruments carefully touched. There is a story told of Rowland Hill’s being much troubled by a good old lady who would sit near him and sing with a most horrible voice, and very loudly- as those people generally do who sing badly-and he at last begged her not to sing so loudly. But when she said, “It comes from my heart,” the honest man of God retracted his rebuke, and said, “Sing away, I should be sorry to stop you.” When praise comes from the heart, who would wish to restrain it. Even the shouts of the old Methodists, their “hallelujahs” and “glorys,” when uttered in fervor, were not to be forbidden; for if these should hold their peace, even the stones would cry out. But there are times when those who sing, and sing well, have too much praise in their soul for it to enclose itself in words. Like some strong liquors which cannot use a little vent, but foam and swell until they burst each hoop that binds the barrel; so, sometimes, we want a larger channel for our soul than that of mouth and tongue, and we long to have all our nerves and sinews made into harp strings, and all the pores of our body made mouths of thankfulness. Oh, that we could praise with our whole nature, with not one single hair of our heads, or drop of blood in our veins, keeping back from adoring the Most High! When this desire for praise is most vehement, we fall back upon silence, and quiver with the adoration which we cannot speak. Silence becomes our praise…Let us, then, by our silence, praise God, and let us always confess that our praise, compared with God’s deserving, is but silence. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1023.cfm

Our Holy Worship

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion: and unto Thee shall the vow be performed. – 65:1

Although we shall never cease to pray as long as we live here below, and are surrounded by so many wants, yet we should never so pray as to forget to praise. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is heaven,” must never be left out because we are pressed with want, and therefore hasten to cry, “Give us this day our daily bread.” It will be a sad hour when the worship of the church shall be only a solemn wail. Notes of exultant thanksgiving should ever ascend from her solemn gatherings. “Praise the Lord O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.” “Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.” Let it abide as a perpetual ordinance, while sun and moon endure, “Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion.” Never think little of praise, since holy angels and saints made perfect count it their life-long joy, and even the Lord Himself saith, “Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth Me.’ The tendency, I fear, among us has been to undervalue praise as a part of public worship, whereas it should be second to nothing. We frequently hear of prayer-meetings, but seldom of praise-meetings. We acknowledge the duty of prayer by setting apart certain times for it; we do not always so acknowledge the duty of praise…In everything we are to give thanks; it is as much an apostolic precept as that other, “In everything, by prayer and supplication, make your requests known unto God.” I have often said to you, dear brethren, that prayer and praise are like the breathing in and out of the air, and make up that spiritual respiration by which the inner life is instrumentally supported. We take in an inspiration of heavenly air as we pray: we breathe it out again in praise unto God, from whom it came; if then, we would be healthy in spirit, let us be abundant in thanksgiving…”Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1023.cfm

Get to Living Things!

Sherry Attributes of God, Christian Life, confession of sin, prayer, promises, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. – Numbers 19:16

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. – Hebrews 9:12

In the passage in Numbers which is now before us, the one source of defilement dealt with is death. “Whoever touches one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.” Now, death is peculiarly the symbol of sin as well as the fruit of sin. Sin, like death, defaces the image of God in man. As soon as death grasps the body of a man, it destroys the bloom of beauty, the dignity of strength and drives forth from the human form that mysterious something which is the token of life within. However comely a corpse may appear for a time, yet it is defaced—the excellence of life has departed and, alas, in a few hours, or at longest in a few days, the image of God begins utterly to pass away—corruption and the worm commence their desolating work and horror follows in their train. What death does for the “human face,” sin does for the spiritual image of God upon us. It utterly defaces it…Like a dog at one’s heels, sin is always with us! Like our shadow, it follows us, go where we may. Yes, and when the sun shines not and shadows are gone, sin is still there. Where shall we flee from its presence and where shall we hide from its power? When we would do good, evil is present with us. How humbled we ought to be at the recollection of this!

Sin is death. Labor to keep from it! Inasmuch as you are delivered from the yoke of sin, go forth and serve God! Since He is the living God and evidently hates death and makes it to be an uncleanness to Him, get to living things! Offer to God living prayers and living tears! Love Him with living love! Trust Him with living faith! Serve Him with living obedience! Be all alive with His life—not only have life—but have it more abundantly! He has purged you from the defilement of death, now live in the beauty and glory and excellency of the Divine Life and pray the Holy Spirit to quicken you that you may abide in full fellowship with God! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1481.cfm

This Sweet Council

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises Leave a comment

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. – Hebrews 10:35.36

As the season advances, (the farmer’s) anxieties are prone to increase rather than to abate. If he has had long need of patience while the seasons have succeeded each other, and while organic changes have been in course of development, surely there is a stronger challenge of his patience as the crisis approaches when he shall reap the produce! How anxiously at this season will he observe the skies, watch the clouds, and wait the opportune time to get in his crops and garner them in good condition! Is there no peril that haunts him lest, after all, the blast or the mildew should cheat his hopes? Lest fierce winds should lay the full-grown stems prostrate on the ground? Lest then the pelting showers of rain should drench the well-filled ears of corn? I might almost call this the farmer’s last fear, and yet the most nervous fear that agitates his mind!

In like manner, beloved, we have a closing scene in prospect which may, and will in all probability, involve a greater trial of faith, and a sterner call for patience than any or all of the struggles through which we have already passed! “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” This is sweet counsel for you, O Pilgrim, to Zion’s city bound. When you were young and strong, you did walk many a weary mile with that staff of promise; it helped you over the ground; don’t throw it aside as useless, now that you are old and infirm; lean upon it! Rest upon that promise, in your present weakness, which lightened your labor in the days of your vigor. “Cast not away your confidence.” But, brothers and sisters, there is something more. The apostle says, “You have need of patience, after you have done the will of God.” But, why, you will say, is patience so indispensable at this juncture of experience? Doubtless you all know that we are never so subject to impatience as when there is nothing we can do…Here it is, brothers and sisters that after our fight is fought, after our race is run, after our allotted task is finished, there is so much need of patience; of such patience as waits only on God, and watches unto prayer, that we may finish our course with joy, and the ministry we have received of the Lord Jesus. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm

Pause and Pray!

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises Leave a comment

In your patience possess ye your souls. – Like 21:19

When we have patience, it keeps us in good heart for service; a man to whom it is given to wait for a reward, keeps up his courage, and when he has to wait, he says, “It is no more than I expected; I never reckoned that I was to slay my enemy at the first blow; I never imagined that I was to capture the city as soon as ever I had dug the first trench; I reckoned upon waiting, and now that is come, I find that God gives me the grace to fight on and wrestle on, till the victory shall come.”

And patience saves a man from a great deal of haste and folly. A hasty man is never a wise man; he is wise who halts a little, and ponders his ways, especially when adversity crosses his path. I have known brothers in the ministry get discouraged, and leave their pulpits, and repent as long as ever they lived that they left a sphere of labor where they ought to have toiled on! I have known Christians get discouraged, and touchy, and angry; fall out with the church of which they were members; go out in the wilderness and leave the fat pastures behind them. They have only had to regret all their lives that they had not a little more patience with their brothers and sisters, and with the circumstances which surrounded them. Whenever you are about to do anything in a great hurry, pause and pray! The hot fever in your own system ill fits you to act discreetly; while you tarry for a more healthy temperature of your own feelings, there may be a great change in the thermometer outside as to the circumstances that influence you! Great haste makes little speed; he who believes shall not make haste; and as the promise runs, he shall never be confounded. Above all, patience is to be commended to you because it glorifies God; the man who can wait, and wait calmly, astonishes the worldling, for the worldling wants it now. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm

Conquer Your Impatience!

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises Leave a comment

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. – James 5:8

Suppose a man should be impatient under suffering; will it diminish his suffering? Will it increase the probabilities of his restoration? We all know that the irritability of temper which is caused by impatience is one of the difficulties which the physician has to battle with. When the patient is calm, there is a better chance of his recovery…There is a story told of Mr. Hill being on board a vessel once. It is said he heard the mate swear, and afterwards he heard the captain use a profane oath. I think Mr. Hill interposed as the captain was about to swear again, and said, “No, no, let us be fair; let us have everything turn and turn about. Your mate has sworn, and you have had an oath. Now it is my turn—my turn to swear.” The captain looked at him somewhat astonished, and had to admit that there was a degree of rightness and propriety in every man having his turn; however, Mr. Hill did not swear, and the captain said, “I suppose, sir, you don’t mean to take your turn; you really don’t mean to swear.” “Oh, yes,” said the good old man, “I mean to swear as soon as ever I can see the good of it.”

We might do the same by our impatience, brothers and sisters! Let us be impatient as soon as ever we can see the use it will serve! If the farmer should need rain just now, his impatience would not influence the clouds and make them pour out their torrents…Whatever happens to you, there is nothing can happen to you worse than your being impatient, for of all troubles in the world that one can be troubled with, an impatient spirit is about the worst. O that you would endeavor to conquer impatience! It cast Satan out of heaven, when he was impatient at the honor and dignity of the Son of God; he was impatient at being a servant to his Maker and was driven from his high estate. Let us be rid of impatience which made Cain kill his brother, and which has done a thousand mischievous things since. May God grant us, like the farmer, to watch and wait patiently, but the benefits of patience are too many for me to hope to name them. Suffice it to say, patience saves a man from great discouragement. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm