LivePrayer
C.H. Spurgeon's Prayers
Prologue
Introduction by Dinsdale T. Young
The day on which a volume of C. H. Spurgeon's Pulpit Prayers appears is a day to be desired. Many will now rejoice to see that day.Read Now
Prayer 1
Help from On High
O Thou who art King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship Thee. Before Jehovah's awful throne, we bow with sacred joy. We can truly say that we delight in God. There was a time when we feared Thee, O God, with the fear of bondage. Now we reverence, but we love as much as we reverence. The thought of Thine omnipresence was once horrible to us. We said, "Whither shall we flee from His presence?" and it seemed to make hell itself more dreadful, because we heard a voice, "If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there." But now, O Lord, we desire to find Thee. Our longing is to feel Thy presence and it is the heaven of heavens that Thou art there. The sick bed is soft when Thou art there. The furnace of affliction grows cool when Thou art there and the house of prayer, when Thou art present, is none other than the house of God and it is the very gate of heaven.Read Now
Prayer 2
Thanks Be Unto God
O Lord God, help us now really to worship Thee. We would thank Thee for this occasion. We bless Thy name for setting apart this hallowed season. Lord, wilt Thou shut the door upon the world for us? Help us to forget our cares. Enable us to rise clean out of this world. May we get rid of all its down-dragging tendencies. May the attractions of these grossest things be gone and do Thou catch us away to Thyself.Read Now
Prayer 3
The Love Without Measure or End
Lord, we would come to Thee, but do Thou come to us. Draw us and we will run after Thee. Blessed Spirit, help our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. Come, Holy Spirit, and give right thoughts and right utterance that we may all be able to pray in the common prayer, the whole company feeling that for each one there is a portion. We are grateful as we remember that if the minister in the sanctuary should not be able to pray for any one of us there is One who bears the names of all His redeemed upon His breast and upon His shoulder, who will take care with the love of His heart and the power of His hand to maintain the cause of all His own.Read Now
Prayer 4
The All-Prevailing Plea
O Lord God! the Fountain of all fullness, we, who are nothing but emptiness, come unto Thee for all supplies, nor shall we come in vain, since we bear with us a plea which is all prevalent. Since we come commanded by Thy Word, encouraged by Thy promise, and preceded by Christ Jesus, our great High Priest, we know that whatsoever we shall ask in prayer, believing, we shall receive. Only do Thou help us now to ask right things and may the utterances of our mouth be acceptable in Thy sight, O God our Strength and our Redeemer.Read Now
Prayer 5
To The King Eternal
Our God and Father, draw us to Thyself by Thy Spirit and may the few minutes that we spend in prayer be full of the true spirit of supplication. Grant that none of us with closed eyes may yet be looking abroad over the fields of vanity, but may our eyes be really shut to everything else now but that which is spiritual and divine. May we have communion with God in the secret of our hearts and find Him to be to us as a little sanctuary.Read Now
Prayer 6
The Wonders of Calvary
Great God, there was a time when we dreaded the thought of coming near to Thee, for we were guilty and Thou wast angry with us, but now we will praise Thee because Thine anger is turned away and Thou comfortest us. Ay, and the very throne which once was a place of dread has now become the place of shelter. I flee unto Thee to hide me.Read Now
Prayer 7
"Let All the People Praise Thee"
Our Father, when we read Thy description of human nature we are sure it is true, for Thou has seen man ever since his fall and Thou hast been grieved at heart concerning him. Moreover, Thou hast such a love towards him that Thou didst not judge him harshly and every word that Thou hast spoken must be according to truth. Thou hast measured and computed the iniquity of man, for Thou hast laid it on the Well-Beloved and we know Thou hast not laid upon Him more than is meet.Read Now
Prayer 8
A Prayer for Holiness
Our Father, we worship and love Thee and it is one point of our worship that Thou art holy. Time was when we loved Thee for Thy mercy. We knew no more, but now Thou hast changed our hearts and made us in love with goodness, purity, justice, true holiness, and we understand now why "the cherubim and seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts."Read Now
Prayer 9
Glorious Liberty
Our Father, we bless Thy name that we can say from the bottom of our hearts, "Abba, Father." It is the chief joy of our lives that we have become the children of God by faith which is in Christ Jesus and we can in the deep calm of our spirit say, "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as in heaven."Read Now
Prayer 10
The Music of Praise
O Thou blessed God, we must be helped of Thy Spirit or we cannot worship Thee aright. Behold the holy angels adore Thee and the hosts redeemed by blood bring everlasting Hallelujahs to Thy feet. What are we, the creatures of a day, polluted with sin, that we should think that we can praise thee? And yet the music of praise were not complete if Thy children did not join in it, even those of them who are still in this world below. Help us, then, enable us to tune our harps and to fetch forth music from our spirit.Read Now
Prayer 11
Under The Blood
Jehovah our God, we thank Thee for leaving on record the story of Thine ancient people. It is full of instruction to ourselves. Help us to take its warning to avoid the faults into which they fell! Thou art a covenant God and Thou keepest Thy promises and Thy Word never faileth. We have proved this so hitherto - "Thus far we find that promise good, Which Jesus ratified with blood."Read Now
Prayer 12
On Holy Ground
"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We fear that we often begin our prayer with petitions for ourselves and put our daily bread before Thy kingdom and the pardoning of our sins before the hallowing of Thy name. We would not do so today, but guided by our Lord's model of prayer, we would first pray for Thy glory and here, great God, we would adore Thee. Thou hast made us and not we ourselves. We are Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture. All glory be unto Thee, Jehovah, the only living and true God.Read Now
Prayer 13
The Wings of Prayer
Our Father, Thy children who know Thee delight themselves in Thy presence. We are never happier than when we are near Thee. We have found a little heaven in prayer. It has eased our load to tell Thee of its weight. It has relieved our wound to tell Thee of its smart. It has restored our spirit to confess to Thee its wanderings. No place like the Mercy Seat for us.Read Now
Prayer 14
"Bless The Lord, O My Soul!"
Lord, we are longing to draw near, may Thy Spirit draw us near. We come by the way of Christ our Mediator. We could not approach Thee, O our God, if it were not for Him, but in Him we come boldly to the throne of heavenly grace. Nor can we come without thanksgiving—thanksgiving from the heart, such as the tongue can never express. Thou hast chosen us from before the foundation of the world and this well-head of mercy sends forth streams of loving-kindness never ceasing. Because we were chosen, we have been redeemed with precious blood. Bless the Lord! And we have been called by the Holy Spirit out of the world and we have been led to obey that wondrous call which hath quickened us and renewed us, and made us the people of God, given us adoption into the divine family. Bless the Lord!Read Now
Prayer 15
The Peace of God
Our God, we stand not afar off as Israel did in Sinai, nor does a veil hang dark between Thy face and ours, but the veil is rent by the death of our divine Lord and Mediator, Jesus Christ, and in His name we come up to the Mercy Seat all blood besprinkled, and here we present our prayers and our praises accepted in Him. We do confess that we are guilty. We bow our heads and confess that we have broken Thy law and the covenant of which it is a part. Didst Thou deal with us under the covenant of works, none of us could stand. We must confess that we deserve Thy wrath and to be banished forever from Thy presence. But Thou hast made a new covenant and we come under its divine shadow. We come in the name of Jesus. He is our High Priest. He is our righteousness. He is the well-beloved in whom Thou art well-pleased.Read Now
Prayer 16
He Ever Liveth
Our God, we come to Thee by Jesus Christ who has gone within the veil on our behalf and ever liveth to make intercession for us. Our poor prayers could never reach Thee were it not for Him, but His hands are full of sweet perfume which makes our pleading sweet with Thee. His blood is sprinkled on the Mercy Seat and now we know that Thou dost always hear those who approach Thee through that ever blessed name.Read Now
Prayer 17
To Be Like Christ
Blessed art Thou, O God, teach us Thy statutes! Because Thou art the infinitely blessed One, Thou canst impart blessing, and Thou art infinitely willing to do so, and therefore do we approach Thee with great confidence, through Jesus Christ Thy Son, whom Thou hast made blessed forevermore.Read Now
Prayer 18
O, For More Grace!
Our Father, Thou dost hear us when we pray. Thou hast provided an advocate and intercessor in heaven now. We cannot come to Thee unless Thy Holy Spirit shall suggest desire and help us while we plead. We would ask that the subject which caused such conflict to Paul may be beyond conflict with us. May we know the Christ and have Him to be our all in all. We would have the conflict about others, but may we be past it for ourselves. He is everything to us, more than all in Him we find. We do accept Thee, Lord Jesus, to be made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We will not look out of Thee for anything, for everything is in Thee. Our sin is pardoned. Our sinful nature is subdued. We have a perfect righteousness. We have an immortal life. We have a sure hope. We have an immovable foundation. Why should we look beyond Thee? Why should we look within to ourselves, knowing that Thou shalt be the only well from which we will draw the living water, the only foundation upon which we will be builded. We would thrust out new rootlets this day and take fresh hold on the blessed soil in which grace has planted us.Read Now
Prayer 19
God's Unspeakable Gift
O Lord, many of us feel like the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. Come by this way and make the lame ones perfectly sound. O Lord, Thou canst do by Thy servants today what Thou didst by them in the olden time. Work miracles of mercy even upon outer court worshippers who are too lame to get into the holy place.Read Now
Prayer 20
The Great Sacrifice
O God our Father, we do remember well when we were called to Thee, with many sweet and wooing voices we were bidden to return. Thou didst Thyself hang out the lights of mercy that we might know the way home and Thy dear Son Himself came down to seek us. But we wandered still. It brings the tears to our eyes to think that we should have been so foolish and so wicked, for we often extinguished the light within and conscience we tried to harden and we sinned against light and knowledge with a high hand against our God.Read Now
Prayer 21
Boldness at The Throne of Grace
O God! we would not speak to Thee as from a distance, nor stand like trembling Israel under the law at a distance from the burning mount, for we have not come unto Mount Sinai, but unto Mount Sion and that is a place for holy joy and thankfulness, and not for terror and bondage. Blessed be Thy name, O Lord! We have learnt to call Thee "Our Father, which art in heaven"; so there is reverence, for Thou art in heaven, but there is sweet familiarity, for Thou art our Father.Read Now
Prayer 22
The Presence of God
Our Father, which art in heaven, our hearts are full of gratitude to Thee for Thy Word. We bless Thee that we have it in our houses, that Thou hast given to many of us to understand it and to enjoy it. Although as yet we know not what we shall know, yet have we learned from it what we never can forget, that which has changed our lives has removed our burdens, has comforted our hearts, has set our faces like flints against sin, and made us eager after perfect holiness.Read Now
Prayer 23
The Look of Faith
Our Father, we have listened to Thy gracious words. Truly Thy paths drop fatness. Wherever Thou art, mercy abounds. Before Thy feet, rivers of grace spring up. When Thou comest to man, it is with the fulness of pardoning love. Thou hast bidden us come to Thee and seek Thee while Thou mayest be found. We would come now. May Thy Holy Spirit help us! May Jesus lead the way and be our Mediator now!Read Now
Prayer 24
"Deliver Us from Evil"
O God, let us not be formalists or hypocrites at this time in prayer. We feel how easy it is to bow the head and cover the face and yet the thoughts may be all astray, and the mind may be wandering hither and thither, so that there shall be no real prayer at all. Come, Holy Spirit, help us to feel that we are in the immediate presence of God and may this thought lead us to sincere and earnest petitioning.Read Now
Prayer 25
The Washing of Water By The Word
Jehovah, our God, Thou lovest Thy people, Thou hast placed all the saints in the hand of Jesus and Thou hast given Jesus to be to them a leader, a commander, and a husband and we know that Thou delightest to hear us cry on the behalf of Thy Church for Thou carest for Him and Thou art ady to grant to Him according to the covenant provisions which Thou hast laid up in store for Christ Jesus. Therefore, would we begin this prayer by entreating Thee to behold and visit the vine and the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted. Look upon Zion the city of our solemnities. Look upon those whom Thou hast chosen from before the foundation of the world, whom Christ hath redeemed with blood, whose hearts He has won and holds, and who are His own though they be in the world.Read Now
Prayer 26
Prayer Answered and Unanswered
God of Israel, God of Jesus Christ, our God forever and ever! Help us now by the sacred Spirit to approach Thee aright with deepest reverence, but not with servile fear, with holiest boldness, but not with presumption. Teach us as children to speak to the Father and yet as creatures to bow before our Maker.Read Now
Epilogue
The Golden Key of Prayer
"Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3Read Now