Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

April 2– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“[The Messiah] will see his descendants… and the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand.” 

—Isaiah 53:10

All you who love the Lord, plead for the speedy fulfilment of this promise! Prayers like this are much easier to pray when our hopes have been dashed and our desires have hit bottom. In despair we cling to God and his word and plead with him to keep it. He who is unchanging truth cannot lie, and eternal faithfulness cannot degrade itself by neglect. God must bless his Son; his covenant binds him to it. When we ask the Spirit to exult Jesus, we are only asking for what God has already decreed to do.

Whenever you pray for the kingdom of Christ, let your eyes behold the dawning of the blessed day which draws near, when the Crucified will receive his coronation in the very place where men rejected him. May you have courage— you who prayerfully work and toil for Christ with small success. It will not always be like this! Better times are ahead. Your eyes cannot see the blissful future, so borrow the telescope of faith, wipe the misty breath of your doubts from the glass, and behold the coming glory.

Dear Christian, do you make the Kingdom of God your constant prayer? Remember that the same Christ who tells us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” first instructed us to plead, “Lord, may your name be exalted as holy; may your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Don’t let your prayers be all about your own sins, your own wants, your own imperfections, your own trials; instead, climb the starry ladder and behold Christ himself! And then, as you draw near to the blood-sprinkled mercy-seat, offer this prayer continually: “Lord, extend the kingdom of your dear Son.” Such a petition, fervently presented, will elevate your devotion to God. And then, of course, prove the sincerity of your prayer by laboring to promote the Lord’s glory. [M&E]