Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

February 6– Morning

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

“Praying always.” 

—Ephesians 6:19

 

How many prayers have we offered to God from the first moment we learned to pray? Our first prayer was a prayer for ourselves; we asked that God would have mercy upon us and blot out our sin. He heard us. But when he had taken care of that, we had more prayers for ourselves. We have had to pray for grace to make us more holy, for grace to obey the will of God. We have prayed for a fresh assurance of faith, for the comfortable application of the promise, for deliverance in the hour of temptation, for help in the time of duty, and for comfort in the day of trial. We have had to go to God like constant beggars asking for everything.

Admit it openly and freely: you have never been able to get anything for your souls elsewhere. All the bread your soul has eaten and water your soul has drunk has come from God through Christ Jesus the Lord. Your soul has never grown rich in itself; it has always been dependent upon the daily bounty of God. Because of this, your prayers have risen to heaven to receive more spiritual mercies than you can count.

Don’t you have good reason to say, “I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication?” For as your prayers have been many, so also have been God’s answers to them. He has heard you in the day of trouble, has strengthened you and helped you–- even when you dishonored him by trembling and doubting at the mercy seat. Remember this, and let it fill your heart with gratitude to God who has graciously heard your poor, weak prayers: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” [M&E]