The Spurgeon Speaks Series is a new series on Spurgeon by Moody Publishers. In this series, Jason K. Allen, the president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College, compiled several Spurgeon’s sermons and organized them topically. The first volume of the series is on prayer, and it’s titled Spurgeon on the Priority of Prayer.
Spurgeon, who is best known for his powerful preaching, was also a devoted man of prayer. He attributed his ministry success and church growth to prayer and frequently preached about its power. And in this volume of the Spurgeon Speaks series, Allen curated Spurgeon’s best eight sermons on prayer. They are, The Conditions of Power in Prayer, Praying and Waiting, David’s Dying Prayer, The Golden Key of Prayer, Prayer the Proof of Godliness, Lead us not into Temptation, Pray Without Ceasing, and Thanksgiving and Prayer. Each sermon features a summary and a few notable quotes.
I tremendously enjoyed this little book! I couldn’t stop highlighting as Spurgeon shares so much wisdom on prayer and has such elegant prose. Each sermon is short, easy to read, and filled with wonderful insights on prayer that will convict and encourage you to pray more.
I was particularly encouraged by Praying and Waiting, which is undoubtedly a struggle for many Christians. My only “critique” of the book is that the sermons were slightly edited and abridged. I understand it was to make them more accessible for modern readers. Still, I would have preferred if they were as Spurgeon delivered them.
Be that as it may, I highly recommend Spurgeon on the Priority of Prayer to anyone who wants to enrich their praying life. Spurgeon shares many precious nuggets about prayer, and when he speaks, you would be indeed wise to listen.
Moody Publishers graciously gave me a copy for an honest review.
Favorite Quotes
“He who prays without expecting to receive a return mocks at the mercy seat of God.”
“It is not the man who prays that commends the prayer to God but the fervency of the prayer and the virtue of the great Intercessor.”
“The gates of His grace are open at night as well as at day, and sinning saints may come and find mercy as well as those who have kept their garments white.”
“He may rebuke the unbelief of your prayer, and yet in infinite mercy, He may exceed His promise.”
“God has not promised to give you the particular mercy in kind, but He will give it to you somehow or other. If I pay my debts in gold, no man can blame me because I do not pay them in silver; and if God gives you spiritual mercies in abundance, instead of temporal, He has heard your prayers.”
“Inconsistences after prayer and a failure to press our suit will bring us to doubt the power of prayer. If we do not plead with God again and again and again, we shall not keep up our faith that God hears us.”
“By the light and life you have received of the Holy Ghost, do not discredit Him by thinking He can teach you to pray a prayer that will not be accepted before God.”
“He gives us what is best for us. And if He does not give us the mercy we ask for in silver, He bestows it upon us in gold. If He does not take away the thorn in the flesh, yet He says, “My grace is sufficient for you,” that comes to the same end.”
“Prayer is the mark of godliness in its infancy. Until he has come to pleading and petitioning, we cannot be sure that the divine life is in him.”
“Prayer is best measured by weight rather than length and breadth, and in proportion, as you grow in grace, you will grow in prayerfulness.”
“If anything leads you to decline in prayerfulness, or abstain altogether from prayer, it is an evil thing, disguise it as you may.”
“Prayer should be the natural outlfow of the soul; you should pray because you must pray, not because the set time for praying has arrived but because your heart must cry unto the Lord.”
“So long as you live here and pray to God. He has promised to answer. Though it be the eleventh hour, do not hesitate to pray.”
“Prayer gives a channel to the pent-up sorrows of the soul; they flow away; and in their stead, streams of sacred delight pour into the heart. When the heart is in a quiet condition and full of joy in the Lord, then also will it be sure to draw nigh unto the Lord in worship.”
“When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude.”
“If your heart be cold in prayer do not restrain prayer until your heart warms, but pray your soul unto heat by the help of the ever blessed Spirit who helps our infirmities. If the iron be hot, then hammer it, and if it be cold, hammer it till you heat it.”
“Be importunate; heaven’s gate does not open to every runaway knock. Knock and knock and knock again, and add to your knocking and to you asking seeking, and be not satisfied till you get a real answer.”
“‘Pray without ceasing’ because the Lord never ceases to love you, never ceases to bless you, and never ceases to regard you as His child.”
