Prayer changes things.
D.L. Moody once said to hear Spurgeon preach was a blessing, but to hear Spurgeon pray was even more impressive (Autobiography 4:71).
Praying like Spurgeon nourishes the soul, encourages the depressed, motivates the lazy and ushers the humble before the throne of God.
Spurgeon prevailed with God in prayer.
“As I am sure that a certain amount of leverage will lift a weight, so I know that a certain amount of prayer will get anything from God” (MTP 11:150).
“If there be anything I know, anything that I am quite assured of beyond all question, it is that praying breath is never spent in vain” (MTP 11:150).
“The streaming wounds of Jesus are the sure guarantees for answered prayer” (MTP 11:149).
Spurgeon baked and caked his prayers in Scripture. He pulled passages from the broken places of his heart and flung them into the presence of the Divine. Never rehearsed, always urgent, Spurgeon’s prayers were theological but not scholarly.
“[Spurgeon’s] wonderful knowledge of the Scripture made his prayers so fresh and edifying” (C.H. Spurgeon’s Prayers, vi).
One of the best sermons Spurgeon ever preached on prayer was “The Golden Key of Prayer.” In it, he provides the Christian with a sparkling aspiration:
“If you would reach to something higher than ordinary grovelling experience, look to the Rock that is higher than you, and look with the eye of faith through the windows of importunate prayer” (MTP 11:153).
Why Prayer Changes Things
In this season of great uncertainty, the first thing—the best thing—a believer should do is pray. Spurgeon found this effective in his life, and if it is true of us, we will discover numerous benefits:
1. Prayer changes things because it makes us desire God.
“Prayer is the natural outgushing of a soul in communion with Jesus” (MTP 34:14-15).
