This collection of Charles Spurgeon's word pictures of the majestic throne of grace that believers are privileged to come before, should be an inspiration for prayer life.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, became pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church (formerly pastored by the famous Baptist theologian, John Gill). The congregation quickly outgrew their building, moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. In these venues, Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000—all in the days before electronic amplification. In 1861, the congregation moved permanently to the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle.
This is an absolute must-read if you want to pursue prayer in any form. It took me over a year to read a book that was less than 200 pages, but it took a long time to let each passage sink in. It's not a hard read for language and style-- but it's dense in content. If nothing else, at least read the first chapter-- that section alone has enough fuel to transform your prayer life. Also, Spurgeon is a gifted gifted author. His similes and metaphors are spot on and help you to reach the conclusion that he has come to.
Charles Spurgeon isn't called the "Prince of Preachers" for nothing. He has an incredible way of preaching and writing the truths of God. He talks about prayer in a unique way that inspires unlike any other.
This is my 2nd book that I have read by him and I am getting ready to start a 3rd. I can't get enough and it will take awhile for that to happen since there is "more available written material by Spurgeon than by any other Christian author, living or dead."
Spurgeon amazes me! Not only is his writing style brilliant, he is packed with content. This man truly knew the Lord and this book is powerful. The only downside is that I couldn't read too much at a time without overload ...like trying to drink from a fire hydrant.
Excellent on prayer - Spurgeon's illustrations are unique and memorable - I believe your prayer life will be challenged afresh. And it is not a difficult read - is profound yet very readable.
This is twelve different sermons that Spurgeon preached on prayer. They are readable and as relevant today as they were when he lived. I read this slowly one chapter at a time so that I could digest it.
Any Spurgeon fan will enjoy them. Anyone who wants to read about prayer will like them.
I wouldn't recommend the book if you are looking for a cohesive book on prayer. This is just a collection of random sermons on prayer, not a sermon series. That might frustrate some readers, but I think it is still useful.
As expected from Spurgeon, these sermons on prayer caused me to look to God and His Word and to pray to my loving Father. However, sometimes the things Spurgeon writes are just weird go a little too far. Long quote here, but it's worth the read.
"You may very well ask what you will when you abide in Christ, because whatever you may require is already lodged in Him. Do you desire the grace of the Spirit? Go to your Lord’s anointing. Do you seek holiness? Go to His example. Do you desire pardon of sin? Look to His blood. Do you need sin to be put to death? Look to His crucifixion. Do you need to be buried to the world? Go to His tomb. Do you want to feel the fullness of a heavenly life? Behold His resurrection. Would you rise above the world? Mark His ascension. Would you contemplate heavenly things? Remember His sitting at the right hand of God and know that He 'hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus' (Eph. 2.6)."
A collection of wisdom on prayer from a man who both believed strongly in it and practiced it throughout his time here on earth. (Note: This book could have done with some more editing; there were a few grammatical and spelling errors that a good editor should have caught.)
Wow. If you’re seeking to grow deeper in your understanding and your heart for prayer, this book is an awesome resource. Spurgeon nails it. Will definitely read this again!
I found this book hard to read but I persevered. It definitely has some golden nuggets in it, which I treasure. Charles Spurgeon was definitely passionate about prayer and had lots to say about it! It should be shared so that others can hopefully get ignited to pray. You may find that your humble prayers are actually paying homage to God and is a beautiful thing to God!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
One of the more challenging works I’ve read of Spurgeon. He presented some thoughts on prayer that stretched my beliefs. It is evident that he holds prayer at the top of not only the spiritual disciplines, but also in every area of the Christian life.
“14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” –Hebrews 4:14-16
In his writings on prayer in this book Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the 19th century “Prince of Preachers” takes us right to the “Throne of Grace” and teaches us to pray powerful prayers. In this writing Spurgeon indeed shows the reader “The Power of Prayer and the Pleasure of Praise”. He not only shows us how to pour out our requests with power but gives us light on avoiding the hindrances to prayer. Hear how Spurgeon shows that prayer can magnify the Lord’s attributes in the way of a doxology:
“What if I were to say that prayer is in itself essentially a doxology? It is an utterance of glory to God in His attributes. Do I ask Him to bless me? Then I adore His power, for I believe He can. Do I ask Him to bless me? Then I adore His mercy, for I trust and hope He will. Do I ask Him to bless me because of such and such a promise? Then I adore His faithfulness, for I evidently believe that He is truthful and will do as He has said, Do I ask Him to bless me not according to my request but according to His own wisdom? Then I adore His wisdom; I am evidently believing in His prudence and judgment. When I say to Him, ‘Not my will but thine be done,’ I am adoring His sovereignty. When I confess that I deserve to suffer beneath his hand, I reverence His justice. When I acknowledge that He always does right, I adore His holiness. When I humbly say, ‘Nevertheless, deal graciously with me and blot out my transgressions,’ I am reverencing His grace. We do not wonder, therefore, that through Jesus Christ the prayers of the saints should be precious to God, since they are an eminently practical homage to the Supreme.”
Whether you want to learn to pray or enhance your prayer life, read this book. You will profit immensely! “Set your face unto the Lord God.”
This book was a GREAT read. I couldn't put it down. what I loved about it was that it took my knowledge of prayer to another level. It's not one of those "How to" books. It's more of a book for someone who already has an effective prayer life. He shows us how effective and powerful prayer is and why we need to use it. It's like, "Now that you have tool, let me show you what a great tool you have in your hand and why you can use it." Most prayer books just explains what prayer is, how to pray, how to set up a prayer life, etc. Mr. Spurgeon, helps us to see and learn what power we have in prayer.
Such a powerful ministry. Truly annointed by God thru the Holy Spirt proving that formal education and Theological Seminary are not required to expound God's Word in a successful ministry. Like Christ's Disciples he walked with the Lord thru his prayer life.
Spurgeon is without a doubt one of the best! I never get tired of reading him. God truly annointed him with the ability to share with the rest of us in a manner that will without fail aid in your spiritual growth.
Every believer has to read up on prayer and to seek to grow in prayer and excel all the more. Spurgeon was greatly encouraging in his call to believers to pray more deeply.
What strikes me when I read a sermon by Charles Spurgeon is how real he was. That’s refreshingly evident in this compilation of sermons on prayer, a topic which can easily become a guilt trip since few of us pray as well as we’d like. Spurgeon, like his Savior, is full of sympathy for our weaknesses:
“Have you not been on your knees at times without power to pray? Have you not felt that you could not plead as you desired? You wanted to pray, but the waters were frozen and would not flow. The will was present, but not the freedom to present that will in prayer.”
This understanding of human frailty is part of what makes this such a meaningful set of sermons. Spurgeon was a master rhetorician, skilled in his use of word pictures and structure to deliver clear, memorable sermons. Yet it’s his pastor’s heart that makes this collection worth reading and rereading.
Spurgeon returns time and again to themes that illustrate this point. For example, Spurgeon often urges not the flowery orations of the professional minister or the austerities of a book of prayers, but the simple words that overflow your own yearning heart:
“Come at once to the point and speak honestly with Him. He needs no beautiful oratories….Don’t ransack the Bible to find words in which to express it. Express your desires in the words that naturally suggest themselves to you. They will be the best words—depend upon it.”
This brings a heavenly topic down to Earth where we actually live. Power in prayer does not lie in elevated speech that is no different in concept from a magical incantation. It lies rather in a heart that believes God exists and loves and acts, and that abides fully and trustfully in Jesus.
The best praise I can give is that rather than discouraging me, this book comforted me. Every time I finished a sermon, I wanted to pray. I believed I *could* pray, and that God *would* hear me. In a world abuzz with alarms and advertising angst, Spurgeon reminds me that at any moment I can come to the garden alone, to walk with God and to talk with God, with a joy none other can ever know.
What a great challenge for me to spend more time praying. But not just praying, but true, informed, Christ-honoring and Throne-approaching prayer.
This collection of sermons has way more than could be absorbed at once. I had to allow myself the freedom to forget some of the details to grasp the bigger picture - prayer is more great and more powerful and more joyful and more important than we can ever realize. Spurgeon knew prayer and he knew the Scriptures; and these two facts are all that is necessary to understand why he was so influential. These are some amazing sermons with so much to inspire, train, correct and equip for a life of prayer to our Holy God.
An excellent book on the practice of prayer. Prayer is very well searched out in the Scriptures. This book is for those who feel that they do not pray well, or they feel God doesn't answer their prayers or whether or not they are really praying. Spurgeon did not write this, but it is a compilation of his sermons on prayer. These are messages that Spurgeon preached. Lance C. Wubbels is the writer and the one who did the research to bring this book about. It says that it is compiled and edited by Robert Hall which is the pseudonym for Lance Wubbels.
A collection of several of Spurgeon’s sermons on prayer. Convicting, oh so convicting. That any could have such faith as to say as he did: “I go to Him very simply and ask for what I want, and, if I did not receive what I humbly sought, I should be greatly surprised.”
Un libro que es escrito por un hombre que amo la oración y llevó a su iglesia a orar. Nos hace ver cosas que no consideramos y nos lleva a orar porque Dios haga de nuestra oración una oración ferviente.
Reading sermons is never the same as hearing them, but Spurgeon manages to stir your heart to prayer and teach valuable lessons aboit it even through the written page. If you want to be encouraged to pray through the exposition of various Bible passages, this is a book for you.
Excellent read. Convicts and at the same time encourages you to go to your prayer room and pray. Every chapter made me reflect on my own prayer life and then use what I learned in that chapter to grow my prayer life.
This is a reread. It was just us inspiring the second time. Prayers to God come from A heart of gratitude or from a troubled heart. We need to continue to live in Christ and raise a part voices to him as sweet incense. The Holy Spirit alone can give us true passion to pray.