A Devotion from Charles Spurgeon

“Praying always.” —Ephesians 6:18

What multitudes of prayers we have put up from the first moment when 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 blotted out our sins like a cloud, then we had

more prayers for ourselves. We have had to pray for sanctifying grace, for constraining and

restraining grace; we have been led to crave 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 succour in the day of trial. We have been compelled to go to God for our souls, as

constant beggars asking for everything. Bear witness, children of God, you have never been

able to get anything for your souls elsewhere. All the bread your soul has eaten has come down

from heaven, and all the water of which it has drank has flowed from the living rock—Christ

Jesus the Lord. Your soul has never grown rich in itself; it has always been a pensioner upon the

daily bounty of God; and hence your prayers have ascended to heaven for a range of spiritual

mercies all but infinite. Your wants were innumerable, and therefore the supplies have been

infinitely great, and your prayers have been as varied as the mercies have been countless. Then

have you not cause to say, “I love the Lord, because he hath 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

dishonoured him by trembling and doubting at the mercy-seat. Remember this, and let it fill

your heart with gratitude to God, who has thus graciously heard your poor weak prayers. “Bless

the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”