Only a prayer meeting by Charles Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the chapters entitled 'Pentecost and Whitsuntide' and 'The pastor's need of the people's prayers'.
Firstly Spurgeon teaches us from Acts 2:1-6, 33-41 about the tradition of Pentecost. Spurgeon tells he is not one for special days and then moves on to discuss the difficulties of the time. There is:
(i) irreligion and indifference;
(ii) growing infidelity;
(iii) both hopeless and difficult work;
(iv) awful wickedness of men.
Secondly Spurgeon discusses " Ye also helping together by prayer for us"—2 Cor. i.11. He encourages his people to join with him in the work of preaching by praying for:
(i) him as the preacher;
(ii) people to bring to hear the preaching.
What grabbed me
I liked the second chapter a lot.
Particularly the encouragement that asking for prayer about our preaching is not selfish: 'It is not selfish to ask the prayers of so many for one man, since the reason is that, afterwards, the blessing may go out to the many through the preaching of the Gospel. If we are filled, it is that we may be emptied; if we receive, it is that we may give; for the apostle says What I, in my humble measure, can also say, " Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; ... or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation." I do verily believe that, many a time, we have been chastened that we might be made a blessing to others; and we have had to carry the yoke of Christ more than we might have had to bear it on our own account, that so we might be better enabled to sympathize with the Lord's tried and afflicted people. " Whether we be afflicted, or whether we be comforted," it is for the same reason, " for your consolation and salvation." And here, too, can I add with the apostle, " We were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life = but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us; ye also helping together by prayer for us." Paul implicitly trusts in his God, yet he asks the people's prayers as much as if he rested entirely in them, and so must we do. Oh, give us continually more and more of your supplications!'
A preacher can certainly ask for people's prayers and not feel selfish!
Next week's reading
Read the chapters entitled 'Why we have not' and 'The pastor's need of the people's prayers'.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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