Only a prayer meeting - Spurgeon - XV - 'Why we have not'

Required reading
Only a prayer meeting by Charles Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the chapters entitled 'Why we have not'

My summary
Today Spurgeon teaches us from James iv. 2. 'Ye have not, because you ask not'.

Firstly Spurgeon gives us a few pointers about prayer-meetings, including tips on reducing long-winded prayers and gossiping prayers.

Then Spurgeon encourages us to consider that if we don't have what we need, is it because we don't ask God?  Thus he suggests we should ask God regularly for all our needs, even small ones.

Then we are taught that we should not doubt when we pray, rather we should have trust in God and his willingness to help us.

Finally, Spurgeon concludes the chapter with some prayer requests for his own ministry.

What grabbed me
Great chapter. 

I particularly appreciated the encouragement not to doubt God: 'Or, possibly, you know your need, and are anxious to be supplied, and yet you do not ask because you have no faith in God upon the matter.  How long have you known the Lord? Have you known Him a year? Is not this long enough to have gained confidence in Him? There are many persons whom you would rely upon at once, and hundreds whom you could trust with untold gold after having known them for a few hours.  Cannot you thus trust God?  How is it that you dare to doubt Him? What a sin it must be to distrust One so faithful and true!'

How much of our prayerlessness is due to unbelief in God and his power and goodness toward us?

Next week's reading
Read the chapters entitled 'An interruption improved' and 'Fishing'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.