Evening, February 6

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"Pray one for another."

  James 5:16

   As an encouragement cheerfully to offer intercessory prayer, remember
   that such prayer is the sweetest God ever hears, for the prayer of
   Christ is of this character. In all the incense which our Great High
   Priest now puts into the golden censer, there is not a single grain for
   himself. His intercession must be the most acceptable of all
   supplications--and the more like our prayer is to Christ's, the sweeter
   it will be; thus while petitions for ourselves will be accepted, our
   pleadings for others, having in them more of the fruits of the Spirit,
   more love, more faith, more brotherly kindness, will be, through the
   precious merits of Jesus, the sweetest oblation that we can offer to
   God, the very fat of our sacrifice. Remember, again, that intercessory
   prayer is exceedingly prevalent. What wonders it has wrought! The Word
   of God teems with its marvellous deeds. Believer, thou hast a mighty
   engine in thy hand, use it well, use it constantly, use it with faith,
   and thou shalt surely be a benefactor to thy brethren. When thou hast
   the King's ear, speak to him for the suffering members of his body.
   When thou art favoured to draw very near to his throne, and the King
   saith to thee, "Ask, and I will give thee what thou wilt," let thy
   petitions be, not for thyself alone, but for the many who need his aid.
   If thou hast grace at all, and art not an intercessor, that grace must
   be small as a grain of mustard seed. Thou hast just enough grace to
   float thy soul clear from the quicksand, but thou hast no deep floods
   of grace, or else thou wouldst carry in thy joyous bark a weighty cargo
   of the wants of others, and thou wouldst bring back from thy Lord, for
   them, rich blessings which but for thee they might not have obtained:--


   "Oh, let my hands forget their skill,

   My tongue be silent, cold, and still,

   This bounding heart forget to beat,

   If I forget the mercy-seat!"