Evening, October 8
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
"Praying in the Holy Ghost."
Jude 20
Mark the grand characteristic of true prayer--"In the Holy Ghost." The
seed of acceptable devotion must come from heaven's storehouse. Only
the prayer which comes from God can go to God. We must shoot the Lord's
arrows back to him. That desire which he writes upon our heart will
move his heart and bring down a blessing, but the desires of the flesh
have no power with him.
Praying in the Holy Ghost is praying in fervency. Cold prayers ask the
Lord not to hear them. Those who do not plead with fervency, plead not
at all. As well speak of lukewarm fire as of lukewarm prayer--it is
essential that it be red hot. It is praying perseveringly. The true
suppliant gathers force as he proceeds, and grows more fervent when God
delays to answer. The longer the gate is closed, the more vehemently
does he use the knocker, and the longer the angel lingers the more
resolved is he that he will never let him go without the blessing.
Beautiful in God's sight is tearful, agonizing, unconquerable
importunity. It means praying humbly, for the Holy Spirit never puffs
us up with pride. It is his office to convince of sin, and so to bow us
down in contrition and brokenness of spirit. We shall never sing Gloria
in excelsis except we pray to God De profundis: out of the depths must
we cry, or we shall never behold glory in the highest. It is loving
prayer. Prayer should be perfumed with love, saturated with love--love
to our fellow saints, and love to Christ. Moreover, it must be a prayer
full of faith. A man prevails only as he believes. The Holy Spirit is
the author of faith, and strengthens it, so that we pray believing
God's promise. O that this blessed combination of excellent graces,
priceless and sweet as the spices of the merchant, might be fragrant
within us because the Holy Ghost is in our hearts! Most blessed
Comforter, exert thy mighty power within us, helping our infirmities in
prayer.