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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
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Monday, October 29, 2007
MORNING:
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in
heaven, etc."
-- Matthew 6:9
This prayer begins where all true prayer must commence, with the spirit
of adoption, "Our Father." There is no acceptable prayer until we can
say, "I will arise, and go unto my Father." This child-like spirit soon
perceives the grandeur of the Father "in heaven," and ascends to devout
adoration, "Hallowed be thy name." The child lisping, "Abba, Father,"
grows into the cherub crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy." There is but a step
from rapturous worship to the glowing missionary spirit, which is a
sure outgrowth of filial love and reverent adoration-"Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Next follows the
heartfelt expression of dependence upon God-"Give us this day our daily
bread." Being further illuminated by the Spirit, he discovers that he
is not only dependent, but sinful, hence he entreats for mercy,
"Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors:" and being pardoned,
having the righteousness of Christ imputed, and knowing his acceptance
with God, he humbly supplicates for holy perseverance, "Lead us not
into temptation." The man who is really forgiven, is anxious not to
offend again; the possession of justification leads to an anxious
desire for sanctification. "Forgive us our debts," that is
justification; "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,"
that is sanctification in its negative and positive forms. As the
result of all this, there follows a triumphant ascription of praise,
"Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever,
Amen." We rejoice that our King reigns in providence and shall reign in
grace, from the river even to the ends of the earth, and of his
dominion there shall be no end. Thus from a sense of adoption, up to
fellowship with our reigning Lord, this short model of prayer conducts
the soul. Lord, teach us thus to pray.
EVENING:
"But their eyes were holden that they should not know him."
-- Luke 24:16
The disciples ought to have known Jesus, they had heard his voice so
often, and gazed upon that marred face so frequently, that it is
wonderful they did not discover him. Yet is it not so with you also?
You have not seen Jesus lately. You have been to his table, and you
have not met him there. You are in a dark trouble this evening, and
though he plainly says, "It is I, be not afraid," yet you cannot
discern him. Alas! our eyes are holden. We know his voice; we have
looked into his face; we have leaned our head upon his bosom, and yet,
though Christ is very near us, we are saying "O that I knew where I
might find him!" We should know Jesus, for we have the Scriptures to
reflect his image, and yet how possible it is for us to open that
precious book and have no glimpse of the Wellbeloved! Dear child of
God, are you in that state? Jesus feedeth among the lilies of the word,
and you walk among those lilies, and yet you behold him not. He is
accustomed to walk through the glades of Scripture, and to commune with
his people, as the Father did with Adam in the cool of the day, and yet
you are in the garden of Scripture, but cannot see him, though he is
always there. And why do we not see him? It must be ascribed in our
case, as in the disciples', to unbelief. They evidently did not expect
to see Jesus, and therefore they did not know him. To a great extent in
spiritual things we get what we expect of the Lord. Faith alone can
bring us to see Jesus. Make it your prayer, "Lord, open thou mine eyes,
that I may see my Saviour present with me." It is a blessed thing to
want to see him; but oh! it is better far to gaze upon him. To those
who seek him he is kind; but to those who find him, beyond expression
is he dear!
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