May 24, Morning

C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling

"Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer." — Psalm 66:20 · KJV

If we look back honestly on the character of our prayers, we will be filled with wonder that God ever answered them. Some people think their prayers deserve to be accepted, as the Pharisee did; but the true Christian, looking back with clearer eyes, weeps over his prayers, and if he could retrace his steps he would want to pray far more earnestly. Remember, Christian, how cold your prayers have been. Alone in your room you should have wrestled as Jacob did; instead your requests have been faint and few, a long way from that humble, believing, persevering faith which cries, "I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me." Yet, amazing to say, God has heard these cold prayers of yours, and not only heard them but answered them. Consider too how infrequent your prayers have been, except when you were in trouble, and then you went often to the mercy seat; but once deliverance came, where was your steady pleading? Even though you stopped praying as you once did, God did not stop blessing. When you neglected the mercy seat, God did not desert it; the bright light of His presence was always visible between the wings of the cherubim. It is astonishing that the Lord takes any notice of these occasional bursts of urgency that come and go with our needs. What a God He is, to hear the prayers of those who come to Him when they have pressing wants but neglect Him once they have received a mercy, who approach Him when they are forced to and nearly forget to speak to Him when mercies are plentiful and sorrows are few. Let His gracious kindness in hearing such prayers touch our hearts, so that from now on we may be found "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."