Spurgeon: February PM
* 02/06/PM
"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!"