CHARLES SPURGEON and POWERFUL PRAYER
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
by David Smithers
The memory of Charles Haddon Spurgeon has been cherished
among evangelical Christians for over the past 100 years. Many
Christian leaders consider him to be the greatest preacher England
ever produced. He is commonly hailed as the "Prince of Preachers".
Over 63 volumes of published sermons still bear witness to the
richness and success of C. H. Spurgeon's ministry. Though known
as a great preacher, it was not preaching that made Spurgeon
great. Mr. Spurgeon repeatedly acknowledged his success as
the direct result of his congregation's faithful prayers. "It has often
been remarked that the whole church helped produce Spurgeon."
When visitors would come to Spurgeon's church he would take
them to the basement prayer-room where people were always on
their knees interceding. Then Spurgeon would declare, "Here is
the powerhouse of this church."
Spurgeon in his autobiography described his gratefulness for being
blessed with such a praying church. "I always give all the glory to
God, but I do not forget that He gave me the privilege of ministering
from the first to a praying people. We had prayer meetings that
moved our very souls, each one appeared determined to storm the
Celestial City by the might of intercession." Spurgeon regarded the
prayer-meeting as the spiritual thermometer of a church. His church's
Monday night prayer meeting had a worldwide testimony for many
years. Every Monday night a large portion of Spurgeon's sanctuary
was filled with earnest and fervent intercessors.
"In Spurgeon's eyes the prayer-meeting was the most important
meeting of the week." It is here many of us find ourselves in conflict
with dear Mr. Spurgeon. We love our meetings for preaching and
praising and yet sadly neglect those set aside for praying. One of
Spurgeon's greatest concerns was that his people learn to truly
pray. "He taught his people to pray, doing so far more by his
example than by any preaching. People heard him pray with such
reality that they became ashamed of their own mere repetition of
words." Throughout his entire ministry many hearers remarked
that they were moved by his preaching, but yet still more affected
by his praying. D. L. Moody after his first visit to England, being
asked upon his return to America, "Did you hear Spurgeon preach?"
He replied, "Yes, but better still I heard him pray." A close friend
of Spurgeon's, commented on his prayer life, "His public prayers
were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me
more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in
family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding
thousands spellbound by his oratory."
Spurgeon fully recognized that the Church's greatest need was not
to have another, "Prince of Preachers", but to have more princes
of prayer. One of his many published sermons expressed his
feelings on this. He wrote, "Shall I give you yet another reason why
you should pray? I have preached my very heart out. I could not
say any more than I have said. Will not your prayers accomplish
that which my preaching fails to do? Is it not likely that the Church
has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand?
Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer . . . "
There has been much talk lately about pockets of revival springing
up in our nation. Many are saying they desire such revivals in our
own local churches, and cities. Yet, is it not the prayer-meeting
which is still most neglected? If Christ Jesus were to visit us today
with real revival power, how could such a blessing be sustained
where there is no ground work laid in prayer? To merely exercise
our words about revival and not our knees is hypocrisy! It is time
to make the prayer-meeting as crowded as our favorite preaching
and praise meetings. It is then and ONLY then, that a true revival
will come with lasting power! Like Mr. Spurgeon, let us regard
the prayer-meeting as our most important meeting!
-Source-
http://www.watchword.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41