C. H. Spurgeon, “The Prince of Preachers” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Charles Spurgeon, that well-known British minister of the 1800s, was called the “prince of preachers.” Not only did he speak and write eloquently, he packed a great deal of meaning into few words. Large crowds flocked to hear him speak—some historians estimate the total to approach 10,000,000 people. Add to that sum the vast number of readers, impacted by Spurgeon’s writings since his death, and it’s clear his powerful influence has had far-reaching results.
Here’s an example of his God-given genius, the topic being prayer:
Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out [“Lord, save me,” found in Matthew 14:30], but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat (from “Sinking Times are Praying Times”).
Note the italicized phrase in the middle of that paragraph. It is not the length of our prayers that matters; it is the strength. That statement begs the question: What does strong prayer look like? Even from Dr. Spurgoen’s brief text (Matthew 14:30), we can find three components of strong prayer.
One, a strong prayer is one of urgency and energy. Peter was no doubt very serious and passionate as he pleaded with Jesus save him. Now I may not be drowning, but such passion in prayer does seem appropriate. Why should I expect God to pay attention to ho-hum prayers? Conclusion #1 becomes clear: Consider the seriousness of my requests and pray fervently.
St Peter Walking on the Water (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Second, Peter’s first word is, “Lord.” He didn’t use his master’s name, Jesus. He called him, “Lord,” instinctively focusing his attention on God the Son, in whom he had placed all his faith. I also must be mindful to whom I pray: my all-powerful, all-wise, triune God. Just as Peter placed his trust in Christ, so must I. Conclusion #2: My prayers need to be characterized by reverence for and confidence in the Lord of the universe.
Third, Peter had no time to string together lovely, impressive words. All he spoke of was his need. Conclusion #3: Simple, heartfelt, humble prayers are best.
These are the elements of praying with strength: passion, simplicity, and faith.
Help me, Lord, to embrace them.
What a great lesson, Nancy. Strength not length. I really like the image of the tail feathers and the wing span too. Great thoughts
I thought you might like this Spurgeon quote!
A nice reminder that God hears are sincere short prayers. Thanks again Nancy for your blog, it is always inspiring…
Thank you, Laura. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
I may be getting a bit off track here (since my post isn’t really about prayer per se) but I just finished reading a book about President Lincoln. At Gettysburg the person speaking immediately before Lincoln took two hours! The famous Gettysburg Address was a mere two minutes (if I remember correctly). Initially his speech was not well received due to its brevity (the audience felt such a short speech to be insensitive). But whose do we remember today? Lincoln’s, of course. In times of urgency, time and again we see very short requests: SOS, Stat, Code Blue, Help! God recognizes and knows our heart’s needs no matter how quickly, panicky, or short the request. What He revels in is our trust in Him.
BEAUTIFULLY said, Cheri. Thank you very much for adding your insights. Your concluding sentence prompted me to pray: “Oh, yes, Lord. May my trust in you remain strong and vibrant no matter the circumstances!”
One of my high school friends served in Vietnam. He was about to board a helicopter but at the last minute he realized that he forget his pack. So he turned around to obtain the item and missed his flight, learning later that this particular helicopter ended up being shot down! Timing…God’s timing is everything!