Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 February 6– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Pray one for another.” 

—James 5:16

This is a reminder and encouragement to us to cheerfully offer intercessory prayer for others.  This is the sweetest kind of prayer that God ever hears, for the prayer of Christ Himself is of this character. In all the incense which our Great High Priest now puts into his golden censer, there is not a single grain for himself. All he does he does for us. In this way, while petitions for ourselves will be accepted, our pleadings for others have in them more of the fruits of the Spirit– more love, more faith, more brotherly kindness, more bathed in the precious merits of Jesus— and, therefore, they are the sweetest sacrifice we can offer to God.

Intercessory prayer is exceedingly prevalent in the Scriptures. What wonders it has brought about! Believer, you have a mighty engine in your hand; so, use it well; use it constantly; use it with faith, and you will surely be a support to your brothers. When you have the King’s ear, speak to him for the suffering members of his body. When you are favored to draw near to his throne and the King says to you, “Ask, and I will give you whatever you desire,” don’t let your petitions be only for yourself, but also for the many who need his aid.

If you have grace from God but are not an intercessor, that grace must be small as a grain of mustard seed. You have just enough grace to clear your own soul from the quicksand, but you have no deep floods of grace, or else you would carry in your ship as much cargo as possible of the needs and desires of others. And you would bring back from your Lord rich blessings for others which, without your prayer, might not have obtained.

“Oh, let my hands forget their skill,
My tongue be silent, cold, and still;
May this bounding heart forget to beat,
If I forget your mercy-seat!” [M&E]