“The prayers that come leaping out of the soul—the gust of strong emotion, fervent desire, lively faith—these are the truly spiritual; and no prayers but spiritual prayers will God accept.”

Charles Spurgeon dedicated much time and effort to dissecting the best ways to pray and what to ask or say in prayers in many of his sermons. In Sermons on Prayer, Sermons on Great Prayers of the Bible, Sermons on the Prayers of Christ, and the all-inclusive volume Spurgeon’s Sermons on Prayer, Spurgeon delves into the topic of prayer, giving helpful instruction, thoughtful admonitions, and words of wisdom. To celebrate this incredibly gifted pastor, we’re sharing 10 of the best quotes about prayer by Spurgeon from Sermons on Prayer. We hope you’re as touched and inspired by Spurgeon’s prayerful quotes as we are!

1. Prayer for the young Christian

“If you would be strong for God, eminent in his service, and joyful in his ways; if you would understand the heights and depths of the love of Christ which passes knowledge; if you would give yourselves before your bones are broken and before your spirit has become tinctured through and through with habits of iniquity, then offer this prayer—‘O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’”

2. Prayer for a Christian grappling with truth

“If sometimes your truth staggers me, and I cannot see where this truth squares with that, yet Lord, grant that integrity and uprightness may preserve me.”

3. Prayer for the student

“O Lord, the children are pleased with the flowers; help me to spy out the roots: take me into the secrets, let me know the deep things of God. Help me to discriminate: enable me to judge and weigh and ponder, and so to understand.”

4. Prayer for any normal moment

“I recommend this, because it hinders no engagement and occupies no time. You may be measuring your calicoes, or weighing your groceries, or you may be casting up and account, and between the items you may say, ‘Lord, help me.’ You may breathe a prayer to heaven and say, ‘Lord, keep me.’”

5. Prayer of trust

“Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon you, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of your dear Son; I trust your mercy, and your love, and your power, as they are revealed in him. I dare to lay hold upon this word of yours, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

6. Prayer of freedom

“O man in the iron cage, there is a hand that can crumble up your cage, and set you free! You need not be a prisoner; you need not be shut up; you may walk at large through Jesus Christ the Savior. Only trust him, and believingly pray that prayer tonight, ‘Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name,’ and he will set you free.”

7. Prayer of personal pleading

“She has pleaded, and she has been urgent, but now she comes to close quarters; she grasps the covenant angel with one hand, ‘You are my help,’ and with the other, ‘You are my deliverer.’ Oh, those blessed ‘my’s,’ those potent ‘my’s.’ The sweetness of the Bible lies in the possessive pronouns, and he who is taught to use them as the psalmist did, shall come off a conqueror with the eternal God.”

8. Prayer of endurance and patience

“Be this our resolution, ‘I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.’ Remember, the longer the blessing is coming, the richer it will be when it arrives. That which is gained speedily by a single prayer is sometimes only a second-rate blessing; but that which is gained after many a desperate tug, and many an awful struggle, is a full-weighted and precious blessing.”

9. Prayer for God’s ultimate will

“Your will be done, my Lord; and, if I ask anything that is not in accordance therewith, my inmost will is that you would be good enough to deny your servant; I will take it as a true answer if you refuse me, if I ask that which seems not good in your sight.”

10. Humble, entreating prayers by honest hearts

“A friend standing near heard the little one cry, ‘Dear God, do grant I may be in time for school.’ It struck the listener that for once prayer could not be heard, for the child had quite a little walk before him, and the hour was already come. He was curious to see the result. Now it so happened this morning that the master, in trying to open the schoolhouse door, turned the key the wrong way, and could not stir the bolt, and they had to send for a smith to open the door. Hence a delay, and just as the door opened our little friend entered with the rest, all in good time. God has many ways of granting right desires. It was most natural that instead of crying and whining, a child that really loved God should speak to him about his trouble. Should it not be natural to you and to me spontaneously and at once to tell the Lord our sorrows and ask for help? Should not this be the first resort?”

A good way to end is with the humble reminder of the incredible nature of prayer: “Beloved, the gathering up of all our remarks is just this—prayer is no trifle. It is an eminent and elevated act. It is a high and wondrous privilege.” How amazing is it that the creator of the universe allows us, sinful, petty humans, to interact with him and to even request things from him!

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Since the days he shook the pulpits of Victorian London with Christ-centered passion, each succeeding generation seems to discover Charles Spurgeon anew. Featuring stirring sermons on prayer, Sermons on Prayer offers homiletic gems from the “Prince of Preachers.” In sermons as timeless as their topics, Spurgeon combines keen intellect, scriptural truth, and a zeal for making God known to the world in darkness.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) served for 30 years at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. It is estimated that during his lifetime he spoke to 10 million people, and became known as the “Prince of Preachers.” His works fill over 60 volumes; and more than a century after his death, his sermons and devotional texts continue to challenge and touch Christians and non-Christians alike with their biblical grounding, eloquent text, and simple encouragement. Among his published books are Lectures to My Students (Hendrickson); The Treasury of David (Hendrickson), a devotional commentary on the Psalms; All of Grace, the first Christian pocket paperback published in the United States; numerous volumes of topical sermon collections; and the best-selling Morning and Evening.

For a full listing of all of Spurgeon’s sermons and books, visit our website.