Spurgeon's ability to look at a text and "see" behind the context to the special grace contained in God's word has always amazed me. He sees what others pass over and shares what others do not comprehend. This one is about "prayers".
Acts 9:10-11
Now there
was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision,
“Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of
Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,
Prayers are
instantly noticed in heaven. The moment Saul began to pray, the Lord heard him.
Here is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. When our hearts are broken
and we bow in prayer, we are often only able to employ the language of sighs
and tears; still our groaning has made all the harps of heaven thrill with
music.
That tear
has been caught by God and treasured in the receptacle of heaven. "Put my
tears in your bottle"1 implies that they are caught as
they flow. The petitioner, whose fears prevent his words, will be well
understood by the Most High. He may only look up with misty eye; but
"prayer is the falling of a tear."
Tears are
the diamonds of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah's court and
are numbered with "the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on
high." Do not think that your prayer, however weak or trembling, will be
unregarded.
Jacob's
ladder is lofty, but our prayers shall lean upon the Angel of the covenant and
so climb its starry rounds.
Our God not
only hears prayer but also loves to hear it.
He does not
forget the cry of the humble. True, He does not regard high looks and lofty
words; He does not care for the pomp and pageantry of kings; He does not listen
to the drums of war; He does not regard the triumph and pride of man.
But wherever
there is a heart enlarged with sorrow or a lip quivering with agony or a deep
groan or a penitential sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open.
He marks it
down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves,
between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when at last the volume is
opened, there will be a precious fragrance springing from it.
Faith
asks no signal from the skies,
To show that prayers accepted rise.
Our Priest is in His holy place,
And answers from the throne of grace.
PEACE
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