Latest / Reformed Thinking / A Suitable Watchword (Psalm 12:1) | Charles Spurgeon

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A Suitable Watchword (Psalm 12:1) | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking, the deep dive where we unpack
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sources to gain timely knowledge and surprising insights.
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Glad to be here. Today we're taking a look at a
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classic from a crucial voice in Reformed theology, a piece that
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cuts right to the heart of what it means to rely on divine help.
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Indeed, we're delving into the wisdom of Charles Haddon
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Spurgeon, specifically his sermon, A Suitable watchword
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delivered way back in June of 19 O 8.
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Wow, Nineteen O 8. Yep.
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You can find it as sermon #30 zero nine to seven in Metro
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Napolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 54, and it's just a a
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gold mine of spiritual insight even over a century later.
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OK, let's unpack this, then. The central point of Spurgeon's
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sermon, and our deep dive today, centers on a short but potent
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prayer. Help, Lord.
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This phrase comes straight from Psalm 12.1, a cry David himself
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uttered under particularly challenging circumstances.
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It seems, well, almost deceptively simple.
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It does, doesn't it? Our aim today is to uncover not
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only the distinct qualities that make this prayer so effective,
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but also its broad applicability across really all of life
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situations and, quite wonderfully, the theological
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reasons why we can confidently count on God to answer it.
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This exploration, I think, promises to show just how
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accessible and forceful true prayer can be when it comes from
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a sincere heart. So this simple two word, plea,
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help Lord is the anchor of this sermon as we start, what
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initially stands out to you about its basic nature as
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Spurgeon lays it out? What jumps out immediately is
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how Spurgeon defines Help Lord by several qualities that speak
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to its distinct effectiveness and spiritual content.
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OK, first he points out it's remarkable brevity and
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accessibility. He calls it the very soul of
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brevity, needing scarcely a second to utter.
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Just two words. Just two words.
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He even suggests that the single word Lord functions more as a
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direction and immediate turning to God than a request itself.
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Interesting distinction. And this shortness, for Spurgeon
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isn't a limitation, it's a virtue, especially, perhaps, for
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public prayer. He points to Mr. J, an admired
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preacher of the time who likewise valued conciseness and
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communication, including sermons.
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That's a striking observation. I think many of us often feel
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prayer needs to be lengthy and detailed to be truly meaningful.
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Almost as if more words equal more sincerity, right?
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But Spurgeon seems to be turning that notion on its head here.
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That's right, he cuts right through that common
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misconception. This brevity, he argues, totally
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removes the common excuse of not having time to pray.
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Ah yes, the time excuse. Spurgeon states plainly that
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it's not a want of time that holds us back from prayer, but
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rather a want of heart, or perhaps just inclination.
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Ouch, that hits home. It does.
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But he's not dismissing longer wrestling prayers.
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He acknowledges those have their place.
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He calls them the bullion of prayer.
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Bullion like gold bars. Yeah, solid gold, like the
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Puritans who aimed for an hour morning and evening, and
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sustained devotion. He knows those are valuable, but
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he contrasts them with what he calls small change or minted
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small change of ejaculatory prayer.
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Small. Change.
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I like that. This small change is perfect for
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those spontaneous thoughts lifted to heaven.
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Maybe a quick glance of an eye or a word, perhaps softened by
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tears, even right in the middle of our daily work.
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So it's always accessible. Always he uses a vivid biblical
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illustration. Moses's hands grew weary,
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holding up the staff in prayer during the battle with Amalek I.
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Remember that Karen and her had to hold his arms up.
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Exactly. Well, Joshua's arm, engaged in
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the physical fight, did not falter as quickly.
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Spurgeon uses this to show that prayer is a deeply spiritual
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exercise, and surprisingly, our spirit can feel its weakness
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sooner than our physical body. That's an interesting angle.
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Prayer tires the spirit faster than fighting tires the body.
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In a way, yes. So this distinction makes
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brevity not just practical, but utterly fitting for our
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spiritual state. We are not meant to wear
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ourselves out spiritually through undue length, but rather
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to find strength through that instant connection.
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That small change analogy is so vivid and practical, it truly
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makes prayer feel less like a daunting task that requires a
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specific set aside time and more like a constant available
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conversation. And it clearly speeds up the
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soul to the throne, as Spurgeon describes it, making it very
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seasonable. Indeed, seasonableness is the
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second quality he highlights. Authentic prayer, he states,
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springs directly from an immediate need or emergency.
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It's prompted by this situation. Exactly.
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It's driven by necessity, much like a fair win quickly propels
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a ship toward its destination. He contrasts this with pre
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written forms of prayer. Like using a prayer book
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exclusively. Yeah, or just set forms.
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He compares them to ready made clothes.
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They are designed, perhaps, to fit everyone.
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But, he observes they rarely fit anyone well because they are
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unseasonable, not tailored to the immediate moment.
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Ready made clothes. That's a good image.
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The most effective prayer, he insists, draws its suitability
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from present circumstances, its depth from present feelings, and
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its aspirations from present faith.
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It's a genuine cry born out of a real current moment.
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So it's not just about reciting words, but about an honest cry
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born out of a real moment. That's certainly how David's
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original plea for help Lord from Psalm 12.1 arose, wasn't it?
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He wasn't praying from a place of comfort.
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Not at all. David's situation was dire,
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marked by repeated betrayal and deceit.
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Think of it after he delivered the city of Keela from the
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Philistines. Yeah, the very people he saved
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then plotted to deliver him to Saul, forcing him to flee again.
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Ungrateful, to say the least. And later the men of Ziff
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readily informed Saul of his presence in their wilderness.
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And don't forget Doeg the Edomite reporting David's aid
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from Ahimelech the priest to King Saul, which led to the
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slaughter of the priests. Awful.
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Just every human Ave. every source of earthly assistance
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seemed to fail him. David turned from these broken
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cisterns, which were leaking at every point and offered no
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lasting comfort. Jeremiah's image there.
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Right, he turned to God, the great fountain.
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He cried out. Help Lord when he was reduced to
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a desperate point as far as human resources were concerned,
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making his prayer intense, personal and perfectly timed to
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his extreme need. That helps us grasp the
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sincerity. But Spurgeon also mentions the
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need for distinctness. It's not just that it's from the
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heart, but that it's clear what the heart is asking for.
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What does he mean when he highlights the distinctness and
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pointedness of this two word plea?
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A good question. The third quality he points to
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is distinctness and pointedness. Spurgeon says prayer should be
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clear and direct, unlike vague prayers that leave the listener
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guessing about what was actually requested.
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We've all heard prayers like that.
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Oh, sure, he recalls hearing prayers where if you were to ask
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someone what specific blessing was desired, they couldn't tell
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you. Help, Lord is the opposite of
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that. It's utterly direct.
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That's still clear. The one praying knows precisely
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what is needed. Help in a deadlift, which is an
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old term for a burden too heavy to move alone.
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A deadlift, got it. It doesn't ask for wealth or
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health as its primary aim, but goes straight to the core need
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for divine assistance to carry a burden or overcome an obstacle.
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He urges Christians to Marshall up their desires, setting them
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in proper order before God. Marshall them up like lining up
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soldiers. Kind of.
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Much like a Sergeant drill soldiers, this isn't about rigid
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formality, but about thoughtful intention, a sincere heart,
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speaking to God with a specific purpose rather than just using
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solemn words on a thalis tongue. And it sounds like that
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distinctness helps make sure the prayer is rightly aimed.
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It's not just clear what you want, but who you're asking.
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Just so, that's the fourth quality.
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This prayer is rightly aimed directly at God.
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It avoids any roundabout methods, making it clear that it
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does not appeal to Saints or the Virgin Mary or any other created
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being for intercession. Straight to the source.
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Straight to the source, it bypasses second causes and human
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helps, meaning you don't first try to arrange providential
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assistance or rely on a friend to be raised up for you.
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Hoping I'll solve. It you go directly to God first.
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Instead, it goes straight to the Divine Throne, expressing
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immediate and complete reliance on God alone.
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It symbolizes is putting God's arm where the weight is and His
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shoulder to the wheel, relying completely on Him to undertake
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my cause. Shoulder to the wheel.
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David, in his distress, knew to whom he was speaking, a being
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full of love, faithfulness, strength, and wisdom.
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This directness is foundational to true biblical prayer.
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That immediate reliance also seems to flow into the next
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quality, a confession of weakness.
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When you cry, help Lord, you're acknowledging you can't do it
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yourself. That's a correct observation,
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and the fifth point, implicit in crying for help is a confession
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of 1's own weakness and inadequacy.
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A sincere heart will not ask for what it already possesses or
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believes itself capable of. Makes sense you don't ask for
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help carrying something light. Right.
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Spurgeon explains that David, despite his best efforts, found
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his own strength insufficient and came to realize his utter
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nothingness and vanity. It was this deep awareness of
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his own inability that drove him to turn directly to God.
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So humility is baked into the prayer.
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Absolutely true. Prayer, according to Spurgeon,
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arrives with an empty hand before the throne, openly
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acknowledging a need. He uses the striking analogy of
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bringing empty pitchers to be filled rather than arriving with
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full ones that would simply be sent away empty.
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This illustrates coming to God not with self-sufficiency, but
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with a profound awareness of 1's own lack and need for his
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supply. Yeah, it's not just a cry of
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helplessness, is it? There's a fascinating
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counterpoint here, where asking for help also implies A resolve
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to put in your own effort. It feels like a subtle yet
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crucial balance. It is a crucial balance, and
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it's the sixth point Spurgeon takes care to make clear.
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While acknowledging weakness, the prayer help also suggests A
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resolve to exert oneself. It is not an invitation to
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passive waiting or idleness. So it's not do it for me, Lord.
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Not usually, no. In Christian service and labor,
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Christians are consistently encouraged to work, run the
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race, fight, plow, and build help.
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Lord means the individual intends to put forth their best
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effort, understanding that God helps those that help
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themselves. Now that phrase can be tricky.
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It can be misused, sure, but Spurgeon means that not in a way
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that suggests self-reliance is enough, but in a way that God
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supports and empowers our diligent activity.
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He clarifies that God works with you.
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He works in you to will and to do, but he does not work for you
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to sleep and to slumber after our own carnal propensity.
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OK, so God empowers our doing right?
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It's a cleave for divine strength to fuel our diligence,
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not to replace it. That's a vital point for
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understanding the Christian life.
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It's not a call to inaction, but a call for divine strength to
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fuel our diligence. You chose prayer as an active
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partnership with God rather than a passive request.
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Just so, he draws a careful distinction between salvation,
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which is entirely by Christ's finished work, a complete once
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for all act where it is finished.
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Right. Justification is by faith alone.
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And Christian service, where our effort is indeed required,
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Spurgeon states quite memorably. We hold not with salvation by
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works, but we do hold with works by salvation.
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That's a classic formulation. Works follow salvation.
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Being saved, she explains, naturally produces good works,
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and prayer for help is for divine strength to empower one's
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diligent efforts in God's service.
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He gives a stern warning against asking for help without seeking
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employment or trying to overcome a besetting sin.
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So don't pray for help finding a job if you aren't actually
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looking for one. Pretty much.
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Such prayer, he says, would bring help only into the jail or
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workhouse because God does not assist those who do not make
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their own endeavors where they can.
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It is a plea for God to put His strength into your active
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exercise, empowering you as you strive.
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This help, Lord, Prayer sounds incredibly versatile.
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We've talked about its distinct nature.
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But what truly expands its impact, and what I find so
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compelling, is just how widely applicable Spurgeon demonstrates
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it to be. He calls it a most handy prayer,
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one that turns every way. Could you walk us through some
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of the diverse circumstances where he encourages us to employ
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this simple yet powerful plea? Absolutely beyond its core
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characteristics, Spurgeon broadens our view to see Help
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Lord as a tool suitable for all cases at all times.
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Like a sword of two edges or merchandise that will keep in
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all climates, it truly is a versatile lifeline for the
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Christian life. OK, where does he start?
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He suggests using it, for instance, when facing temporal
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difficulties or providential matters, the daily struggles of
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life. Like financial problems, for
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instance, or other worries that weigh heavily on our minds.
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Yes, he suggests using it when facing financial trouble such as
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employment failing or the roguery of others leading to
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poverty, meaning being cheated or falling into unexpected need.
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When things outside your control go wrong, right?
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Or it's for those times when sickness causes disability, or
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when you are getting pretty nearly to the end of all your
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earthly hopes for assistance through ordinary means.
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When you're at the end of your rope.
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That's the idea. He even speaks to the
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possibility of miraculous aid, citing God feeding Elijah by
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Ravens. That's an example.
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Or making the widow's cruise of oil and flour last indefinitely,
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as examples of God's marvelous help at a pinch, just when it's
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most needed. God provides unexpectedly.
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Even when hopes seem completely dead, like Lazarus in the grave
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when Martha famously told Jesus, Lord, by this time he stinketh.
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A very blunt assessment. Yes, but Christ's appearance can
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bring resurrection to your circumstances and unexpected
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comfort, allowing you to rejoice once more.
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It's for those moments when you've exhausted every human
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solution. So it's for those dire moments
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when you've exhausted all other avenues.
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What about for those who are seeking to grow in their faith,
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say by studying Scripture? Many find certain passages
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difficult. Good question.
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This prayer is also a valuable resource for students of
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Scripture facing perplexities, for anyone who studies the Bible
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and encounters things hard to be understood, or who seeks
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definite, distinct truth from its pages, which.
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Happens all the time. Spurgeon says this prayer is
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vital. After anxious and careful study
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and even consulting with wise individuals and commentaries,
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one should always add the prayer Help Lord.
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Don't just rely on the commentaries.
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No, Spurgeon firmly believes that there is more got out of
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the Bible by praying than by anything else.
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He recounts A Puritan scholar known for his deep theological
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insight, whose notes during a doctrinal dispute consisted
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solely of the words More Light Lord.
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Just that more light, Lord. That was it.
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This, Spurgeon says, is the method.
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He goes on to say this prayer can cause a biblical text, even
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1 heart as a Flint, to fly open by a touch of the Holy Spirit's
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finger, revealing its hidden meaning and application.
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Wow, so prayer unlocks understanding?
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It's a reminder that divine truth often requires divine
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assistance to grasp. That's a practical reminder for
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anyone pursuing biblical understanding.
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And what about when the difficulties are not external
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but internal? Many Christians wrestle with
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inward conflicts that feel very personal and isolating.
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For Christians experiencing inward conflicts, this prayer is
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particularly apartment and well suitable.
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This refers to those internal struggles between good and evil,
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feeling wretched or deeply distressed by one's own sin or
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spiritual weakness. Romans 7 territory.
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Very much so. It's for times when your heart
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is torn up by the prancings of the horse hooves of the enemy.
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A vivid picture of spiritual warfare within the soul.
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That's intense imagery. It is this includes moments when
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one fears they might surely perish due to their own
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sinfulness, or when the newborn babe, meaning the new life in
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Christ, needs help to truly conquer the old man.
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The sinful nature, the. Ongoing battle of
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sanctification, right? He shares the anecdote of Mr.
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Harrington Evans, a model preacher who initially disliked
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the simple prayer. God be merciful to me, a Sinner,
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considering it a clank of the chain for a forgiven St.
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He felt it wasn't appropriate anymore.
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Initially, yes. Yet Spurgeon notes that these
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very words later appeared on Mr. Evans's tombstone.
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This illustrates how clinging to Christ as a Sinner Savior is a
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safe and scriptural position, especially when one's evidences
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of sainthood seem to fail, leading to fresh joy and peace.
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So even mature believers need that basic cry for mercy.
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It's a confession that even as a Christian, our ongoing need for
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God's mercy in our inner battles is constant.
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That's a truly relatable story. It shows how our spiritual needs
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can shift, but the need for God's help remains.
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And what about when we're enduring physical suffering,
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especially severe pain or chronic illness?
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Yes, it's also a prayer for honoring God and suffering for
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those who have fallen into sickness, are bedridden or fear
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becoming impatient, peevish or short tempered due to infirmity.
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Which is easy to do when you're feeling unwell.
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Very easy. Whether young or aged, this
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prayer suits. He acknowledges that peevishness
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can be a vice of old age, a common temptation for the
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elderly when their bodies fail. But the prayer helps regardless
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of age, bringing patience and grace.
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Help to endure with grace. And it is also presented as a
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prayer for dying Saints at the stake, A harrowing historical
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image, helping them to burn and be faithful to their master even
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when facing more suffering than a creature can naturally bear.
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Like martyrs? Exactly.
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It's a plea for divine sustenance in the face of
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extreme physical pain, pain and persecution, allowing 1 to
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maintain integrity and witness even unto death.
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That really highlights its use in instances of extreme fidelity
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where faith is truly tested. It also sounds like it's highly
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useful for everyday life, especially for those actively
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engaged in Christian service, whatever that may look like.
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Indeed, most Christians are called to be workers for Christ
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in some capacity, and this prayer is appropriate before,
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during, and after their work. Before, during and after good
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rhythm. It's encouraged for pastors in
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the pulpit, elders leading the church, deacons serving,
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teachers of the young in Sunday school, those toiling in classes
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and those who preach in the streets or proclaim the Word to
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strangers. Covers a lot of ground.
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It's a plea asking God to declare the gospel faithfully
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and fully through their lips and bring souls to Him.
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It's a cry for their work to stand, to have lasting fruit
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that does not diminish. Help make my work effective for
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you. It underscores the ongoing need
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for divine assistance and anointing and all ministry and
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labor done for the Lord, recognizing that human effort
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alone is insufficient. So it covers both official
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church roles and broader evangelistic efforts.
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What about when someone is just starting out in a new endeavor,
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perhaps even outside of what we typically consider traditional
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ministry? This is where Spurgeon truly
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widens the application, extending the prayer suitability
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beyond traditional spiritual roles.
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He talks about someone like Mary, perhaps a young woman
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entering a new situation as a servant in a household.
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A common scenario in his day. Wishing to demonstrate her
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Christian faith through her daily conduct and integrity in a
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secular role or a young brother entering a new sphere of Labor,
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perhaps starting a new business venture, moving to a new
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community, or taking on a new responsibility.
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Any new chapter in life, really. And genuinely wanting God to be
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glorified through his life and work there.
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This help Lord prayer becomes an immediate, accessible plea for
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grace to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
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Adorn the doctrine. Make the gospel look good.
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Meaning to make the truth of the gospel beautiful and attractive
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through our honesty, diligence, kindness, and character in every
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single sphere of life. It's a recognition that even in
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our most ordinary, unfamiliar, or seemingly secular callings,
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we desperately need God's sustaining help to live a
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consistent God honoring life and represent Christ well, even when
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no one is looking. That really brings it down to
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earth. And finally, Spurgeon applies
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this prayer to broader spiritual conflicts for the church itself,
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specifically touching on topics that were quite controversial in
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his historical context. This section seems to highlight
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the enduring need for spiritual vigilance.
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Yes, Spurgeon specifically mentioned its use in these days
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when Romanism is coming back all over the land and when false
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prophets and the magicians are abroad is seeking to entrap
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people with their gaudy ceremonies and sumptuous shows.
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Strong language there reflects his time.
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Very much so. He saw this as a call for God to
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help us to deal a death blow to the dragon, unfurl the banner of
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the gospel, and stand steadfast in the day of trial.
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A call to spiritual warfare through prayer.
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He even invokes the God of Luther, God of Calvin, God of
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Zwingle, to save England from what he called the hoof of the
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Pope of Rome and to deliver the Saints.
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Definitely historical context is key here.
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Absolutely. It's vital to understand here
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that Spurgeon was speaking from a very specific historical and
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theological context of his time, viewing these as significant
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spiritual and doctrinal battles. His passionate language reflects
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the intense theological debates of that era, right.
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He had a profound conviction that the battle for truth was
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primarily a spiritual one, to be fought with prayer and the clear
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proclamation of the gospel, rather than human might or
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political maneuvering. Which raises a question for us
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today. It does.
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How do we as believers engage in spiritual battle?
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Through prayer today, addressing doctrinal deviations and
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preserving truth by asking for God's help to uphold His Word in
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a world that often drifts from it.
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While maintaining grace. While maintaining grace and
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speaking truth and love. That's the ongoing challenge.
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That's a crucial question for any generation.
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But this also raises a further query for us.
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Why can we be so confident that God will actually answer this
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simple prayer? What does Spurgeon tell us about
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God's assurance of help? Spurgeon provides strong
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theological foundations for why Christians can expect God to
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answer the Help Lord prayer, drawing from God's character and
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his relationship with his people.
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So what's the first reason? First, he points to God's past
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help and faithfulness. Christians can expect future
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help because God has consistently provided it in the
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past. Our own experience testifies to
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it. Exactly.
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Spurgeon points to the experience of conversion, that
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initial act of salvation, and countless interpositions of
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divine Providence, those specific moments where God
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stepped into our lives as undeniable evidence of God's
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goodness and mercy. Those times you look back and
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say only God could have done that.
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Precisely, he suggests that if you were to sit down and write
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your own spiritual history, we're calling all the divine
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interventions and surprising turns God has made for you, it
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would make a strange story of God's faithful hand.
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So it's about remembering how God has worked in your life
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previously and drawing assurance from that pattern.
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It builds a kind of spiritual confidence over time.
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Just so, he reassures us that God's mercies are new every
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morning, and that God is the same yesterday and today and
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forever. Hebrews 13.8.
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Which means that new difficulties will unfailingly
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bring new mercies. He uses the analogy of raising
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an Ebenezer, a stone of help, like Samuel did.
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For Samuel 7. Thus far, the Lord has helped
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us. Right.
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Raising an Ebenezer to commemorate God's past
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assistance and expecting to raise one more on Jordan's
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shore, the river that marks the boundary before entering the
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Promised Land. It's a vision of continuous
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recognition of God's steady, helpful hand throughout our
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lives, from start to finish. Our past experience becomes a
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promise for our future. That's a firm foundation, but he
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also grounds this assurance and God's very nature in his
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relationship with us, specifically as a father.
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That feels like a very personal reason for confidence.
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It is deeply personal. God's covenant relationship as a
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father necessitates his help. That's the second big reason
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Spurgeon uses a compelling analogy of an earthly father.
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If even an evil human father, flawed as he is, would fly on
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the wings of love to help his child, crying for aid, even if
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that child were up to his neck in mire and facing peril, you'd.
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Rush to help your kid. Instantly so, Spurgeon asks, How
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much more shall our Father who is in heaven help us?
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This relationship, he argues, implies a divine obligation born
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of pure love and covenant faithfulness.
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That makes his aides certain for a sincere Christian who cries
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out to him. It's based on his father heart.
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It's a logic that appeals to our most basic understanding of
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parental care, but infinitely perfected in God.
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And he extends this to another intimate relationship, that of a
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husband. This takes the concept of
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relational assurance even further.
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Indeed, the third reason, another covenant relationship,
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thy Maker is thy husband, further reinforces the
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expectation of help. Isaiah 54.5.
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Just as a loving husband, one who has learned the word
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husbands love your wives from Scripture, would not make his
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distressed wife ask twice for help.
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A good husband wouldn't ignore her plea.
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God, as the best of husbands, will respond to our tears and to
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our cries if we feel the marriage bond between our souls
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in Christ. This is supported by clear
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biblical promises like Fear thou not, for I am with Thee.
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Isaiah 41.10. And when thou passes through the
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waters, I will be with thee. These are not merely comforting
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words, but firm assurances from a faithful spouse, a divine
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pledge. So it's not just that he can
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help or that he might help, but that his very character requires
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him to help. His attributes are, in a sense,
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on the line. Just so, that's the fourth
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point. All of God's divine attributes
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are involved and pledged to the help of his people.
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Spurgeon explains the grave implications if God were to
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fail. What would it imply?
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It would be a reflection on his power, suggesting he could not
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help. It would be an imputation on his
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loves, suggesting he would not help.
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It would be a stain upon his truth or his brush, his honor,
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implying a breach of his promise.
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His reputation is involved. And it would be a stain upon his
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wisdom if he let his people into a situation from which he could
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not deliver them, as if he steered the ship where he could
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not manage it. Like a captain running aground.
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Spurgeon asserts that that could never be ensuring the security
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of the believer's life and their preservation to the end.
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God's own glory is intimately tied to His faithful provision
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for His people. That's a truly reassuring
26:30
thought. The God's very nature stands as
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a guarantee of His response, and the final reason for confidence
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ties directly to His Word, making it a very solid
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foundation. Yes.
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The fifth reason is God's direct promise.
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When a Christian prays, help Lord, God responds with the
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promise. I will help thee.
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Isaiah 41 point N again, among others.
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Spurgeon describes the promise as the counterpart and type of
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the prayer, indicating a direct correlation.
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What he means is that the divine promise is the original
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blueprint, the initial pattern mold, and our prayer is like a
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copy printed from that blueprint, perfectly matching
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it. He encourages believers to
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believe your God in this promise, as The thing is done
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when God has promised. Claim the promise in faith.
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This assurance, he says, should cause tears to be brushed away
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and hearts to sing with joy, for it means our prayer is heard and
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answered by a faithful God. This has been a truly rich
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discussion on the characteristics and broad
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application of this simple prayer for believers.
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But what does this all mean for us?
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The simple prayer isn't just for believers in their daily walk,
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is it? Spurgeon takes this even
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further, broadening its application in a powerful way,
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even to those who aren't yet walking with Christ.
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Indeed, and this is where the expansive nature of this prayer
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truly shines, reaching far beyond the experiences of
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established believers. Can this simple help Lord prayer
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also be effective for those who are not yet walking with Christ?
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That's the big question. And how far does its reach
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extend beyond this life, even into eternity?
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Spurgeon answers clearly that there is plenty of room and
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opportunity to put this prayer into the lips of a Sinner,
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someone who hasn't yet put their trust in Christ.
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So it's not just for the insiders.
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Not at all. He sees it as universally
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applicable, addressing fundamental human needs across
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the entire spiritual spectrum. That's a very significant
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widening of its scope. So a Sinner, someone who hasn't
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yet put their trust in Christ, can use this prayer for their
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initial approach to God. Absolutely.
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A Sinner can pray, help Lord to be relieved of a load of sin
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that weighs them down, to melt a hard stubborn heart that resists
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God. Help me believe, help me repent
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or. When they feel spiritually blind
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or sick with the effects of sin, or simply lying at mercy's gate,
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desperately in need of divine intervention for their soul.
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When they know they need something they don't have.
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Exactly. He urges sinners not to sleep
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without uttering this prayer from the bottom of thy soul,
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presenting it through the blood of Jesus Christ with the sure
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assurance that they shalt have help.
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Praying through Christ even before fully understanding.
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He encourages praying it continually every morning rise
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with it, and every night retire with it until the answer is
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received and they find salvation.
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This highlights the prayer as a straightforward, accessible
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pathway to initial salvation and ongoing mercy for all who
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sincerely seek God. And the application extends even
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beyond this earthly life, right into the very moment of death.
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It seems to be a prayer for every stage of existence.
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That's correct. Even as the River Jordan swells
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up to your chin, a common striking metaphor for the moment
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of death, the final crossing, the prayer Help Lord remains
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utterly suitable as a plea for sustained assistance.
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Help me through this last trial. It's a cry for God to see one
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through the last transition, providing strength and comfort
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until reaching God's throne and glory.
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It is a final act of reliance on His grace, even in that ultimate
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transition. And remarkably, even in heaven,
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when all earthly needs have ceased, when salvation is
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complete and suffering is no more, the prayer still finds a
30:04
place. That's a truly surprising
30:06
thought. It is, and it speaks to the
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eternal nature of our dependence on God.
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Even in perfection, though, help in the earthly sense is no
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longer needed in heaven, no. More sin, no more sorrow.
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Spurgeon suggests one might still say Now, Lord, I do not
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want help any longer, except it be to praise thee.
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O help me to extol thee, to magnify thee.
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Help me to praise you better. In that perfect, glorious state,
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the desire would be for more and more.
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The seraphs fire the angel's tongue to him, Messiah's name,
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world without end. This speaks to an eternal desire
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to glorify God, seeking His enablement even for the purest
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and highest of heavenly activities, to praise Him more
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perfectly without limit. What a rich, deep dive into such
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a brief prayer, from its concise nature to its wide-ranging
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applications and the certainty of God's answer, Help Lord truly
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stands as a suitable watchword for every life circumstance.
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It truly cuts through much of the complexity we often
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associate with prayer. It certainly does.
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It challenges us to consider if this simple, honest cry can
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unlock such divine aid. What spiritual treasures might
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we be overlooking by neglecting the most direct and humble
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expressions of our dependence on God?
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What direct conversations are we missing simply because we
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overthink what prayer ought to be?
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A wonderful thought to leave with you.
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Thank you for joining us on Reformed Thinking.
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Until next time, may you find God's help new every morning.