Andrew Murray - The Believers Secret of Intercession

The Believers Secret of
Intercession

Andrew Murray and C. H. Spurgeon

by Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr.

1988 by Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr.

Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South.

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

Ebook edition created 2012

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Compiled from the writings of Andrew Murray and C. H. Spurgeon by Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr.

Unless otherwise indicated, the Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

eISBN 978-1-4412-6213-4

Authors

Andrew Murray was born in South Africa in 1828. After receiving his education in Scotland and Holland, he returned to South Africa and spent many years both as a pastor and missionary. He was a staunch advocate of biblical Christianity. He is best known for his many devotional books. He died in 1917.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born in England in 1834. Converted in 1850 in Artillery Street Primitive Methodist Church, he became a Baptist pastor in 1851. Called the Prince of Preachers, he built the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London in 1859. Some say he experienced continuous revival throughout his ministry. In 38 years of ministry, he added over 14,000 members to his church, and preached enough sermons to fill 63 large volumes. He died in 1892.

L. G. Parkhurst, Jr., is a pastor of the First Christian Church of Rochester, Minnesota. He teaches ethics and logic at Minnesota Bible College, and is the editor and compiler of the Charles Finney Principles Series and other devotional books for Bethany House Publishers.

Preface

The Believers Secret of Intercession is the third book in a series where I have been combining Andrew Murrays Secret booklets with the writings of other well-known preachers or writers of devotional books. The first book, The Believers Secret of the Abiding Presence , combined Murrays devotions with a book by Brother Lawrence. It emphasized being consciously present with the Lord Jesus Christ day by day and moment by moment, doing everything with the awareness of His abiding presence. The second book, The Believers Secret of Spiritual Power , combined Murrays devotions with a book by Charles G. Finney. It emphasized the need for the Holy Spirit to empower us in our active, visible ministry for the Lord Jesus, showing our need to manifest the fruits and power of the Spirit. The Believers Secret of Intercession has combined Murrays devotions with selections from some sermons by C. H. Spurgeon. It teaches us how to do that hidden labor for souls so blessings might fall upon the saints of God, and sinners might be converted in answer to fervent, prevailing prayer. How to offer effective intercessory prayer is an appropriate topic to follow these first two books, but this book can be read with great profit whether or not you have read the previous books in this series.

The name of C. H. Spurgeon still carries great weight with devoted readers around the world. Even though Spurgeon died in 1892, his sermons were published in yearly volumes until 1917, when World War I brought a serious paper shortage in England. The reprinting of his sixty-three volumes of sermons has recently been completed by Pilgrim Publications of Pasadena, Texas.

Some believe that Spurgeon had a photographic memory and was what we would label today a speed reader. He immersed himself in the writings of the Puritans and collected a large library of their works. A man of prayer and a gifted orator with immense intellectual capacity, Spurgeon was used by the Holy Spirit in amazing ways throughout his life. Bethany House Publishers has published a brief biography of this great man.

The Believers Secret of Intercession combines Murrays classic booklet The Secret of Intercession with six of Spurgeons sermons on this theme. Spurgeons sermons on prayer could be edited into a few more books on different themes, so I have selected for use in this volume those specifically teaching about intercessory prayer. These are: Intercessory Prayer, August 11, 1861; Intercessory Prayer, May 5, 1872; Intercession and Supplication, April 27, 1879; Order and Argument in Prayer, July 15, 1866; Praying in the Holy Ghost, November 4, 1866; Prayer-Meetings, August 30,1868. I could not use the entire sermons due to their length. Please use the prayers I have written at the end of each devotion to begin your own intercession, and not as a mere conclusion to your devotions.

Should you desire to continue your study of prayer with the use of daily devotional books, I have also compiled and edited Principles of Prayer and Answers to Prayer from the writings of Charles G. Finney, Bethany House Publishers; and Pilgrims Prayer Book from the writings of John Bunyan, Tyndale House Publishers. One of the most comprehensive books on prayer today is a collection of Charles G. Finneys sermons on prayer, Principles of Devotion , Bethany House Publishers.

Having compiled and edited The Believers Secret of Intercession , I am now far more conscious of my need to spend more time in intercessory prayer. Persistent, fervent prayer is, perhaps, the greatest work that we can do by the grace of God. All Christians can perform this duty in the power of the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that in paradise God will be able to show us how everything achieved for Him was empowered by someones prayers.

Spurgeon told his congregation: No one can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me. May we believe this of our friends and neighbors, our families and the dear saints we know! May we do them this true kindness and pray for them? May we also do this true kindness to the enemies of God and the Church so they might be saved and save others? When we come to believe that intercessory prayer is absolutely crucial because it can release the infinite power of Almighty God, then we will get on our knees and pray for the revival of the Church that Spurgeon and other great men of God in their time experienced as the result of united, prevailing prayer.

With love in the Lamb,

L. G. Parkhurst, Jr.

Pray one for another.

James 5:16

What a mystery and glory there is in prayer! On the one hand, we see God in His holiness, love and power waiting and longing to bless us. On the other hand, by prayer we bring down from God the very life and love of heaven to dwell in our hearts.

Yet, there is a much greater glory in prayers of intercession. By intercession we boldly tell God what we desire for others. We seek to bring down blessings from God. We seek the power of eternal life with all its blessings upon one soul or perhaps upon hundreds and thousands.

Intercession! Do you believe that this can be the holiest exercise of your boldness as Gods child? Do you practice intercession as the highest privilege and enjoyment connected with your conversation with God? Do you know the joy and the power of being used by God as an instrument for His great work of making people His habitation, of showing forth His glory?

The Church should count intercession as one of the chief means of grace. She ought to seek above everything to cultivate in Gods children the power of an unceasing prayerfulness on behalf of the perishing world!