And His Hands Were Steady Until the Going Down of the Sun
To overcome spiritual conflict, we must learn to pray with faith, perseverance, and devotion, relying on God's special strength to persevere.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the power of prayer through the example of Moses, whose intercession was crucial in the battle against the enemy, demonstrating that both prayer and action are necessary in spiritual warfare. He highlights the importance of private prayer, where one must wrestle with sin, and encourages believers to hold up God's promises in their petitions. Spurgeon notes that even Moses grew weary, reminding us that we too may struggle in our devotion, but we can find support in faith and hope. He urges the congregation to seek strength from the Holy Spirit to maintain steadfast prayer until the end of life, when we will transition from prayer to eternal praise.
Text
So mighty was the prayer of Moses, that all depended upon it. The petitions of Moses discomfited the enemy more than the fighting of Joshua. Yet both were needed. No, in the soul's conflict, force and fervour, decision and devotion, valour and vehemence, must join their forces, and all will be well. You must wrestle with your sin, but the major part of the wrestling must be done alone in private with God. Prayer, like Moses', holds up the token of the covenant before the Lord. The rod was the emblem of God's working with Moses, the symbol of God's government in Israel. Learn, O pleading saint, to hold up the promise and the oath of God before Him. The Lord cannot deny His own declarations.
Hold up the rod of promise, and have what you will.
Moses grew weary, and then his friends assisted him. When at any time your prayer flags, let faith support one hand, and let holy hope uplift the other, and prayer seating itself upon the stone of Israel, the rock of our salvation, will persevere and prevail. Beware of faintness in devotion; if Moses felt it, who can escape? It is far easier to fight with sin in public, than to pray against it in private. It is remarked that Joshua never grew weary in the fighting, but Moses did grow weary in the praying; the more spiritual an exercise, the more difficult it is for flesh and blood to maintain it.
Let us cry, then, for special strength, and may the Spirit of God, who helpeth our infirmities, as He allowed help to Moses, enable us like him to continue with our hands steady "until the going down of the sun;" till the evening of life is over; till we shall come to the rising of a better sun in the land where prayer is swallowed up in praise.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Prayer in Spiritual Conflict
- The Role of Moses' Prayer in the Bible
- The Need for Spiritual Strength in Prayer
- Prayer can be difficult and tiring
- Faith and hope must support us in prayer
- We need special strength from God to persevere in prayer
Key Quotes
“Learn, O pleading saint, to hold up the promise and the oath of God before Him.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“The Lord cannot deny His own declarations.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Let us cry, then, for special strength, and may the Spirit of God, who helpeth our infirmities, as He allowed help to Moses, enable us like him to continue with our hands steady 'until the going down of the sun;'” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We must learn to pray with faith and perseverance, holding up the promise and oath of God before Him.
- We need to rely on the special strength of God to overcome the challenges of prayer.
- We must beware of faintness in devotion and seek to maintain a steady and consistent prayer life.