O God of all power and might,
I come to you weak and insufficient in myself.
Strengthen me, I pray, with your divine grace,
that I may stand firm against every temptation
and perform every duty to which you have called me.
Let your grace be sufficient for me,
and your strength be made perfect in my weakness.
I would boast in nothing but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom all strength is given.
Uphold me by your righteous right hand;
let me not stumble or fall away from you.
And bring me at last to that city
whose builder and maker is God.
Amen.
BAPTIST CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, 19TH CENTURY
Spurgeon's Prayer for Strength
Also known as Prayer for Grace and Strength ยท Spurgeon: O God of All Power
About this prayer
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) suffered throughout much of his ministry from severe depression, gout, and kidney disease. He was candid in his sermons and writings about the experience of spiritual darkness, referring to periods in which he felt utterly unable to preach or pray. Yet it was precisely in this weakness that he learned to depend entirely on divine strength. This prayer for strength reflects that hard-won theology: the absolute sufficiency of God's grace for those who feel most incapable, and the sufficiency of the cross as the only ground of boasting. It is representative of Spurgeon's intercessory and devotional prayer style.
When it's said
Spurgeon's prayer for strength is suited for private devotion at any time of difficulty, weakness, or spiritual warfare. It may be used at the beginning of a demanding day, in times of illness or depression, or whenever a Christian feels their own insufficiency. In Baptist and evangelical congregations it is suitable as a pastoral prayer or as a congregational prayer before ministry or service.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'your grace be sufficient for me, and your strength be made perfect in my weakness' is a direct allusion to 2 Corinthians 12:9, which was central to Spurgeon's own experience of chronic weakness and divine grace. 'Boast in nothing but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' paraphrases Galatians 6:14. 'Uphold me by your righteous right hand' echoes Isaiah 41:10. 'That city whose builder and maker is God' is from Hebrews 11:10, part of the great catalogue of faith.
Source
Inspired by the prayers and sermons of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), Metropolitan Tabernacle, London. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.