Spurgeon on Prayer

This week I'm preaching on prayer from Ephesians 6:18 and came across this remarkable thought from the great 19th century Baptist preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening):
What a multitude of prayers we have put up from the very first moment we learned to pray. Our very first prayer was a prayer for ourselves. We asked God that He would have mercy on us and blot out our sin. He heard us. But when He had blotted out our sins, we had some more prayers for ourselves. We had to pray for sanctifying grace, for constraining and restraining grace. We’ve been led to pray for a fresh assurance of faith, for a comfortable application of God’s promises, for deliverances in the hour of temptation, for help in the time of duty, for aid in the day of trial. We’ve been compelled to go to God for our souls as beggars asking for everything. Bear witness, children of God: You have never been able to get anything for your souls from anywhere else. All the bread your soul has eaten has come down from heaven. All the water which it has drunk has flowed from the Living Rock, Christ Jesus the Lord. Your soul has never grown rich in itself. It has always been a pensioner upon the daily bounty of God, and hence your prayers have ascended to heaven for a range of spiritual mercies all but infinite. Your needs are innumerable, and therefore the supplies have been infinitely great. Your prayers have been as varied as the mercies have been countless. Therefore, don’t you have cause to say, “I love the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplication”? For your prayers have been many, but so have been God’s answers to them. He has heard in your day of trouble; he has strengthened you; He has helped you even when you dishonored Him by trembling and doubting at the mercy seat. Remember this, and let it fill your heart with gratitude to God, who has thus graciously heard your poor, weak prayers. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of His benefits.