Our Need Of Prayer Prayer Is as Essential to Life as Daily Food—Daily prayer is as essential to growth in grace, and even to spiritual life itself, as is temporal food to physical well-being. We should accustom ourselves to often lift the thoughts to God in prayer. If the mind wanders, we must bring it back; by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. We cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety. We may have His presence to attend us at every step, but only by observing the conditions which He has Himself laid down.—(Messages to Young People, 115.) Prayer Most Needed When We Least Feel Like Praying—When we feel the least inclined to commune with Jesus, let us pray the most. By so doing we shall break Satan’s snare, the clouds of darkness will disappear, and we shall realize the sweet presence of Jesus.—(Lift Him Up, 372.) Avoid Neglecting Prayer—Watch, brethren, the first dimming of your light, the first neglect of prayer, the first symptom of spiritual slumber.You need to watch, lest the busy activities of life lead you to neglect prayer when you most need the strength prayer would give. Godliness is in danger of being crowded out of the soul through over-devotion to business. It is a great evil to defraud the soul of the strength and heavenly wisdom which are waiting your demand. You need that illumination which God alone can give. No one is fitted to transact his business unless he has this wisdom. Satan Deceives Those Who Do Not Pray—All who do not earnestly search the Scriptures and submit every desire and purpose of life to that unerring test, all who do not seek God in prayer for a knowledge of His will, will surely wander from the right path and fall under the deception of Satan.—(Testimonies for the Church 5:192.) Temptation Makes Prayer a Necessity—We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work.... God requires us to be living epistles, known and read of all men. The soul that turns to God for its strength, its support, its power, by daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual hungering and thirsting after righteousness.—(God’s Amazing Grace, 317.) Prayer Needed Now More Than in the Early Days—We must be much in prayer if we would make progress in the divine life. When the message of truth was first proclaimed, how much we prayed. How often was the voice of intercession heard in the chamber, in the barn, in the orchard, or the grove. Frequently we spent hours in earnest prayer, two or three together claiming the promise; often the sound of weeping was heard and then the voice of thanksgiving and the song of praise. Now the day of God is nearer than when we first believed, and we should be more earnest, more zealous, and fervent than in those early days. Our perils are greater now than then. Souls are more hardened. We need now to be imbued with the spirit of Christ, and we should not rest until we receive it.—(Testimonies for the Church 5:161, 162.) Seek the Lord With All the Heart—Our prayers should be full of tenderness and love. When we yearn for a deeper, broader realization of the Saviour’s love, we shall cry to God for more wisdom. If ever there was a need of soul-stirring prayers and sermons, it is now. The end of all things is at hand. O that we could see as we should the necessity of seeking the Lord with all the heart! Then we should find Him. May God teach His people how to pray.—(God’s Amazing Grace, 92.) Prayer Is Not Time Wasted—Every morning take time to begin your work with prayer. Do not think this wasted time; it is time that will live through eternal ages. By this means success and spiritual victory will be brought in. The machinery will respond to the touch of the Master’s hand. God’s blessing is certainly worth asking for, and the work cannot be done aright unless the beginning is right. The hands of every worker must be strengthened, his heart must be purified, before the Lord can use him effectively.—(Testimonies for the Church 7:194.) Few Appreciate the Privilege of Prayer—We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.There are few who rightly appreciate or improve the precious privilege of prayer. We should go to Jesus and tell Him all our needs. We may bring Him our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. When we feel that we need the presence of Christ at every step, Satan will have little opportunity to intrude his temptations. It is his studied effort to keep us away from our best and most sympathizing friend. We should make no one our confidant but Jesus. We can safely commune with Him of all that is in our hearts.—(Testimonies for the Church 5:200, 201.) More Prayer Needed as the End Approaches—If there was ever a time when we should watch and pray in real earnest, it is now. There may be supposable things that appear as good things, and yet they need to be carefully considered with much prayer, for they are specious devices of the enemy to lead souls in a path which lies so close to the path of truth that it will be scarcely distinguishable from the path which leads to holiness and heaven. But the eye of faith may discern that it is diverging from the right path, though almost imperceptibly. At first it may be thought positively right, but after a while it is seen to be widely divergent from the path of safety, from the path which leads to holiness and heaven.—(Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 229.) Pray, yes, pray as you have never prayed before, that you may not be deluded by Satan’s devices, that you may not be given up to a heedless, careless, vain spirit, and attend to religious duties to quiet your own conscience.—(Testimonies for the Church 2:144.) Pray Always—“Pray always;” that is, be ever in the spirit of prayer, and then you will be in readiness for your Lord’s coming.—(Testimonies for the Church 5:235.) Prayer Needed for Spiritual Strength—Prayer is the strength of the Christian. When alone, he is not alone; he feels the presence of One who has said, “Lo, I am with you alway.”(The Review and Herald, March 11, 1880.) Prayer Needed to Enter Heaven—Swerve not to Satan’s side a single inch, lest he gain advantage over you.—(The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 6:1094.)
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 13:18:04 +0000
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