Chapter 1 – The Privilege of Prayer
The path of sincerity is not a path free from obstruction, but in every difficulty we are to see a call to prayer.
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.
He desires us to be channels through which He can impart richly of His grace to the world.
Chapter 2 – Genuine, Heartfelt Prayer
Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.
The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray.
Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power.
Chapter 3 – Daily Prayer a Necessity
We cannot for one moment separate ourselves, from Christ with safety.
And yet we should not exclude ourselves from the world, for our Christian experience is to be the light of the world. The society of unbelievers will do us no harm if we mingle with them for the purpose of connecting them to God and are strong enough spiritually to withstand their influence.
Chapter 4 – The Morning Prayer
Let gratitude to God fill your hearts. When you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside, and ask God to give you strength to fulfill the duties of the day, and to meet its temptations.
We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.
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.
When you rise in the morning, do you feel yore helplessness and your need of strength from God? And do you humbly, heartily make known your wants to your heavenly Father? If so, angels mark your prayers, and if these prayers have not gone forth out of feigned lips, when you are in danger of unconsciously doing wrong and exerting an influence which will lead others to do wrong, your guardian angels will be by your side, prompting you to a better course, choosing your words for you, and influencing your actions.
If you feel in o danger, and if you offer no prayer for help and strength to resist temptations, you will be sure to go astray; your neglect of duty will be marked in the book of God in heaven, and you will be found wanting in the trying day.
Chapter 5 – Fervent Prayer
If the Savior of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer.
Faith is not feeling…True faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption, for presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith.
At the sound of a fervent prayer, Satan’s whole host trembles.
This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour.
Chapter 7 – the Science of Prayer
Family prayers, public prayer, have their place, but it is secret communion with God that sustains the soul life.
It was in hours of solitary prayer that Jesus in His earthly life received wisdom and power. Let the youth follow His example in finding at dawn and twilight a quiet season for communion with their Father in heaven.
Chapter 8 – When Much Prayer is Needed
All ho are fitted for usefulness in this life must be trained by the severest mental and moral discipline, and then God will assist them by combining divine power with human effort.
Chapter 11 – The Early and Latter Rain
Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain…They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain…They are making a terrible mistake…Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain.
Chapter 12 – Seeking God in Prayer
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 knowledge of His will, will surely wander from the right path and fall under the deception of Satan.
Chapter 14 – Prayer and Reverence
The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there.
Reverence should be shown also for the name of God. Never should that name be spoken lightly or thoughtlessly.
We should reverence God’s Word. For the printed volume we should show respect, never putting it to common uses, or handling it carelessly.
Chapter 16 – Prayer and Rejoicing
With a song, Jesus in His earthly life met temptation.
The early morning often found Him in some secluded place, meditating, searching the Scriptures, or in prayer.
There are few means more effective for fixing His words in the memory than repeating them in song.
Chapter 17 – The Strength of Prayer
By beholding we become changed.
Eat less. Engage in physical labor, and devote your mind to spiritual things. Keep your mind from dwelling upon yourself. Cultivate a contented, cheerful spirit. You talk too much upon unimportant things. You gain no spiritual strength from this. If the strength spent in talking were devoted to prayer, you would receive spiritual strength and would make melody in your heart to God.
When they were brought into trial, the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance the very truths that would be needed.
The knowledge obtained by diligent searching of the Scriptures would be flashed into the memory at the right time. But if any had neglected to acquaint themselves with the words of Christ, if they had never tested the power of His grace in trial, they could not expect that the Holy Spirit would bring His words to their remembrance.
Chapter 19 – Ascending Prayer
Angels record every prayer that is earnest and sincere.
Give not the Lord rest; for His ears are open to hear sincere, importunate prayers, when the soul is humbled before Him.
Chapter 22 – Kneeling in Prayer
The lifeless attitude of the worshipers in the house of God is one great reason the ministry is not more productive of good.
To bow down when in prayer to God is the proper attitude to occupy.
We are living in perilous times. Seventh-day Adventists are professedly the commandment-keeping people of God; but they are losing their devotional spirit.
Not all your good purposes and good intentions will enable you to withstand evil. You must be men and women of prayer.
Chapter 26 – Private Prayers
All should feel it a Christian duty to pray short. Tell the Lord just what you want, without going all over the world. In private prayer all have the privilege of praying as long as they desire and of being as explicit as they please.
A common meeting to worship God is not the place to open the privacies of the heart.
Chapter 27 – Safeguards for the Future
So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures.
None but those who have fortified the mind with truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.
But the teachings of Christ must previously have been stored in the mind in order for the Spirit of God to bring them to our remembrance in the time of peril.
The very beginning of the evil was a neglect of watchfulness and secret prayer, then came a neglect of other religious duties, and thus the way was opened for all the sins that followed.
Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol.
Missionary labor is frequently entered upon by those unprepared for the work. Outward zeal is cultivated, while secret prayer is neglected. When this is the case, much harm is done.
Chapter 29 – Praying Through
It is better for us that God does not always answer our prayers just when we desire, and in just a manner we wish.
Chapter 30 – Prayer and Meditation
The Bible should never be studied without prayer.
Chapter 31 – Angels and Prayer
The recording angels write the history of the holy struggles and conflicts of the people of God…record their prayers and tears.
Chapter 35 – Why Pray if God Already Knows?
God does not say, Ask once and you shall receive.
Chapter 36 – When and How Will God Answer Prayer?
They may not come just as we have expected; but they will come, not perhaps as we have devised, but at the very time when we most need them.
You will unexpectedly receive help from God when you are presenting the truth to unbelievers, and will be enabled to speak the word with clearness and power.
Chapter 38 – Obedience and Faith a Condition of Prayer
If we are unfaithful stewards of earthly things, how can we expect Him to trust us with the things of heaven? It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer.
Chapter 40 – Prayer and Healing
They need to be taught that every practice which destroys the physical, mental, or spiritual energies is sin.
Chapter 41 – Prayer in Time of Trouble
He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. – Mount of Blessing, 117
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