Prayer and Promises

THE PROMISE  

For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit. 

— Ephesians 3:14-16, HCSB 

THE TESTIMONY  

If we would come to Christ with the simplicity of a child coming to its earthly parents, and ask for the things that he has promised, believing that we receive them, we should have them. If all of us had exercised the faith we should, we would have been blessed with far more of the Spirit of God... God will do great things for us, if we by faith take him at his word. Oh that we might here see a general humbling of the heart before God! 

The wisdom of God is promised to those who feel their need and who ask for it. God can bring the people where they will receive the truth. Let the Lord take possession of the mind, and mould it as clay is moulded in the hands of the potter. 

Self must die before God can work through you. I feel alarmed as I see self cropping out in one and another here and there. I tell you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, your wills must die; they must become as God’s will. He wants to melt you over, and cleanse you from every defilement. There is a great work to be done for you before you can be filled with the power of God. I beseech you to draw nigh to him that you may realize his rich blessing. 

The Lord brings his erring children over the same ground again and again; but if they continually fail to heed the admonitions of his Spirit, if they fail to reform on every point where they have erred, he will finally leave them to their own weakness. 

Each one will have a close struggle to overcome sin in his own heart. This is at times a very painful and discouraging work; because, as we see the deformities in our character, we keep looking at them, when we should look to Jesus and put on the robe of his righteousness. Every one who enters the pearly gates of the city of God will enter there as a conqueror, and his greatest conquest will have been over self. 

As workers together for God, brethren and sisters, lean heavily upon the arm of the Mighty One. Labor for unity, labor for love, and you may become a power in the world. 

— Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, p.136-138

THE RESPONSE  

Come to Christ with the simplicity of a child coming to its earthly parents. Take Him at His word and ask for the things He has promised.

Exercise faith, come before God with a humble heart we should and be blessed with far more of the Spirit of God.

Feel your need of the wisdom God has promised and ask for it. Let the Lord take possession of your mind to mold it as clay is molded in the hands of the potter. 

Instead of looking at the deformities in your character, keep looking to Jesus and put on His robe of righteousness.