Prayer and Promises

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned. — Colossians 4:2,3, NASB 

Let us begin the new year by offering praise and thanksgiving to God, with the determination, through His grace, to consecrate the talent of speech to His service. The love of God in the hearts of the members of the church will give them joy and peace and gladness, enabling them to live lives that will cause rejoicing among the angels of God.

“Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ…” Here is pointed out the work of church-members. Instead of allowing Satan to lead them to think and speak evil of those who, under trying circumstances, are carrying heavy responsibilities, they are to ask God to give them words to speak to those who know not the truth. There has been much evil-thinking and evil-speaking among us as a people, to the great detriment of home religion and of the work of the church in the world. Let us be determined to work out the plan of God. This will help us to guard against the contagion of evil-speaking. Seeds of evil, scattered in the mind, quickly spring up, and the plants strike their roots down deep, and bear an abundant harvest. 

It is the Lord’s design that the church shall stand as His representative in a revolted world… Upon all believers there rests a special work. Each one is to reveal in his life the grace of Christ. 

Let us ask the Lord to open to us a door of utterance, that we may speak the mysteries of Christ. In the place of speaking words of criticism, to the discouragement of souls already weak, let us speak of the love and goodness of God. “Walk in wisdom toward them which are without, redeeming the time.” Consecrate the talent of speech to God. Let your faith lay hold of His promises, and break forth in praise and thanksgiving to Him. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” 

Let us now resolve to work out the Lord’s plans, instead of working our own plans, according to our own disposition and natural feelings. A great reformation could be most successfully carried out, if each one claiming to be a child of God would be obedient to Bible truth, showing in the life the fruits of true conversion. 

— The Pacific Union Recorder, December 15, 1904 

Father God, I want to begin the new year right in giving praise and thanksgiving for Your grace. I consecrate my life to Your service and pray that Your love will fill my heart that I may speak Your words instead of my own. I lay hold of Your promises that I may show forth the fruits of true conversion, help me reveal in my life Your grace and goodness.