Prayer and Promises

THE PROMISE 

May God be gracious to us and bless us; look on us with favor, Selah, so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.

— Psalm 67:1,2, HCSB 

THE TESTIMONY 

The power of God has not decreased. His power, I saw, would be just as freely bestowed now as formerly. It is the church of God that have lost their faith to claim, their energy to wrestle, as did Jacob, crying: “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.” 

Enduring faith has been dying away. It must be revived in the hearts of God’s people. There must be a claiming of the blessing of God. 

I saw that some are withering spiritually. They have lived some time watching to keep their brethren straight—watching for every fault to make trouble with them. And while doing this, their minds are not on God, nor on heaven, nor on the truth; but just where Satan wants them—on someone else... Unless they reform, there will be no place in heaven for them, for they would find fault with the Lord Himself. 

These notional, faultfinding ones would often cure themselves of the habit if they would go directly to the individual they think is wrong... But it is easy to let the tongue run freely about this one or that one when the accused is not present. 

When in the house of God, we should pray for a present blessing and should expect God to hear and answer our prayers. Such meetings will be lively and interesting. 

I have been shown the order, the perfect order, of heaven, and have been enraptured as I listened to the perfect music there... I have seen companies of angels, who stood in a hollow square, everyone having a harp of gold. At the end of the harp was an instrument to turn to set the harp or change the tunes. Their fingers did not sweep over the strings carelessly, but they touched different strings to produce different sounds. There is one angel who always leads, who first touches the harp and strikes the note, then all join in the rich, perfect music of heaven. It cannot be described. It is melody, heavenly, divine, while from every countenance beams the image of Jesus, shining with glory unspeakable. 

— Testimonies for the Church Volume 1, p.144-146 

THE RESPONSE 

Claim the blessing,”May God be gracious to us and bless us. May He look on us with favor.”

In faith claim as did Jacob, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” 

Keep your mind on God, on heaven and on the truth. Be cured of the habit of faultfinding by going directly to an individual you think is wrong. 

When in the house of God, pray for a present blessing expecting God to hear and answer your prayers.