Prayer and Promises

The Promise 

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.

— 2 Corinthians 13:5,6, NASB 

The Testimony 

Let the heart-searching God reprove the erring, and let each one bow before him in humility and contrition, casting aside all self-righteousness and self-importance, confessing and forsaking every sin, and asking God, in the name of the Redeemer, for pardon and forgiveness. God declares, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,” and those who thus present themselves before him will be pardoned and justified, and will receive power to become the sons of God. 

Let every one examine himself, to see whether he be in the faith. Let the people of God repent and be converted, that their sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 

There must be entire conformity to the will of God. There must be less self measurement, and more, very much more, Christlike practice. There must be more earnest, persevering prayer. Prayer is acceptable only when offered in faith and in the name of the Redeemer. Our faith must grasp the glorious fact that God hears and answers the prayers of every sincere seeker. As the believer bows in supplication before God, and in humility and contrition offers his petition from unfeigned lips, keeping his eyes fixed steadily on the Mediator of the new covenant, he loses all thought of self. His mind is filled with the thought of what he must have in order to build up a Christlike character. He prays, “Lord, if I am to be a channel through which thy love is to flow day by day and hour by hour, I claim by faith the grace and power that thou hast promised.” He fastens his hold firmly on the promise, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” 

With wonderful and ennobling grace the Lord sanctifies the humble petitioner, giving him power to perform the most difficult duties. It invests with new dignity every word, every act, and links the humblest worker, the poorest of God’s servants, with the highest of the angels in the heavenly courts. 

— The Review Herald, January 27, 1903 

The Response 

Father God, I humbly examine myself to see if I am in the faith so that Jesus Christ may be in me. As I bow before You confessing and forsaking every sin and casting aside all my self-importance, I ask that I may be a channel through which Your love may flow out every hour of the day. I claim by faith Your grace and power and fasten my hold firmly on the promise that if I lack wisdom, You will liberally answer my prayer and not rebuke me.