Prayer and Promises

THE PROMISE  

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

— 1 Peter 2:9, NKJV

THE TESTIMONY  

What is it to be the light of the world? It is to have God for your guide, to have the companionship of holy angels, and to reflect to others the light that shines upon you from above.

Jesus says, “Ye are the light of the world.” Now, suppose that you keep your minds dwelling upon self and your darkness; how can you be the light of the world? You keep yourselves in darkness by looking at your own imperfections, instead of the willingness and power of Jesus to save to the uttermost all that come unto him in faith. 

Go into a cellar, and you may well talk of darkness, and say, “I cannot see; I cannot see.” But come up into the upper chamber, where the light shines, and you need not be in darkness. Come where Christ is, and you will have light. Talk unbelief, and you will have unbelief; but talk faith, and you will have faith. 

If you talk of heaven and the eternal reward, you will become lighter and lighter in the Lord, and your faith will grow, because it is exercised. Fasten your eyes upon Jesus, dear friends, and by beholding you will become assimilated to his image. Do not allow your thoughts to dwell continually upon things of the earth, but place them upon things that are heavenly, and then, wherever you are, you will be a light to the world. 

Today you are to live a life of prayer. Today you are to fight the good fight of faith. Today you are to believe that God blesses you. And as you gain the victory over darkness and unbelief, you will...become a blessing to those around you. 

God in his providence does not permit us to know the end from the beginning; but he gives us the light of his word to guide us as we pass along, and bids us to keep our minds stayed upon Jesus. Wherever we are, whatever our employment, our hearts are to be uplifted to God in prayer. This is being instant in prayer. We need not wait until we can bow upon our knees, before we pray. 

May God help you to walk with Jesus. If you do, you will be the light of the world. 

— Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 1886, p.140-144 

THE RESPONSE  

Talk of heaven and the eternal reward and your faith will grow as it is exercised.

Fasten your eyes upon Jesus. Allow your thoughts to dwell continually upon things that are heavenly. 

Follow the light of God’s word to guide you, keep your heart uplifted to God in prayer. 

Pray that God will help you to walk with Jesus and be a light of the world.