Prayer and Promises

THE PROMISE 

Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.

— James 5:16, MEV

THE TESTIMONY 

You hurry here and you hurry there; and your attention is so taken up with common things that you have no time to pray, no time to train your children. 

Place yourselves in right relation to God. Ask Him to cleanse you from all iniquity, and to heal you of your backsliding and your forgetfulness of Him. He says, “Draw nigh to Me, and I will draw nigh to you.” 

Brethren and sisters, do not let this meeting pass by this morning without doing the work that God wants you to do. If there are any differences between you and your brethren, for Christ’s sake clear them away. Take up the stumbling-blocks. Clear the King’s highway. If you have done your neighbor a wrong, go to him, and try to make the matter right. Talk with God, and when you have done this, you will be able to talk in a Christlike manner to your brother. 

If you have made mistakes or errors in judgment or in speech, or if you have used the precious talent of speech to proclaim the wrong-doings of others, may God help you to make a change. Humble your hearts before the Lord. Do not feel that your brethren will lose confidence in you if you make confession of sin. We are all finite. We are God’s little children. Do not feel that it would lower your dignity to confess your sins. Christ says, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” We have separated ourselves from God. Let us draw near to Him. Let us confess our sins, and let us be sure that we go to the bottom, and make thorough work for repentance. Will you do this? Will you prepare the way for God to bless you? 

Do not use the talent of speech to talk of your troubles and difficulties or of the wrong that some one has done you. Live in the confidence and love of Christ. He is with you. He will give you strength.

May the Lord help us all... Oh, shall we not clear away the rubbish that is filling our hearts, and invite Christ to enter as an abiding Guest? Then He will richly bless us, and we shall receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

— The General Conference Bulletin, April 2, 1903 

THE RESPONSE 

Ask God to cleanse you from all iniquity and to heal your backsliding and forgetfulness of Him. 

If you have done your neighbor wrong try to make the matter right. Talk with God first then you will be able to talk in a Christlike manner to your neighbor. 

Humble your heart. Draw near to Him. Confess your sins and prepare the way for God to bless you.

Clear away the rubbish that is filling your heart, invite Christ to enter as an abiding Guest and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.