Prayer and Promises

THE PROMISE 

I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor, that He may be with you forever. 

— John 14:16, MEV 

THE TESTIMONY 

Unless this Spirit is accepted and cherished as the representative of Christ, whose work it is to renew and sanctify the entire being, the momentous truths that have been entrusted to human beings will lose their power on the mind. It is not enough for us to have a knowledge of the truth. We are to walk and work in love, conforming our will to the will of God. Of those who do this the Lord declares, “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” God is the mighty, all-powerful agency in this work of transformation. By his Holy Spirit he writes his law in the heart. 

After Christ’s ascension, the disciples were gathered together in one place to make humble supplication to God. And after ten days of heart searching and self-examination, the way was prepared for the Holy Spirit to enter the cleansed, consecrated soul temples. Every heart was filled with the Spirit... What was the result?—Thousands were converted in a day. The sword of the Spirit flashed right and left. 

Let every church member kneel before God, and pray earnestly for the impartation of the Spirit. Cry, “Lord, increase my faith. Make me to understand thy word; for the entrance of thy word giveth light. Refresh me by thy presence. Fill my heart with thy Spirit that I may love my brethren as Christ loves me.” 

God will bless those who thus prepare themselves for his service. They will understand what it means to have the assurance of the Spirit, because they have received Christ by faith. The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means that sin is taken away, and that the vacuum is filled with the Spirit. It means that the mind is divinely illumined, that the heart is emptied of self, and filled with the presence of Christ. When this work is done for church members, the church will be a living, working church. 

— The Review and Herald, June 10, 1902 

THE RESPONSE 

With heart searching and self-examination, prepare the way for the Holy Spirit to enter the cleansed, consecrated soul temple.

Kneel before God and pray earnestly for the impartation of the Spirit. 

Cry, “Lord, increase my faith. Make me to understand Your word; for the entrance of Your word gives light. Refresh me by Your presence. Fill my heart with Your Spirit that I may love my brethren as Christ loves me.”