Prayer and Counsel
Those who labor
at camp meetings should frequently engage together in
prayer and
counsel, that they may labor intelligently. At these meetings there
are many things
that demand attention. But the ministers should take time
to meet together
for prayer and counsel every day. You should know that all
things are
drawing in even lines, “that you are standing,” as the words were
spoken to me,
“shoulder to shoulder, marching right ahead, and not drawing
off.” When the
work is carried on in this way, there is unity of heart, and there
will be harmony
of action. This will be a wonderful means of bringing the
blessing of God
upon the people. Before giving a discourse, ministers should take time to seek
God for wisdom and power. In earlier times the ministers would often go away
and
pray together,
and they would not cease until the Spirit of God responded to
their prayers.
Then they would return from the place of prayer with their faces
lighted up; and
when they spoke to the congregation, their words were with
power. They
reached the hearts of the people because the Spirit that gave them
the blessing
prepared hearts to receive their message. There is far more being
done by the
heavenly universe than we realize in preparing the way that souls
may be
converted. We are to work in harmony with the messengers of heaven.
We want more of
God; we are not to feel that our talking and sermonizing
can do the work.
Unless the people are reached through God, they will never
be reached. We
are to rely wholly upon God, pleading His promise: “Not by
might, nor by
power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6.
When those to
whom God has entrusted responsibilities as leaders fear and tremble before Him
because of the responsibility of the work, when they feel their own
unworthiness and seek the Lord in humility, when they purify themselves from
all that is displeasing to Him, when they
plead with Him
until they know that they have forgiveness and peace, then God will manifest
Himself through them. Then the work will go forward with power. Fellow
laborers, we must have Jesus, the precious Jesus, abiding in our own hearts
much more fully if we are to meet with success in presenting Him to the people.
We are in great need of the heavenly influence, God’s Holy Spirit, to give
power and efficiency to our work. We need to open the heart to Christ. We need
much firmer faith and more fervent devotion. We need to die to self, and in
mind and heart to cherish an adoring love for our Saviour. When we will seek
the Lord with all the heart we shall find Him, and our hearts will be all aglow
with His love. Self will sink into insignificance, and Jesus will be all and in
all to the soul. Christ presents to us who are athirst the water of life, that
we may drink freely; when we do this we have Christ within us as a well of
water springing
up into
everlasting life. Then our words are full of moisture. We are prepared to water
others.
We must draw
nigh to God. We must be laborers together with Him, else weakness and mistakes
will be seen in all we undertake. If it were left to us to manage the interests
of the cause of God in our own way, we would not have reason to expect much;
but if self is hid in Christ, all our work will be wrought in God. Let us have
faith in God at every step. While we realize our
own weakness,
let us not be faithless, but believing. If we will take God at His word, we
shall see of His salvation. The gospel that we present to save perishing souls
must be the very gospel that saves our own souls. We must receive the word of
God. We must eat the word, live the word; it is the flesh and blood of the Son
of God. We must eat His flesh and drink His blood—receive by faith His spiritual
attributes. We must receive light and blessing, that we may have something to
impart. It is the privilege of every worker first to talk with God in the
secret place
of prayer and
then to talk with the people as God’s mouthpiece. Men and women who commune
with God, who have an abiding Christ, make the very atmosphere holy, because
they are co-operating with holy angels. Such witness is needed for this time.
We need the melting power of God, the power to draw with Christ.
Written by
Testimonies
for the Church
Volume Six
Ellen G. White
1901
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