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Evangelism
tedious by lengthy petitions....A few minutes is long enough for any
ordinary public petition.—
Gospel Workers, 175
(1915).
Pray With Heartfelt Simplicity—We need not make long public
prayers. With heartfelt simplicity we should state our needs to the
Lord, and claim His promises with such faith and confidence that the
congregation will know that we have learned to prevail with God in
prayer. They will be encouraged to believe that the Lord’s presence
is in the meeting, and they will open their hearts to receive His rich
blessing. Their faith in your sincerity will be increased, and they will
be ready to listen with willing ears to the instruction given by the
speaker.—
Manuscript 127, 1902
.
Hurried, Rushed Movements—The Lord gave you your work,
not to be done in a rush, but in a calm, considerate manner. The Lord
never compels hurried, complicated movements.—
Testimonies For
The Church 8:189
(1904).
Avoiding the Grotesque—We cannot be shepherds of the flock
unless we are divested of our own peculiar habits, manners, and cus-
toms, and come into Christ’s likeness. When we eat His flesh and
drink His blood, then the element of eternal life will be found in the
[147]
ministry. There will not be a fund of stale, oft-repeated ideas. There
will be a new perception of truth.
Some who stand in the pulpit make the heavenly messengers in
the audience ashamed of them. The precious gospel, which it has cost
so much to bring to the world, is abused. There is common, cheap
talk; grotesque attitudes and workings of the features. There is, with
some, rapid talking, with others a thick, indistinct utterance. Everyone
who ministers before the people should feel it a solemn duty to take
himself in hand. He should first give himself to the Lord in complete
self-renunciation, determined that he will have none of self, but all of
Jesus.—
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 339
(1896).
Discard Uncomely Gestures and Uncouth Speech—The work-
man for God should make earnest efforts to become a representative
of Christ, discarding all uncomely gestures and uncouth speech. He
should endeavor to use correct language. There is a large class who
are careless in the way they speak; yet by careful, painstaking at-
tention, these may become representatives of the truth. Every day
they should make advancement. They should not detract from their