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Christ Delegates Power to Us, June 10
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not.
Luke 22:31, 32
.
As the Prince of life, He had power with God and prevailed for His people. This
Saviour, who prayed for those that felt no need of prayer, and wept for those that
felt no need of tears, is now before the throne, to receive and present to His Father
the petitions of those for whom He prayed on earth. The example of Christ is for us
to follow. Prayer is a necessity in our labor for the salvation of souls. God alone can
give the increase of the seed we sow.
We fail many times because we do not realize that Christ is with us by His
Spirit as truly as when, in the days of His humiliation, He moved visibly upon
the earth. The lapse of time has wrought no change in His parting promise to His
apostles as He was taken up from them into heaven: “Lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world” (
Matthew 28:20
). He has ordained that there should
be a succession of men who derive authority from the first teachers of the faith
for the continual preaching of Christ and Him crucified. The Great Teacher has
delegated power to His servants, who “have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Christ
will superintend the work of His ambassadors if they wait for His instruction and
guidance....
With an earnestness and faith that will not be denied, they will plead with God
that they may be strengthened and fortified for duty and for trial, and that their lips
may be sanctified by a touch of the living coal from off the altar, to speak the words
of God to the people. “The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I
should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth
morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” (
Isaiah 50:4
).
Christ said to Peter: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you,
that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”
(
Luke 22:31, 32
). Who can estimate the result of the prayers of the world’s Re-
deemer? When Christ shall see the travail of His soul and be satisfied, then will be
seen and realized the value of His earnest prayers while His divinity was veiled with
humanity.
Jesus pleaded, not for one only, but for all His disciples: “Father, I will that
they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am” (
John 17:24
). His eye
pierced the dark veil of the future and read the life history of every son and daughter
of Adam. He felt the burdens and sorrows of every tempest-tossed soul, and that
earnest prayer included with His living disciples all His followers to the close of
time.... That prayer ... embraces even us.... When all human support fails, then
Jesus comes to our aid, and His presence scatters the darkness and lifts the cloud of
gloom (
Testimonies for the Church 4:528-530
).
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