Chapter 22—The Prayer And Missionary Meeting
      
      
        Secret of Effectual Prayer
      
      
        The upbuilding of the kingdom of God is retarded or urged forward
      
      
        according to the unfaithfulness or fidelity of human agencies. The
      
      
        work is hindered by the failure of the human to co-operate with the
      
      
        divine. Men may pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth,
      
      
        as it is in heaven”; but if they fail of acting out this prayer in their lives,
      
      
        their petitions will be fruitless.—
      
      
        Testimonies for the Church 6:437,
      
      
        438
      
      
        .
      
      
        Devotional Exercises in the Balance
      
      
        All heaven is looking upon the inhabitants of the earth. The angels
      
      
        and the God of heaven are looking upon those who claim to be Chris-
      
      
        tians, and weighing their devotional exercises.—
      
      
        Australasian Signs of
      
      
        the Times, June 22, 1903
      
      
        .
      
      
        Making the Meetings Interesting
      
      
        Let the missionary meeting be turned to account in teaching the
      
      
        people how to do missionary work.—
      
      
        An Appeal to Our Churches in
      
      
        Behalf of Home Missionary Work, 11
      
      
        .
      
      
        Our prayer and social meetings should be seasons of special help
      
      
        and encouragement. Each one has a work to do to make these gather-
      
      
        ings as interesting and profitable as possible. This can best be done
      
      
        by having a fresh experience daily in the things of God, and by not
      
      
        hesitating to speak of His love in the assemblies of His people. If you
      
      
        allow no darkness or unbelief to enter your hearts, they will not be
      
      
        manifest in your meetings.—
      
      
        The Southern Watchman, March 7, 1905
      
      
        .
      
      
        Our meetings should be made intensely interesting. They should
      
      
        be pervaded with the very atmosphere of heaven. Let there be no long,
      
      
        dry speeches and formal prayers, merely for the sake of occupying the
      
      
        time. All should be ready to act their part with promptness, and when
      
      
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