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Power to Prevail with God and Men, April 16
I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Genesis 32:30
.
Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling
under the power of satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience.
And even if they endure the test they will be plunged into deeper distress and
anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in
God. The lessons of faith which they have neglected they will be forced to learn
under a terrible pressure of discouragement.
We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises. Angels
record every prayer that is earnest and sincere. We should rather dispense with
selfish gratifications than neglect communion with God. The deepest poverty, the
greatest self-denial, with His approval, is better than riches, honors, ease, and
friendship without it. We must take time to pray. If we allow our minds to be
absorbed by worldly interests, the Lord may give us time by removing from us
our idols of gold, of houses, or of fertile lands.
The young would not be seduced into sin if they would refuse to enter any
path save that upon which they could ask God’s blessing. If the messengers who
bear the last solemn warning to the world would pray for the blessing of God, not
in a cold, listless, lazy manner, but fervently and in faith, as did Jacob, they would
find many places where they could say: “I have seen God face to face, and my
life is preserved.” They would be accounted of heaven as princes, having power to
prevail with God and with men....
Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should
seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be
brought to yield to the power of temptation.... Christ declared of Himself: “The
prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (
John 14:30
).—
The Great
Controversy, 622, 623
.
Were not miracles wrought by Christ and His apostles? The same compassion-
ate Saviour lives today, and He is as willing to listen to the prayer of faith as when
He walked visibly among men. The natural cooperates with the supernatural. It is
a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, that which He
would not bestow did we not thus ask.—
The Great Controversy, 525
.
No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer.... While we must constantly
guard against the devices of Satan, we should pray in faith continually: “Lead us
not into temptation.”—
The Great Controversy, 530
.
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