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Daily Prayer, Essential to Growth in Grace, October 8
The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer.
1 Peter 4:7
.
If we would develop a character which God can accept, we must form correct
habits in our religious life. Daily prayer is as essential to growth in grace, and
even to spiritual life itself, as is temporal food to physical well-being. We should
accustom ourselves to often lift the thoughts to God in prayer. If the mind wanders,
we must bring it back; by persevering effort, habit will finally make it easy. We
cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety. We may have
His presence to attend us at every step, but only by observing the conditions which
He has Himself laid down.
Religion must be made the great business of life. Everything else should be
held subordinate to this. All our powers of soul, body, and spirit must be engaged
in Christian warfare. We must look to Christ for strength and grace, and we shall
gain the victory as surely as Jesus died for us.
We must come nearer to the cross of Christ. Penitence at the foot of the cross is
the first lesson of peace we have to learn. The love of Jesus—who can comprehend
it? Infinitely more tender and self-denying than a mother’s love! If we would
know the value of a human soul, we must look in living faith upon the cross, and
thus, begin the study which shall be the science and the song of the redeemed
through all eternity. The value of our time and our talents can be estimated only by
the greatness of the ransom paid for our redemption. What ingratitude we manifest
toward God when we rob Him of His own by withholding from Him our affections
and our service! Is it too much to give ourselves to Him who has sacrificed all for
us? Can we choose the friendship of the world before the immortal honors which
Christ proffers—“to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with my Father in his throne”? ...
Those who are ... working upon the plan of addition in obtaining the Christian
graces, have the assurance that God will work upon the plan of multiplication in
granting them the gifts of His Spirit.
Peter addresses those who have obtained like precious faith: “Grace and peace
be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” By
divine grace, all who will may climb the shining steps from earth to heaven, and at
last, “with songs and everlasting joy,” enter through the gates into the city.—
The
Review and Herald, November 15, 1887
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