A Call to Prayer by G. B. THOMPSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 1, 1910

A Call to Prayer

By G. B. THOMPSON

G. B. THOMPSON

IN view of the tremendous work before us to carry the message quickly to the cities, a day of fasting and prayer has been appointed, and as a people we are asked to especially seek the Lord upon this day in behalf of this work.

The work itself is a call to consecration. We need to pray. We ought to pray much more than we do. We are often so busy that we neglect to pray. And a prayerless Christian is like a body without breath.

We need to fast also; not as a penance to afflict the body, but in order that our minds may more clearly sense our need, and take hold of divine help.

This call to work the cities is from God. The Lord is directing our attention to a neglected work. The people live in the cities. This is a trumpet call from the Holy Spirit to carry the message to the people. Hitherto we have worked the places of least resistance. Now the call is to storm the strongholds of sin; to carry the battle to the very gates of the enemy, and plant the flag of the message on the ramparts of the foe. When this is done, the work will be finished in the earth.

The cities are the strongholds of the devil. Walls of sin and pleasure surround the people. Antichrist has his seat in the cities. Millions who are unwarned live in these great centers. In some sections thousands live in a single block. Now the call is to carry the message to these congested centers of population, not to one language only, but to all the languages under heaven. This will take hard, persevering effort, tens of thousands of dollars, and hundreds of consecrated workers. In view of this great work, we may well fast and pray, not for a day only, but often.

When the call to work these populous cities, where sin and crime have their seat, is fully responded to, it will result in a great evangelical awakening among us. It is a call to this very thing,—a call to old-time methods of hunting for souls in a personal, heart-to-heart way. It is a call, not to a few persons simply, but to the whole denomination, to wake up and labor for souls. It means a house-to-house search, by preachers, Bible workers, evangelical workers, sellers of literature, physicians, and nurses, for lost souls, to tell them how to give their hearts to God, and prepare for the return of his Son from heaven.

In the writer’s opinion we need a spiritual, evangelical awakening. We have needed it for years. In our struggle with institutions and debts we have drifted somewhat from this line of work. There is much activity, much mechanical effort, much expenditure of money, but there is not that ingathering of souls that should be seen. The art of soul-winning has in a measure been lost sight of. In this call to carry the message to our cities, the Lord is calling us back to this work. To do the work, we shall have to study the art of winning souls. The call is not for more machinery, but for the vitalizing energy of the Holy Spirit, that workers may be trained and endowed with power to do personal work in behalf of the perishing.

Humanly speaking, the task is beyond our power to accomplish in this generation or any other. But the God who captured Jericho, and in a short time sent a terrible warning to Nineveh, is still able to speedily warn cities, demolish the citadels of sin, and plant the banner of the truth everywhere,—and then the work will be done.

Surely we need to pray. If ever men needed to “weep between the porch and the altar,” it is now. We face a work which should lead the children of God to seek meekness. Prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, should go forth from all hearts. All great movements in God’s work begin with prayer. Once the people are on their knees in earnest prayer, something will happen. The arm of Jehovah will be stretched out in behalf of his people. The armies which are in heaven will be sent to assist those who pray, and the fortifications of the enemy, which seem impregnable, will be taken.

Takoma Park, D. C.