Pray for Them by W. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Aug 13, 1914

Pray for Them

By W. A. S.

It needs no word of exhortation to prayer for our brethren and sisters and the work and the people of Europe, in these times of fearful strife. It has probably been the thought of every believing heart, and the word on believing lips from the receipt of the first news that war had broken out in Europe. While many are thinking about the situation, and none of us can tell just how it may be affecting our brethren and sisters, a few words as to the general condition may be suggested with propriety.

First of all, in the places where little companies of our believers may be able to gather, it is generally the sisters and the children only who can meet. In the military nations the men must be called to the reserve stations or to the battle's front. General meetings are, of course, interrupted throughout the countries involved. Recent meetings of the European Division Committee had scheduled camp meetings for August and September in northern France, southern France, Siberia, and central Hungary, where the Danube Union Conference was also to meet. All through the area of strife we have companies: in Hungary, in Servia, in Austria, in eastern Prussia and western Russia, and along the borderland between France and Germany, particularly on the German side. Well may we who are far outside the zone of conflict remember our brethren and sisters in Europe at this time.

With the tying up of shipping it seems probable that missionary appointees for India expecting to sail this autumn may have to go by the Pacific route.

Of one thing we may be assured, our brethren in Europe and the far fields that will be agitated by the conflict of great powers will be improving every opportunity to push forward the message. Let us not forget that in Asia, where we have done the least, half the population of the world is awakening and getting ready for the yet greater crisis. We have scarcely begun to touch the work among them. Let us pray God to raise up means and men to carry the message into the regions untouched but where it yet must go. W. A. S.