Continuing the Week of Prayer Spirit by William A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 30, 1916

Continuing the Week of Prayer Spirit

By William A. Spicer

OUGHT not every week of the coming year to be a week of prayer? We may not be able to meet together in public assembly; we may not go through the form of daily public service; but in our individual experience, every week and every day ought to be a season of special intercession on our part, and of special refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Our needs are manifold, greater this week than last week, greater today than yesterday; and those needs will increase with the days and months to come. In every life vital crises will arise. Perhaps on many of them, apparently trivial, hangs the course of our lives, the destiny of our souls.

Let us be faithful in our communion with the Source of all wisdom and strength. If in our homes the family altar has fallen down, let us erect it, and morning and night gather our loved ones around this altar, consecrate them to God and to his service, and seek him for divine guidance and protection. Let us be particularly faithful in our private devotions. At least three times daily should we go alone before God and confess to him our sins and seek his keeping power. We shall find that our growth in grace and in overcoming our besetments will be in proportion as we are faithful in observing these devotions. Continuing the spirit of this week throughout the year will bring us every week the special blessing which we enjoy during the week of prayer.

Week of Prayer Greetings

WRITING from a point just beyond the edge of the great whirlwind of war, Elder J. C. Raft, president of the Scandinavian Union Conference, sends a word of greeting to the believers for this week of prayer season. He says:—

“In spite of all difficulties, the threefold message is victoriously making its way in Scandinavia with greater power than ever before. God is working for us, removing every obstacle that confronts us. Never did we win so many souls in a year as now, and the tithes and offerings are increasing every quarter. And no wonder! for God is speaking in such plain terms to his people through this war that one might think even the most deaf must hear his voice.”

“We have great reason to be thankful to God. While the belligerent countries are being visited by destruction, death, and misery, we have been spared from it all. We know, however, that these great favors which we are enjoying carry with them responsibility and obligations. We must serve God with greater faithfulness, and work with greater power. This we may receive from God. By his help Scandinavia will take its place in the ranks, and do its share to finish the proclamation of the glorious message in this generation.”

Alluding to the dreadful accompaniments of this greatest war in history, Elder Raft adds:—

“We who are neighbors of the warring nations do well in following the instruction given by the prophet Amos (Amos 5: 13).”

The scripture referred to reads:—

“Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.”

It surely is a word of wise counsel; and we know that our brother’s statement of the added responsibilities and obligations to service which the present time presses upon us, will meet a response in the hearts of all.

We may depend upon it, our brethren and sisters in the troubled areas will gather comfort this week of prayer from the thought that the believers in other lands are praying for them.

We hear encouraging reports concerning progress in many phases of the work, even in the countries involved in the struggle. Elder W. J. Fitzgerald, of the British Union, speaks of the faithfulness of the brethren and sisters in bringing in the tithes and offerings this year. He says:—

“We are expecting on the whole year a gain of about $12,000 in tithe, as compared with 1914 or 1913. The mission offerings are also coming up well. Our membership is growing, and the various institutions are doing well, considering that the war has now been raging for over two years. Our evangelistic laborers are all engaged in aggressive efforts, with good prospects. The publishing work is the hardest hit.”

From across in the central part of Europe, Elder Guy Dail writes that the last monthly report of their largest publishing house showed an increase in colporteur sales of nearly $3,000 over the same period in 1915. Thus even amid the sternest realities of war the gospel seed is being sown and souls are won.

But we cannot forget the sorrow and the desolations; and surely, as just now the news dispatches bring word that the general conviction in Europe is that the struggle will be greatly prolonged, it is a call to earnest prayer on the part of every Christian believer. As Elder Raft says in his message of greeting, the difficulties that war has brought to the gospel workers in the regions of conflict are the loudest of appeals to us to press the work in regions where the way is still open. Even desolating war has often in history been a plowshare that has broken open hard soil for the sowing of the gospel seed. As we pray for the restraining of the winds of strife yet again for a little time, we may well pray also for the opening of every closed door on earth, in order that the work of God may be finished ere the final storm breaks over the earth.

While not yet have the four winds of universal strife been loosed, in some regions where the line of conflict sways back and forth across the homes of many of our people, brethren and sisters of ours are passing through trials that must be little short of what our imagination pictures the coming time of trouble to be.

Just in time to reach us this week of prayer there comes a message from Elder O. T. Reinke, of Russia. He says:—

“We are still well and are doing our best under present severe circumstances. Patience is a great word at present, and the dear Lord knows best how to bring everything about. The Lord is our helper and strength in this time of need. Daily we have to approach the throne of grace with special and definite petitions. Two weeks ago we had a day of fasting and prayer, and felt a special freedom in it, and great peace came to our souls.”

Let us remember those in trial as though in trial with them. The prayers of Christian fellowship overleap every barrier.

W. A. S.