The Uplift of United Intercession by William A. Spicer

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 28, 1907

The Uplift of United Intercession

By William A. Spicer

An old chronicler tells us that when Columba’s associates were toiling at building the missionary training center at Iona, their burdens were lightened and they were strengthened at the steepest part of the pathway because there — at the hardest place — they were met by the secret prayers of the aged apostle of North Britain.

The tradition is a pretty parable of the power of earnest prayer to help bearers of burdens up the steep places. The assurance of Bible teaching that prayer does actually help forward the work of God and bring strength to fellow laborers, is a cheering one as we come to the week of prayer. United prayer may reach out and touch every department of the work, and every field, and bring courage and uplift to every bearer of burdens in the cause of God.

There are steep places in the work of laborers in the field, in the conduct of schools, publishing houses, sanitariums; let the prayers of all believers meet the toilers at the hard places. Loads will be lightened, barriers broken down, and the cause of the message will be set forward round the whole earth.

An aged apostle of the Lord Jesus, and soldier of the cross, wrote to the ancient church: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” Rom. 15:30. And when actual and providential deliverance came to him, he recognized that the churches had been “helping together by prayer” for him.

Definitely, at this prayer season, plead for the unentered fields, and for those where but a few workers face vast areas and populations. God is hearing prayer and sending the truth before us into new lands.

Pray for laborers to go forth into highways and byways at home and abroad, and for large gifts to maintain the work that is literally breaking forth “on the right hand and on the left.”

Pray that the Spirit may turn the serious attention of the people to the tons of literature that canvassers and members have been scattering up and down the world. It is a wonderful work that is being done before our eyes. A million dollars’ worth of literature, sold in a single year, would represent a message going with a “loud cry,” if that were the only factor in the field. Now is the time for purchasers to take down these books and study them to find the light.

Even in heathen lands, such as Malaysia, China, India, it is now being demonstrated that our literature in the vernacular can be sold by native agents. This means a tremendous step forward in the evangelization of some of the greatest fields. Thousands of dollars are needed to put out the literature of the message in hundreds of these languages, in which the translated Bible is already speaking. Pray that these thousands may flow in. The time has come for it, and we may pray with all assurance that we are asking according to the will of God.

More languages and tongues than ever before among us will join in this week-of-prayer season. W. A. S.