The Week of Prayer by G. F. Haffner

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Dec 1, 1904

The Week of Prayer

By G. F. Haffner

G. F. HAFFNER

The time for our week of prayer is almost upon us again, and what preparation are we making for it? As we are coming nearer and nearer to the end, these seasons of prayer become more and more important. The Lord has great things in store for us, and he tells us: “Ask, and it shall be given you; if ye seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” We are told that we live in the time of the latter rain, when we should ask especially for the outpouring of the Spirit of God; and Christ tells us further that if we abide in him, and his words abide in us, we shall ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us. John 15:7.

But why should we ask for his Spirit? The next verse will give the answer: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” We should not ask for the Spirit of God in order that we may have better times or an easier time in the work of God. No, no! It is given that we may bear more fruit. Just remember our Saviour after he received the Holy Spirit. He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and you all know he did not have a very easy time during those forty days. Then after that we see him returning in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and “there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.” Luke 4:14, 15. He preached the gospel to the poor, healed the broken-hearted, preached deliverance to the captives, recovered the sight of the blind, and set at liberty them that were bruised. He spent his whole time in doing good, in saving people. At night he would go out on the mountains and commune with his Father.

Now, brethren and sisters, are we willing to unite in praying for the outpouring of his Spirit, in order that we may be filled with the same spirit that he had, and be engaged in the work of saving souls as he was? Do we need more of that Spirit?—I believe we do. Many of our people are asleep or in a lukewarm condition. Brethren, we need to pray for such, that the Lord may wake them up. We all need more or less to wake out of sleep. We do not realize in what a solemn time we are living. Do we not see the signs fast fulfilling? The day of the Lord is near, and hasteth greatly. O let us wake up now, and do the work of God so that the Lord may come and gather his people home!

The Lord is preparing the way for us to carry the message to the world. From every land the calls are coming in, Come over and help us. The General Conference never before received such urgent calls, and from places where the message never was preached before. Shall we fill these calls, and send men to preach this message? Shall we pray especially to the Lord of harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest? But we should not only pray for laborers, but pray that God may make his people willing to support these laborers when they do go. The General Conference needs means as well as laborers to fill these calls. Will our people now open their hearts to these calls, and not only give the amount that is called for, but double it? There is plenty of money among God’s people, and if each one would give as much as he could, or as much as he ought to give, there would be plenty of money in the treasury.

In conclusion, I would especially appeal to our brethren in the Oklahoma Conference to arise and come to the help of the Lord against the mighty. We have a great enemy to fight. Let us do our part. Let us double our donations to the foreign work. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over.” “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” 2 Cor. 9:6. “And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Gal. 6:9. Let us sow now, and soon we shall reap.