The Week of Prayer by H. W. Cottrell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 10, 1904

The Week of Prayer

By H. W. Cottrell

H. W. COTTRELL

THE Lord has entrusted to Seventh-day Adventists, as a body of Christians, the most solemn work ever required of any people in any age since the world began. The gospel has been preached in its simplicity to a greater or less extent in every period of the world’s history, but in each succeeding age there has been, or should have been, an additional unfolding of the great plan of salvation. In the unrolling of the sacred scrolls of Holy Writ the truth has gathered new luster all the way.

The year 1844 was the crowning epoch of all epochs then reached in gospel history. It marked the time of the beginning of the presentation of the everlasting gospel in its last and threefold setting,—the third angel’s message of Revelation 14. At this period the seventh trumpet began to sound. The last and longest prophetic period ended, and the judgment work began. The door of the temple of God in heaven was opened, “and no man can shut it,” and the holy law of God was seen. The darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars, were then all seen from a historic view as signs of the coming of Christ. This should forever settle the question that both you and I are numbered with the last generation of men.

When Christ, the divine son of God, was on earth, and revealed to us his foreknowledge of these events, he said, “This generation shall not pass, ’till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

In view of the fact that we are to-day in the time of the finishing of the mystery of God on earth, that there are one billion five hundred million people in the world, that so few of them have any knowledge of the special message of reform now being given with no uncertain sound, and that God will hold each soul responsible to do his duty, should we not awake at once to our privilege in service for him?

The King is at the door. “Set thine house in order.” But the houses of so many people are not set in order. Jesus said to an inquirer, “One thing thou lackest,” “go thy way, sell whatever thou hast, and give to the poor.” There is no one so poor as the soul out of Christ. A large majority of the world’s population know not the name of Christ. What can we do to help this class of “poor”?

The General Conference Committee has fixed the time, Dec. 10-17, 1904, as a special period of seeking the Lord. It is our annual week of prayer. From now until then, and then, should be a time of self-examination, surrender, and consecration for service.

We are on the threshold of eternity. That eternal day of God is just upon us. Soon the heavens will open as a door,—roll back as a scroll,—to reveal to the saints their King. The veil of sin that now hides his face from our view will fade away. The mystery of God will be finished, and we shall see our Redeemer face to face. “And his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” Each one should renew his courage, and take on new strength; for there will certainly be a glorious triumph to this message.

Let each one prayerfully consider to what extent he can assist in a material way those of our brethren and sisters who have taken their lives in their hands, deprived themselves of the association of friends and the comforts of home, and gone into distant lands to scatter the light of present truth. Jesus gave all. Shall not we give freely of that over which he has made us stewards?

We have missions established in nearly every country in the world. The larger number of missions we open, the greater the demand for additional workers and funds to support them. At the recent General Conference Council held at College View, Neb., appropriations were made to missions, amounting to $124,773. It was recommended that we do our utmost as a people to raise $80,000 of this amount at the time of our annual offering in December. If we all take hold of this matter with prayer, and with a will to accomplish the undertaking, we can, in the name of the Lord, easily realize our hopes.

Our annual offering last year amounted to $40,200. If those who gave last year would, on an average, double their offerings, we should have the $80,000. Then if the few thousands of new believers will come forward and swell this amount, additional help can be sent to the needy fields.

Let us unitedly do all we can with our prayers, our means, and our service to hasten the coming of Christ in this generation.