Asking for the Spirit by Charles G. Finney

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 7, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 14.

Asking for the Spirit

By Charles G. Finney

You must watch unto prayer. You must keep a lookout, and see if God grants the blessing when you ask Him. People sometimes pray, and never look to see if the prayer is granted. Be careful, also, not to grieve the Spirit of God. Confess and forsake your sins. God will never lead you as one of His hidden ones, and let you into His secrets, unless you confess and forsake your sins. Do not be always confessing and never forsake, but confess and forsake, too. Make redress wherever you have committed an injury. You can not expect to get the spirit of prayer first, and then repent. You can’t fight it through so. Professors of religion, who are proud and unyielding, and justify themselves, never will force God to dwell with them.

Aim to obey perfectly the written law. In other words, have no fellowship with sin. Aim at being entirely above the world; “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” If you sin at all, let it be your daily grief. The man who does not aim at this, means to live in sin. Such a man need not expect God’s blessing, for he is not sincere in desiring to keep all His commandments.—Charles G. Finney.