p. 103 | Preaching and Prayer

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 11, 1873

Preaching and Prayer.

An American pastor saw his preaching extraordinarily blessed. For twelve years he had a revival in his church every year. He was himself surprised at such success, until one evening, in a prayer-meeting, one of the brethren stated that for some years he had been in the habit of praying every Saturday until midnight, that on the morrow the preaching of his pastor might find its way to the people's hearts. We should, without doubt, see more fruits of the numerous sermons which are preached Sundays, if every minister had one friend who took really to heart his pastoral work, and presented it without ceasing at the throne of grace.

A sermon of a Scotch preacher (John Livingston) was the means of the conversion of five hundred persons in one day. But it should be said that a large number of Christians had devoted all the preceding night to prayer for this object. Let us not forget that the Holy Spirit alone can make preaching efficacious, and that he is sent in answer to the prayer of faith.