Written by: John Sernaque
Dear Reader,
Books / Pr - Prayer (2002) / Chapter 4—Prayer And Soul Winning
The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God, and as they did this they realized what a privilege had been theirs in being permitted to associate so closely with Christ. Sadness filled their hearts as they thought of how many times they had grieved Him by their slowness of comprehension, their failure to understand the lessons that, for their good, He was trying to teach them. {Pr 43.2}
These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.—(The Acts of the Apostles, 37.) {Pr 43.3}
The disciples could not have had a better teacher than Christ Jesus Himself. What a privilege it was for them to walk with Christ in the flesh. They learned as they heard Christ speak to sinners, and realized their own spiritual need. Jesus did not condemn, He came to this earth to save. The disciples were imbued with the desire and burden for the salvation of souls. As this was a lesson for the disciples, we as disciples ourselves must share the desire and burden as well. The everlasting gospel is to be carried to the whole world that none should perish but have everlasting life.
Dear kind and gracious Father,
We come to the foot of Your throne in thanksgiving and prayer. We thank and praise You for all the wonderful things You have done. We inherited a sinful nature from our parents in the Garden of Eden because of Satan’s deceptions. Satan continues and will continue to try to separate us from You through his lure of temptations, as he did to Adam and Eve. We are so grateful for You coming to this earth, trading divinity for humanity, so that we could have Your Power to overcome sin. We thank You for making us heirs of the Royal Family in heaven, that we could have eternal life in Your presence. You laid down Your life, the greatest thing anyone can do for another. We are so grateful for the way You love us, to have done what You did. We thank You for the privilege of being witnesses to all You have done and will do. As Your disciples, we feel our spiritual need and pray for the Holy unction to prepare and fit us to be winners of souls for Your heavenly kingdom. We pray for the anointing of Your Power from on High to carry the everlasting gospel to the four corners of the world. We claim the Power, strength and protection You have promised. We claim the victory You won at the cross in Calvary. We thank Your for being our example in all things, and our source of strength. We pray that we could be an example unto others as well, and a source of strength to them. We pray that we can help gather the flock and that they be under one accord with each other and with You. May we set aside our differences, as did the disciples, and come close together in Christian fellowship. To God be the glory, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
