Truth, by itself will never produce the effect without the Spirit of God, and the Spirit is given in answer to prayer. Sometimes it happens that those who are the most engaged in employing truth are not the most engaged in prayer. This is always unfortunate. For unless they have a spirit of prayer (or unless someone else has), the truth, by itself, will do nothing but harden men in impenitence. Probably in the Day of Judgment it will be found that nothing is ever done by the truth, used ever so zealously, unless there is a spirit of prayer somewhere in connection with the presentation of the truth.
Others err in the reverse direction.l Not that they lay too much stress on prayer, but they overlook the fact that prayer might be offered forever, by itself, and nothing would be done. Sinners are not converted only by the direct contact of the Holy Spirit, but by the truth employed as a means. To expect the conversion of sinners by prayer alone, without the employment of truth, is to tempt God.
May our mission to grow our prayers be equally met with the desire and willingness to share truth.
Thoughts?
Monday, March 15, 2010
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2 comments:
By the way: I only wrote the last line. everything else by Charles G Finney: edited by Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr.
I'll bring the book to camp.
Clayton, this is something that I am facing currently. I have a dear friend of mine who, in my opinion, has a pluralist view of christianity because his mother's family was raised muslim and his father's family was raised baptist. I have been praying for him non-stop for several years now and he finally began to go to church with me. The question you raised is a tremendous challenge in particular with the people we care about the most. Please pray for me as I continue to pray and continue to be in a position to be a witness.
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