God’s Promises Are Conditional on Obedience

All His gifts are promised on condition of obedience. God has a heaven full of blessings for those who will co-operate with Him. All who obey Him may with confidence claim the fulfilment of His promises. But we must show a firm, undeviating trust in God. Often He delays to answer us, in order to try our faith or test the genuineness of our desire. Having asked according to His Word, we should believe His promise. and press our petitions with a determination that will not be denied.

God does not say, Ask once, and you shall receive. He bids us ask. Unwearyingly persist in prayer. The persistent asking brings the petitioner into a more earnest attitude, and gives him an increased desire to receive the things for which he asks. Christ said to Martha at the grave of Lazarus, “If thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God.”

But many have not a living faith. This is why they do not see more of the power of God. Their weakness is the result of their unbelief. They have more faith in their own working than in the working of God for them. They take themselves into their own keeping. They plan and devise, but pray little, and have little real trust in God. They think they have faith, but it is only the impulse of the moment. Failing to realize their own need, or God’s willingness to give, they do not persevere in keeping their requests before the Lord.

Our prayers are to be as earnest and persistent as was the petition of the needy friend who asked for the loaves at midnight. The more earnestly and steadfastly we ask, the closer will be our spiritual union with Christ.—Christ’s Object Lessons, 145, 146.
With God at Dawn p. 90
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Prayer Requests
—-please pray for Danny’s Mom. Sally
—-Please pray for some friends whose marriage is in serious crisis. Rachelle
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Dear Friends,

Until I was ten, I lived with my grandparents, Edwin and Ida Harmon. There were only two children in the neighborhood, Janey who lived with her grandmother in the court behind our house and across the field and Gary who lived several blocks away. Amazingly, five-year-old Gary’s parents used to let him walk a block on his street, cross Burdick street, and walk the two blocks to my house to play. From that time until, at age ten, I went to live with my mother and her new husband, Gary, Janey and I spent many happy hours playing. I really missed my playmates after I moved and often wished I could see them again.

Imagine my delight when the summer I was eleven, Gary invited me to spend a few days at his cottage on Wall lake. The fact that I could barely swim didn’t deter me a bit. I happily accepted the invitation. We spent many hours swimming or rowing along the edge of the lake in a rowboat.

One day, Gary and I were standing in the water talking when he suddenly pushed me down. I was shocked. Then my shock turned to anger. He knew that I never liked to get my face in the water, yet here he was not only pushing me under the water but holding me there. I thought I was going to drown. I struggled and fought him, but he held me firmly. Suddenly, I felt something whiz directly over my head. Then he helped me up. My anger melted away when he explained to me the reason he had held me under the water. A boat pulling a skier had come too close to shore and too fast to let the skier off, and when the person had let go of the rope, the handle was coming straight at us at a high rate of speed. I had seen the boat and the tow rope coming, but I didn’t understand the danger. Gary, who had been taught to be watchful, saw what was happening and reacted immediately. His quick reaction saved us both from great injury or perhaps even death.

In this world, there are many dangers which could end our life (phyiscal or spiritual) just as quickly and unexpectedly as that tow rope could have our lives that day over fifty years ago. How important it is that we “continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” Col 4:2 What are we to watch for? “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8 The evil one is trying every moment to cause us to look away from Jesus and enter into sin. We must be on the lookout for the dangers he throws in our path, just as Gary was watchful for any possible danger. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we recognize the danger and be victorious over it. Only through His enlightenment can we discern the way of escape He has provided. (1 Cor 10:13)

Peter advises, “the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt 25:13 Jesus is coming soon. “It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Rom 13:11 Paul reminds us, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. [that is, unexpectedly] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 1 Thes 5:2-6

Every moment, we are one step closer to the end of this sinful world. Every moment we are closer to meeting our dear Savior face to face. Jesus has given us signs that show that His coming is near “even at the doors.” Matt 24:13 In the great prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, Matthew 24, and countless numbers of other places within God’s Holy Word, we are forewarned concerning the final events of this planet’s history, that when we see these things begin to come to pass, we may look up, and lift up our heads; for we will know that our redemption is soon to take place. (Luke 21:28) Our Dear Saviour tells us, “Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” vs 29-31

Now is the time to prepare for that glorious day, that when we see our King coming in the clouds of heaven, we will, in joy, lift up our eyes and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Amen! Isa 25:9

Rose