Possible Format for Night of Prayer

Start with a session of praise. Praise God in your prayers and also through songs.

Take some time for confession, making sure that nothing is hindering God from hearing you. Give people time for private confession and have a time of corporate confession. Encourage the people to confess private sins privately and to confess publicly only the public sins. In Daniel 9:1-19 we read about Daniel, who interceded and publicly confessed the sins of God’s people.

Pray for the needs of people who are at the prayer meeting. So many people are hurting or in need of prayer, or know someone else who is in desperate need of prayer. Make a circle, put a chair in the middle, and invite those who have a special prayer request to come one by one and share their requests. Then gather around the person and have two or three people pray for the person’s specific need and claim God’s promises.

Divide the group in two. Have the females pray in one room (with a female leader) and the males in another room (with a male leader). Many personal needs cannot and should not be shared with everyone. It is easier to share with those of the same gender.

After you come back together, pray for needs in your community and church. Also take time for world church prayer requests (listed in a separate document in the Ten Days of Prayer materials). Don’t feel that you must rush through the entire list. You may want to divide into small groups and have each group pray for part of the list.

Pray for at least five to seven people you have been praying for during these ten days.

Choose a Bible passage and pray through it.

Close the prayer time with another session of praise and thanksgiving.

Receive Surrender Grow

How can we experience the fullness of God’s love? Read what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV).

1. First, we need to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (verse 16).
2. Next, we surrender our lives to Christ and live in a close, continual relationship with Him "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (verse 17).
3. Then our faith grows and matures through Christ and the Holy Spirit in us. We are "rooted and established in love" (verse 17).

The result? We experience the fullness of God's love. He gives us the power "together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (verse 18).

God’s Love Passes Every Test

Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. One day the younger son went to his father (who symbolizes God) and declared that he wanted to leave home and live his own life. Evidently his father’s household rules (God’s commandments) didn’t suit him. The son demanded his inheritance, which he wasn’t even entitled to at that time, so the father gave him his portion. The father gave him complete freedom because he loved him and respected his choice (just as God does with us).

Then the son journeyed to a faraway place and proceeded to spend his money on wild parties and loose women. As the money dwindled, his circle of “friends” became smaller, and eventually he had nothing left. To make matters worse, a famine hit the region where he lived. Desperate to survive, he looked for work, but the only position he found was working as a swineherd. Hunger tormented him, but he wasn’t even allowed to eat the pig feed.

As often happens during hardships, he began to consider his life. He realized all of his father’s workmen had enough to eat while he was starving, so he vowed to return to his father and say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants” (verses 18, 19).

The son started home with mixed feelings, but his father was already watching for him. Full of compassion, the father ran forward, fell on his son’s neck, and kissed him, even though the son must have been dirty and smelly. Before the son could finish his whole confession, the father called servants to bring the best clothes and prepare a feast. Clearly he loved his son just as before. In this story we hear the full story of salvation—the repentance and confession of the sinner, the Father who waits longingly, and the joyous welcome when we return. God loves us unconditionally! But we need to go to Him, just as the son went back to his father. The love of God passes every test! He will not fail to welcome you.

Only when the son returned could the father pour out all his love. Only then was the son open to receiving all that his father wanted to offer. At last nothing stood in the way of their intimate relationship, and the son could experience the complete goodness of his father, who had never stopped waiting for him.

Back to the question—how can we experience the complete fullness of God’s love? By living in full, daily surrender to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. And when God’s love fills our lives, we become channels of His love to others; the more we give, the more we receive. Ellen White says, “You need a daily baptism of the love that in the days of the apostles made them all of one accord” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 191)

And why is it so important to understand this divine love? “Paul saw that the character of Christ must be understood before men could love Him or view the cross with the eye of faith. Here must begin that study which shall be the science and the song of the redeemed through all eternity” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 273). What a joy to study the matchless, many-faceted love of our Savior! Won’t you choose today to turn your eyes on Jesus?

Praying God's Word

What is the greatest commandment?

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’. . . And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37, 39).

Father, thank You for loving me. Please help me to love You with all my heart, all my being, all my emotions, all my strength. Thank You for already answering this request according to Your will. I want to love my neighbor with Your help. Make me a channel of Your love.

How can we grasp the depths of God's love?

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:16-18, NIV).

Father, I ask that You strengthen me from the inside out through Your Holy Spirit. May Christ live in me through faith and guide me so I can be firmly rooted in His love. Since this request is according to Your will, I thank You for hearing me and answering.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: Faith Is the Victory (#608); My Faith Looks Up to Thee (#517); Be Thou My Vision (#547); To God Be the Glory (#341). Other Songs: Behold What Manner of Love; Lord, I Lift Your Name on High; I Love You, Lord.

My Journey

I was a businessman, age 36, when a friend who was a pastor suddenly passed away at age 41. This brought the question to my mind: What would happen if God called me to be a pastor? I did not want this at all. For a whole week I fought bitterly and negotiated with God—morning, noon, and night. I explained to Him how I could serve Him other ways. Apparently He was not hearing my objections, and as I knelt by my bed with no further arguments, a quiet thought entered my mind: God loves you! And I thought, Yes, I believe this.

After a few minutes, trust in God’s love led me to completely surrender myself. Then I was at peace. And one and a half years later, the Lord did call me to become a pastor. Years later, I am still so grateful to Him. It was His endless love and wisdom that showed me a completely different way than what I had in mind. Now I see that this surrender released great blessings in my life. God led me the best possible way.

Why Surrender?

As Garrie F. Williams writes, “Full surrender is the key to salvation, to rebirth, to victory over sin and temptation, and to fullness of the Holy Spirit” (How to be Filled With the Holy Spirit and Know It). We cannot emphasize this encouraging message enough.

Just as I had to surrender before God could fully use me, so the apostle Paul had to give up his old life and plans when God called him on the road to Damascus. In his letter to the Romans, Paul later urged believers to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice” and “offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness” (Romans 12:1; 6:13, NIV).

Many have not surrendered themselves to God (often out of ignorance) but instead have taken their lives into their own hands. They lack the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the gift that brings forth all of God’s other gifts. “But like every other promise, it is given on conditions. There are many who believe and profess to claim the Lord’s promise; they talk about Christ and about the Holy Spirit, yet receive no benefit. They do not surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies” (The Desire of Ages, p. 672).

As humans we resist giving up our freedom, but God’s desire for us is the opposite: “God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him” (Steps to Christ, p. 43).

A life of sin is not as free as we like to imagine. “Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is under the control of another power. He is not his own. He may talk of freedom, but he is in the most abject slavery. He is not allowed to see the beauty of truth, for his mind is under the control of Satan. While he flatters himself that he is following the dictates of his own judgment, he obeys the will of the prince of darkness. Christ came to break the shackles of sin-slavery from the soul” (The Desire of Ages, p. 466).

What do we lose by surrendering to Christ? He is able to free us from the tyranny of ourselves—from envy, resentment, quarrelsomeness, greed, addiction, anger, pride, conceit, discouragement, inferiority complexes, and more. Remember, every human being is his or her own biggest problem. You are your own biggest problem. “In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom” (The Desire of Ages, p. 466).

But a potter can only work with the clay that is in his hands. That’s why we offer ourselves to God. “The surrender of all our powers to God greatly simplifies the problem of life. It weakens and cuts short a thousand struggles with the passions of the natural heart” (My Life Today, p. 6).

Only surrender leads to lasting joy. “Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest” (The Desire of Ages, p. 331). He invites you today to experience that perfect rest!

Praying God's Word

Make us instruments of Your love.

“Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness” (Romans 6:13, NIV).

Lord, we want to give You every part of our lives. Use us as instruments for Your glory.

Make our lives an act of worship.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV).

Father, thank You so much for inviting us to become new creations. Show us how to surrender daily to You without any restrictions. Help us follow you in all things by Your strength.

Protect us from the evil one.

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him” (1 John 5:18, ESV).

Lord, thank You for promising to protect us from the evil one when we are surrendered to You. Lead us on Your path to perfect joy.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: I Surrender All (#309); Have Thine Own Way, Lord (#567); Take My Life and Let It Be (#330); Under His Wings (#529); It Is Well (#530); Just as I Am (#313).

Picture the Possibilities

Imagine that someone gives a revival sermon in your church. With a final appeal, the preacher invites listeners to accept Jesus and follow Him always. Maybe no one responds. Maybe a few. Maybe many. Since God created humans with free choice, we cannot take credit for how others respond to an invitation. Still, when many accept God’s message and put it into practice—whether because of public preaching, personal Bible studies, friendship evangelism, or divinely appointed surprises—then our witness is clearly successful. This kind of effectiveness is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We stand back—amazed—and watch God perform miracles.

But too often our Christian lives are less than effective. This doesn’t mean our church programs and outreach plans are in vain. The Lord has surely blessed—as far as possible—our sincere human efforts. But how much greater could our experience be if we received the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Only God knows the possibilities! Preacher Henry T. Blackaby writes, “He will accomplish more in six months through a people yielded to Him than we could in sixty years in our own strength and wisdom” (Blackaby, Experiencing God, p. 108, revised edition).

Praying for revival is essential, but we can’t stop there. I invite you to take the necessary steps to actually experience personal revival. With God’s blessing, your life can become more powerful and fulfilling than ever before. Your home and church can also experience new life.

What's Missing?

First, some questions: What is the center of all our problems? Is it spiritual? Could our lack of the Holy Spirit lie at the root of our lukewarm Christian experience? If the answer is yes, then why do we lack the Holy Spirit in our lives?

The Bible’s answer: “Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:2, 3). As we learned in the reading for Day 1, God invites us to continually ask for the Holy Spirit in our lives. “Why do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit, since this is the means by which we are to receive power? Why do we not talk of it, pray for it, preach concerning it?” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 22).

James also suggests that we do not receive when we “ask amiss.” Perhaps he means that God cannot bless when our minds are set on “things of the flesh.” Paul explains, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:5, 6).

What is the “carnal mind” that Paul speaks of? Actually, God’s Word describes three groups of people and their relationship to Him. Within each group are many variations depending on parental training, inherited character, self-control, age, culture, education, and so on. But despite these differences, we find just three basic groups: the “natural” or “worldly” man, the “spiritual” or “spirit-filled” man, and the “carnal” man or person “of the flesh.”

These three groups are described in 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 and 3:1-4. For now we’ll just mention natural man in passing; he lives in the world and does not yet have a relationship with God. Church members belong to the other two groups, and a quick glance at each description will help reveal where the problem is mainly hidden. The question is, which group do I belong to? A brief examination should help with self-diagnosis—keeping in mind that we want to look at our own lives, not the lives of others! What kind of person are you?

Natural: Has no relationship with God. He “does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Spiritual: Has a full, genuine relationship with God. When we are spiritual, “we have the mind [Spirit] of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Carnal: Has a feigned or divided relationship with God. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1).

Coming up on Day 5: What is the difference between a spiritual and a carnal Christian?

Praying God's Word

The Holy Spirit directs our thoughts.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5, ESV).

Father, we know that we are either under the influence of our flesh or the Holy Spirit. Please make us spiritual Christians and set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

We are no longer at the mercy of our lusts.

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16)

Lord, thank You that the Holy Spirit breaks the power of sin in our lives. Please grow the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts. We thank You for this wonderful promise

The Spirit delivers us from condemnation.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1, 2).

Father, what a blessing to know that the bondage of sin is broken when we live in the Holy Spirit. Thank You that Christ took our guilt upon Himself and freed us from sin and death.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal:Lord, I Want to Be a Christian (#319); Power in the Blood (#294); Showers of Blessing (#195); Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (#469). Other Songs: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus; Shine, Jesus, Shine.

Our Link to Heaven

Before defining spiritual and carnal Christians, we need to remember that we’re not talking about “sinners” and “non-sinners.” All people, spiritual and carnal alike, are sinners in need of a Savior. Our only righteousness comes from Him. Instead, the criterion for inclusion in one group or the other is our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. God has stipulated that we cannot sever our relationship with the Holy Spirit without damaging our connection to heaven (Matthew 12:32). Ellen White explains, “he who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him. It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart” (The Desire of Ages, p. 322).

And it’s worth repeating: the only person I should be evaluating as spiritual or carnal is myself. God can work in other hearts and doesn’t need me to pin labels on fellow church members. The good news is that if I’m disappointed by what He reveals in my heart, He can change me starting today!

The Spiritual Church Member

The spiritual person is a truly converted Christian. Although born a sinner, he is called “spiritual” because he has a living and growing relationship with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul writes, “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind [Spirit] of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:15, 16).

First, some questions: What is the center of all our problems? Is it spiritual? Could our lack of the Holy Spirit lie at the root of our lukewarm Christian experience? If the answer is yes, then why do we lack the Holy Spirit in our lives?

Jesus is the center of the spiritual person’s life and reigns in his heart and determines his priorities. The spiritual person has committed himself completely to Jesus and asks continuously for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). In the context of Laodicea, the spiritual person could be called “hot” (Revelation 3:15). In the parable of the 10 virgins, he could be called “wise” (Matthew 25:2-4). The spiritual person experiences life “more abundantly” (John 10:10) and is filled with “all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). He rejoices that he has been “saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Although the spiritual person faces setbacks and temptations, he fixes his eyes on Jesus.

The Carnal Church Member

A carnal person might have a feigned or divided relationship with God. He might be quietly indifferent to the Holy Spirit or even openly rebellious. Here’s what the apostle Paul has to say: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-4).

Here we conclude that the defining factor must be our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Carnal describes a person who lives by the flesh; that is, by normal human strength, not by the Holy Spirit. And the greatest tragedy is that he hasn’t chosen to receive eternal life (Romans 8:9).

Paul addressed the carnal people as “brethren,” which shows they were church members. He couldn’t call them “spiritual” because they weren’t sufficiently filled with the Holy Spirit. They hadn’t grown in faith as they should have. It’s possible to be a church member for many years and still be a carnal Christian. It’s possible to have biblical knowledge and still not mature spiritually. Many carnal Christians feel dissatisfaction, disappointment, or lack of purpose in their spiritual lives. Some are apathetic and say, “We’re just sinners. We can’t do anything about it.”

Other carnal Christians are enthusiastic and active, perhaps proud of their important positions in the church. Sadly, Jesus says, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22, 23). What was the problem? They had no personal relationship with Jesus and no living connection with the Holy Spirit.

If you find that you are a carnal Christian at the moment, take heart! You have the possibility of new life starting right now. Many carnal Christians are in this condition unknowingly, and you may already be praying for a deeper faith experience. Jesus desires “that your joy may be full” (John 15:11), and He invites you to rest in the solid hope of eternal life.

Praying God's Word

We are still carnal, but there is hope.

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Dear Lord, thank You for including “still” in this text, for it reminds us that we don’t have to remain in this situation. We want You to change us today. Thank You that envy, strife, and divisions are healed when we live in the Holy Spirit.

Are we asking with carnal motives?

“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2, 3, NIV).

Father, we live in spiritual poverty because we do not ask, or we ask with selfish, human motives. Please transform our prayers and guide us by the Holy Spirit.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: Amazing Grace (#108); Blessed Assurance (#462); Whiter Than Snow (#318); Redeemed (#337); The Savior is Waiting (#289). Other Songs: Change My Heart, O God; Unto Thee, O Lord; I’ve Been Redeemed.

Two Secrets for Lasting Revival

Jesus offers a solution for carnal Christians who want to become spiritual Christians. He says, “Remain joined to me, just as I also remain joined to you” (John 15:4, NIrV). In other words, “Abide in Me.” But how?

Ellen White says that abiding in Christ means—

• “a constant receiving of His Spirit” and
• “a life of unreserved surrender to His service” (The Desire of Ages, p. 676)

This two-part divine solution leads not only to revival but also to a happy Christian life. Why? Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). By taking these two steps, we experience “Christ in you,” or His presence in our everyday lives, and that means we share the hope of His glory (Colossians 1:27).

The crucial point: We daily ask for and receive by faith the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and we daily surrender everything we have and are to God. He provides the joy!

On Day 1 we talked about how important it is to ask for the Holy Spirit, and on Day 3 we studied our need for surrender. Today we’ll take another look at these two steps—with a special focus on our need to ask and surrender daily.

Why Should We Ask Daily for the Holy Spirit?

Years ago I read the story of a gangster who converted to Christ. He wholeheartedly confessed his perjury, theft, and other crimes, and as a result he experienced a tremendous divine intervention. God completely turned his life around.

This impressed me. I said to myself, I’m doing fine in most ways, but I don’t have experiences like that. So I prayed, “Lord, I also want to confess all my known sins and the sins You have yet to show me. In addition, I will get up an hour earlier each day to pray and read the Bible. I want to see if You will also intervene in my life.”

Praise God, He did intervene in my life! Not because I earned some merit by getting up early but because I daily placed myself where the Holy Spirit could reach me. If a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit was a daily necessity for Jesus on this earth, how much more do we need this power? Paul writes about the inward man “being renewed day by day,” and he prays that God’s people would be “strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (2 Corinthians 4:16 and Ephesians 3:16). And Ellen White offers this hope: “The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. For the daily baptism of the Spirit every worker should offer his petition to God” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 50). Our “inward person” needs daily care.

Why Should We Surrender Daily to Jesus?

Trying to help His disciples understand the sacrificial nature of discipleship, Jesus told them, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). To deny self means giving Jesus control over our lives each day. The apostle Paul explains it like this: “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31).

As humans we resist surrender, forgetting that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). We receive physical life at birth, but we still eat every day to maintain health. We receive spiritual life when we are born again, but we still need daily spiritual food or we will die. Just as we cannot eat our meals ahead of time, neither can we surrender to Christ for tomorrow. Ellen White writes, “However complete may have been our consecration at conversion, it will avail us nothing unless it be renewed daily” (Our Father Cares, p. 144).

How to Get Started

The best way—and only way—to daily receive the Holy Spirit and surrender to Jesus is by having daily personal worship. Unless we choose God each day, our promises and good intentions are like “ropes of sand” (Steps to Christ, p. 47). Will you commit today to sharing the best part of your day with Him? “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Praying God's Word

Remain in the best relationship there is.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me...If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:4, 7).

Lord, thank You for growing our trust when we daily surrender to You. Lead us to know the Holy Spirit better. Let Your desires be our desires.

Live in the best relationship every day.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33, NIV).

Dear Lord, teach us to put You first in everything. Show us how to begin each day with You.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: I Need Thee Every Hour (#483); Day by Day (#532); Abide With Me (#50); Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (#290); Moment by Moment (#507). Other Songs: Open Our Eyes, Lord; Seek Ye First.

Impossible Victories Become Possible

Jesus redeemed us so “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). But how do we build faith in what He has promised? How should we pray so that we are sure of being filled with the Holy Spirit? How does a revived heart lead to real-life Christian maturity?

For many years I knew about a devotional practice called “praying with promises,” but for a long time I did not practice it. When I discovered the blessings of praying God’s promises, I wanted to share with others. Several years ago I wrote a book called Steps to Personal Revival, which includes a chapter about how praying Scripture is the key to practical Christian experience. Some readers sent these testimonies:

“I never thought I would find such new knowledge about prayer—praying based on God’s promises, as you explained. In the meantime, God has given me victories in my life that I never thought possible.”

“Since I learned to pray with promises, my life has been transformed. . . . My wife has noticed a complete change in me. Also, I’m surprised at myself.”

Try It Yourself

What does it mean to pray with promises? We choose a Bible promise or command and pray those words back to God. We rely on Him to do as He promised. We allow Him to guide our prayers and speak to us through His Word. And if we feel doubt—as everyone does at times—we point to the promises and claim them as God’s personal guarantee. As we fill our hearts and prayers with Scripture, our faith is strengthened and we come to know God’s mind as never before. Ellen White writes, “To blot the promises of God from the Word would be like blotting the sun from the sky. . . . God has placed the promises in His Word to lead us to have faith in Him. In these promises He draws back the veil from eternity” (My Life Today, p. 338).

The Bible offers clear guidance for our prayers. First, we are told to make our requests in the name of Jesus: “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). God also gives a general promise that He answers prayers that are according to His will: “ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14, 15). God reveals His will in the commands and promises of the Bible, and we can rely on Him to do what He has promised. Verse 15 goes on: “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

What does that mean? When we pray for something that we know is according to God’s will, He is already answering at the same moment. We may not see visible results yet. And usually we don’t notice anything emotionally. But our prayers are answered by faith, not by our feelings. The feelings will follow later, but for now, we trust the promise.

For example, I have learned something when praying with people addicted to alcohol and nicotine. At the moment they pray for deliverance, they may not notice anything. They must receive the deliverance by faith. But perhaps a few hours later they notice they don’t have the old craving for drinking or tobacco. At this moment, they have received the practical deliverance requested in the prayer.

Ellen White also offers insights on praying with promises. “[God] is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises” (The Desire of Ages, p. 668). “Plead for the Holy Spirit. God stands back of every promise He has made. With your Bible in your hands say, I have done as Thou hast said. I present Thy promise, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’ (Matthew 7:7)” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147).

Jesus promises, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). Are you praying His promises every day? When we pray in His name and according to His will, all heaven is moved!

Praying God's Word

God is waiting to give us the Holy Spirit.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).
“But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39).
"And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32).

Father, we read that You will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask You, to those who believe in You, and to those who obey You. This is our desire. Please accomplish this in our lives, for we cannot do it ourselves. Thank You for pouring Your love into our hearts

He invites us to be filled with the Spirit.

“Be filled with the Spirit” or “let yourself be continually and repeatedly refilled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18, paraphrase).

Dear Father, teach us to ask continually and repeatedly for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We don’t want to lack the Spirit like the foolish virgins. Fill us with the wisdom found in Your Word.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: Standing on the Promises (#518); Wonderful Words of Life (#286); Give Me the Bible (#272); Great Is Thy Faithfulness (#100). Other Songs: Ancient Words; Psalm 19 Song.

Steps of Faith

Remember when Jesus performed His first miracle during the wedding at Cana? Mary, the mother of Jesus, told the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5). By saying this, Mary built the confidence of the servants in Jesus. When He asked them to fill the water jars, they did exactly as He asked. Then Jesus said, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast” (verse 8). Once again, they followed His request, even though it seemed strange—and they soon realized they had just witnessed a miracle. Take a look at the individual steps again:

• By her instructions, Mary built up the servants’ trust in Jesus.
• The servants expressed their trust and willingness by doing just what Jesus asked. In other words, they took the preparatory steps that allowed for the miracle.
• Then Jesus alone performed the miracle.

The servants did nothing to turn the water into wine—but would the miracle have happened without their preparatory steps? This is how the obedience of faith works: We choose to trust Jesus, place our will at His disposal, and take obedient steps of faith. But Jesus—and Jesus alone—performs the miracles.

How it Works

The apostle Paul explains that a mystery has been revealed in us for a definite purpose—to bring about obedience of faith (see Romans 16:25-27). What is this mystery? According to Colossians 1:27, it is “Christ in us.” And what is the result when obedience of faith is achieved in Christ? “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We have a new life through Christ living and acting in us. We are new creations!

When we have “Christ in us,” our attitude toward His commandments changes. “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). “For My yoke is easy,” Jesus said (Matthew 11:30). “I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love” because they are “better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver” and “sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:47, 72, 103). “Great peace have those who love your law” (Psalm 119:165). Obedience of faith is a pleasant thing because God, in His love, has given us only the best rules.

And while obedience matters, it never earns our salvation, and it never happens by our own goodness. Ellen White says, “He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. Man cannot be saved without obedience, but his works should not be of himself; Christ should work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Faith and Works, p. 94). Three points are worth highlighting:

• It is impossible to reach heaven by my own works. Trying to earn something from God is futile.
• However, obedience is an indispensable part of life with God, since Jesus’ followers are called to live in conformity with His will.
• Obedience should not be our own work but a miracle accomplished by Christ in us.

What Part Do We Play?

Once again, we cannot do anything to save ourselves, but God respects human free will and allows us to choose. According to Ellen White, “The Lord designs that divine power shall cooperate with human effort” (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 10). What does that mean?

• We trust. We choose to develop our trust in Jesus, who works in us “to will and to do” (Philippians 2:13). He creates in us an attitude of willingness and shows us what we need to do.
• We decide. We must choose to do God’s will. Since He completely respects our individuality and will, He will only intervene if we make the decision. He waits for it.
• We take preparatory steps. We express our decision in steps of obedience, which can be large or small.
• God alone does the crucial work of salvation.

And remember, even our part—trusting, deciding, and taking preparatory steps—is done only in God’s strength, when Jesus lives in us through the Holy Spirit. This makes obedience a joy.

Praying God's Word

Obedience allows us to fully experience God’s love.

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21).

Father, thank You for showing us how to attain the best life possible. Forgive us when we reject Your law and Your love. Lead us to trust You fully and surrender our whole hearts to You.

God is pleased when we ask for obedient hearts.

“So give your servant an obedient heart. . . . The Lord was pleased. . . . I will do according to Your words” (1 Kings 3:9, 10, 12, translated from the German Luther Version).

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: Trust and Obey (#590); Live Out Thy Life Within Me (#316); I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go (#573); He Leadeth Me (#537); O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee (#574).

Created for Good Works

Zsolt, a theology student from Austria, was discouraged. He had been invited to evangelize in Kenya, but only 30 guests showed up each night during the first week. He had hoped for many more. Frustrated, he locked himself in his room and prayed for four hours. Spreading all his despair before God, he surrendered himself with his entire being and waited. He was sure God had listened, though fears and doubts still troubled him. Then came the evening meeting: 600 people arrived! Later he had 700, then 1,000. In the end, 39 were baptized by God’s grace.

Whenever we attempt great things for God, we face a vital question: Am I working for God with my human abilities? Or is God working through me with His divine abilities?

The Bible addresses this mystery of how a strong God works through weak humans. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). This verse refers to two “works.” First, God has “created us in Christ Jesus.” This is the new life He has given us in Christ. Then God does a second work in us: the “good works” that He has already prepared for us to do. How should we live so that God can do these works through us?

• Live in the Holy Spirit: “Till they receive the Spirit, they cannot realize what God can do through them” (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 286)
• Live in full surrender to Christ: “He who will give himself fully to God will be guided by the divine hand. . . . As he treasures the lessons of divine wisdom, a sacred commission will be entrusted to him” (The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 283, 284).

By completing the tasks God has prepared for us, we grow in faith, and our spiritual and mental abilities are developed. Even our failures hold valuable lessons, for we learn that no human effort can succeed without God at the center. “The preaching of the word will be of no avail without the continual presence and aid of the Holy Spirit” (The Desire of Ages, p. 671).

Not By Might, Nor By Power

And just as preachers must be empowered by God’s Spirit, so it is with authors of spiritual materials: “If the salvation of God is with the one that writes for the paper, the same spirit will be felt by the reader. . . . But a piece written when the writer is not living wholly for the glory of God, not wholly devoted to Him, angels feel the lack in sadness. They turn away and do not impress the reader with it because God and His Spirit are not in it. The words are good, but it lacks the warm influence of the Spirit of God” (EGW Letters and Manuscripts, vol. 1, p. 532).

This principle is true for all tasks, whether ministry, teaching, leading a mission project, training a child, or anything else. “It is not the power that emanates from men that makes the work successful, it is the power of the heavenly intelligences working with the human agent that brings the work to perfection” (Christian Service, p. 260).

Even the human Jesus of Nazareth depended daily on His connection to heaven. He asked the disciples, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10). Or let’s take a look at the apostle Paul. How was one man able to carry out such unbelievably great mission work? He said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul gave up his autonomy and allowed Christ to lead his life. He explained, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God” (Romans 15:18, 19, NIV). The key is being in-Christ.

God wants to do incredible things even today. His plans go far beyond our own capabilities. Only with a constant prayer connection to Him can we carry out the task He has prepared. He invites us, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Praying God's Word

Human abilities achieve only human results.

“And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. . . . For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. . . . [God] brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs” (Acts 7:22, 25, 36).

Dear Father, lead us to surrender as Moses did after his years as a shepherd. We know You can also perform signs and wonders through us when we live by the power of the Holy Spirit. Make us willing to go where You lead. Thank You for Your divine power.

We are created in Christ for good works.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Lord, make us tools in Your hand for the salvation and blessing of our neighbors. We know the fulfillment of the gospel depends on this question: Am I working for God with my human abilities, or is God working through me with His divine abilities? Teach us that we cannot serve You on our own. Thank You for promising to work through us. Please bless the work of our hands.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: Take My Life and Let It Be (#330); Not I, But Christ (#570); Anywhere With Jesus (#508); Have Thine Own Way, Lord (#567). Other Songs: Make Me a Servant; In His Time.

What’s Next? Three Steps for a Spiritual Restart

Would you like to experience spiritual renewal together with your church family? Here’s one suggested plan that has led to spiritual awakening and hope for churches in Germany, Switzerland, England, Tajikistan, and the United States. Revival can happen anywhere, even in secular countries, when people continually surrender themselves to Jesus and ask for the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Pray about how your church or family or prayer group can experience a spiritual “restart” this year. Make a plan, seek input from others, and set a date to begin. You’ll want to adapt your ideas depending on your culture, your community, and the needs of your group.

We want to share the example of just one church in Decatur, Alabama, USA:

1. Restart

Take several weeks or months to pray intently for the Holy Spirit, along with studying Scripture and possibly a short devotional book.

In preparation for an evangelistic series, members of the Decatur church began praying together at church for 30 minutes every Sabbath morning. They shared pointers in the church bulletin to promote prayer, revival, and the work of the Holy Spirit. They also held a video seminar about the Holy Spirit on two Sabbath evenings. After the seminar, they distributed a short book about spiritual revival and asked members to read it over the next six weeks. (They chose the book Steps to Personal Revival. Other options include Steps to Christ or a Bible study guide about revival.) Later, during Ten Days of Prayer, they prayed for revival and the Holy Spirit and celebrated a Sabbath of prayer and praise.

2. Relationship Care

Begin intercessory prayer for five unreached people, then contact them and maintain a friendship in a way that is sincere and tactful. During this time you may want to study another book about prayer or revival. Consider studying in pairs for support and deeper understanding.

During this second phase, members of the Decatur church started studying the book 40 Days: Prayers and Devotions to Prepare for the Second Coming in groups of two. As a result, their joy in telling others about Jesus grew. As suggested in the book, members also started praying for five unreached people in their lives. Then they got in touch with these acquaintances or former church members and maintained the contact over time. This resulted in baptisms and blessings for both the new members and those who had prayed for them.

Think about it: if 10 church members each pray for and maintain contact with five people, that would be 50 people, and it would grow from there. At the end of the 40 days, you might invite the people you prayed for to a special visitor Sabbath. Next, invite each person to join a small group (Bible study, healthy cooking, exercise, social activities, whatever is appropriate for the person’s interests). You can also invite them to upcoming evangelistic meetings. Remember to attend the meetings with your friends and help them feel welcome.

3. Sharing

Each member can invite the people they’ve been praying for to attend evangelistic meetings, small-group Bible studies, or a one-on-one Bible study. (If some of your prayer contacts aren’t ready for Bible studies, invite them to a small group focused on an area of interest, such as exercise, healthy cooking, hobbies, or social activities.)

When the Decatur church held an evangelistic series, the members experienced revival and a deeper relationship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit worked on the hearts of invited guests, and 10 people gave their lives to Jesus through baptism (with five more joining later). The results are a testimony to the power of prayer! (Decatur story is adapted from a report by Elida Meneses in Southern Tidings.)

What Can Your Church Do?

Pray together and make a plan for your church today. “All heaven is in activity, and the angels of God are waiting to cooperate with all who will devise plans whereby souls for whom Christ died may hear the glad tidings of salvation. Angels who minister to those that shall be heirs of salvation, are saying to every true saint: ‘There is work for you to do.’ ‘Go, stand and speak . . . to the people all the words of this life’ (Acts 5:20)” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 433, 434).

God sends you out to the world with this promise: “What you are planning will neither succeed by the might of an army nor by human strength; rather, my Spirit will accomplish it! I, the Lord God Almighty, promise this” (Zechariah 4:6, translated from the German Hoffnung fuer Alle version).

Praying God's Word

The Holy Spirit will accomplish it.

“What you are planning will neither succeed by the might of an army nor by human strength; rather, my Spirit will accomplish it! I, the Lord God Almighty, promise this” (Zechariah 4:6, translated from the German Hoffnung fuer Alle version).

Dear Father, You tell us that success does not come from human effort. Please forgive us for our lack of Holy Spirit power. Revive us so we are not lukewarm like Laodicea. Awaken us for our own salvation and that of our neighbors. And thank You for the eternal joy You have promised.

More Prayer Suggestions

Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Ask God to bless the efforts of our local, regional, and world church.
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.

Song Suggestions

SDA Hymnal: Bringing in the Sheaves (#369); Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (#618); I Love to Tell the Story (#457); When We All Get to Heaven (#633). Other Songs: Pass It On; People Need the Lord; We Are His Hands.