Chapter 23—Obedience and Faith a Condition of Prayer
BIBLE GEM
CWG 58.1
QUESTION
CWG 58.2
ANSWER
Must feel our need: “There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers. One of the first of these is that we feel our need of help from Him.”—Steps to Christ, 95CWG 58.3
Wholehearted consecration required: “All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command.... Through cooperation with Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they are enabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence.”—The Desire of Ages, 827CWG 58.4
Obedience necessary: “Prayer can never take the place of duty.... Those who bring their petitions to God, claiming His promise while they do not comply with the conditions, insult Jehovah. They bring the name of Christ as their authority for the fulfillment of the promise, but they do not those things that would show faith in Christ and love for Him.”—Christ's Object Lessons, 143CWG 58.5
“As the giver of every blessing, God claims a certain portion of all we possess.... But if we withhold from Him that which is His own, how can we claim His blessing? If we are unfaithful stewards of earthly things, how can we expect Him to trust us with the things of heaven? It may be that here is the secret of unanswered prayer.”—Christ's Object Lessons, 144CWG 58.6
“If we render to Him only a partial, halfhearted obedience, His promises will not be fulfilled to us.”—The Ministry of Healing, 227CWG 59.1
Faith another condition: “Another element of prevailing prayer is faith.... Do we take Him at His word?”—Steps to Christ, 96CWG 59.2
“We are too faithless. Oh how I wish that I could lead our people to have faith in God! They need not feel that in order to exercise faith they must be wrought up into a high sate of excitement. All they have to do is to believe God's Word, just as they believe one another's word. He hath said it, and He will perform His Word. Calmly rely on His promise, because He means all that He says. Say, He has spoken to me in His Word, and He will fulfill every promise that He has made.... Act as if your heavenly Father could be trusted.”—Selected Messages 1:83, 84CWG 59.3
SUMMARY AND PRAYER THOUGHT
CWG 59.4
CWG 59.5
CWG 59.6
CWG 59.7