Spiritual Prescription                        GIVING IS LIVING
 
        For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.  Mark 8:35.
 
    When a person has begun a relationship with God, there springs up in his heart a spontaneous desire to share the love of God with others.  "No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus."--Steps to Christ, p. 78.
 
    The area of Christian witness is the third vital ingredient for a relationship with Christ.  We talk to Him, we listen to Him talk to us, and we go places and do things with Him--that's Christian service.  It is by working together, doing things together, traveling together, that we become better acquainted with others.  This is also true of our friendship with Christ.  As we work with Him, we enter more into sympathy with Him.  "And the effort to bless others will react in blessings upon ourselves.  This was the purpose of God in giving us a part to act in the plan of redemption."--Ibid, p. 79.
 
    In the physical world, if we eat and drink but never exercise, we will lose our power to act; similarly, the Christian who will not exercise his God-given powers not only fails to grow up in Christ but loses the strength he already has.
 
    When someone who has begun a relationship with God and found meaning for a time later finds everything going sour, in nine cases out of ten the reason is lack of involvement in outreach and service for others.
 
    God is constantly giving.  His giving is the power that keeps the universe in existence.  His watchcare and love for each of us have been unceasing.  We cannot behold Him and become like Him, unless we, too, become involved in giving to others as we receive from Him.  If we refuse to unite with Christ in service, we are in reality refusing further relationship with Him.  And the relationship that we have already had will die away or become a mere form.  As we talk of Jesus and share His love with those around us, our own love for Him will deepen, and our relationship with Him will continue to grow.

Spiritual Prescription                        WE PRAY BECAUSE WE LOVE
 
        Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?  Luke 11:5, 6.
 
    The subject of intercessory prayer can raise many questions in the minds of those who are seeking relationship with God.  What place in our Christian life does praying for others have?  What value is it?  What results from it?  The parable of the one seeking loaves at midnight gives some insights into these questions.
 
    Notice, first of all, that we have nothing to set before those in need.  We must go to some other source for our supply.  If we are to minister to others we must ourselves go to our Friend, who is the Bread of Life, to gain that which is needed to share with others.  And if we are concerned for the welfare of those around us, we will not mind the inconvenience involved in ministering to their needs.  Even though it was midnight, the one in the parable was willing to go to find the help required.  He was willing to persist in seeking until the help was granted.
 
    The question is sometimes asked, How long shall we continue praying for our loved ones?  When should we give up?  I would like to propose that this is a question that love never asks!  When we pray for those we love, we keep on praying because we cannot help praying.  When John Knox prayed "Give me Scotland, or I die," he prayed because he loved Scotland, and true love must pray.  When Moses continued to plead for Israel, even when God tried him by suggesting that He destroy them and start anew with Moses to build a nation, it was because his love for Israel was so great that he could not do otherwise.  And Moses was but an example of the love that Jesus, our Intercessor, has for each of us.
 
    Perhaps the greatest promise of this parable is the surety of God's response.  The one who prays is given "as much as he needeth."  "Never will one be told, I cannot help you.  Those who beg at midnight for loaves to feed the hungry souls will be successful."--Christ's Object Lessons, p. 148.  Prayer for others brings results!  And our own relationship with God deepens as we join Him in reaching out to the ones for whom He gave His life.

Spiritual Prescription                        PRAYING WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT
 
        Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.  Ps. 107:6.
 
    If it is true that the relationship with Jesus is the entire basis of the Christian life, and that prayer, direct communication with God, is vital to that relationship, then it stands to reason that Satan will do everything in his power to prevent us from seeking God through prayer.
 
    One of the most effective traps has always been to entice us to sin.  He causes us to fall and fail, and then tells us that it's hopeless, that there is no point in seeking God any longer.  Satan is much more interested in the use he can make of our bad behavior to cause us to break off our relationship with God, than he is in any of the bad things we do in themselves.
 
    When we really believe that there is nothing we can do of ourselves to commend ourselves to God, nothing we can do to earn or merit God's salvation, then we will continue to seek the faith relationship with God, regardless of what happens in terms of our falling and failing and sinning.  "When we feel that we have sinned and cannot pray, it is then the time to pray.  Ashamed we may be and deeply humbled, but we must pray and believe."--Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 115.
 
    There is power in prayer.  It is only through prayer and communion with God that we will ever have strength to overcome the devices of Satan.  The more we understand the importance of prayer, the more we will pray.  We have been promised that "not one sincere prayer is lost.  Amid the anthems of the celestial choir, God hears the cried of the weakest human being.  We pour out our heart's desire in our closets, we breathe a prayer as we walk by the way, and our words reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe.  They may be inaudible to any human ear, but they cannot die away into silence, nor can they be lost through the activities of business that are going on.  Nothing can drown the soul's desire.  It rises above the din of the street, above the confusion of multitude, to the heavenly courts.  It is God to whom we are speaking, and our prayer is heard."--Christ's Object Lessons, p. 174.

Spiritual Prescription                        PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
 
        And behold, a woman of Canaan...cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord.  Matt. 15:22.
 
    Jesus apparently didn't even notice the woman who was following Him.  He did not respond to her cries, and finally the disciples asked Him to get rid of her.  He told her that His help wasn't for her, and when she persisted in her request, He made reference to dogs.  But she continued to plead, and her request was granted.
 
    You see a widow, penniless, ragged, and alone.  She comes repeatedly before a judge who could relieve her distress in a moment if he would choose to do so.  But he refuses.  She comes before him again and again to urge her request.  Finally, he grants her the help she needs.
 
    Why are these stories in the Scriptures?  We are told that "perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving" (Steps to Christ, p. 97), but why?  Is God unwilling to come to our rescue?  Does He have to be talked into helping us?
 
    In both of these examples, God is revealed by contrast, not by comparison.  The Syrophoenician woman was treated by Jesus in the way that the Jews would have treated her.  He desired to awaken sympathy for her in the hearts of His disciples, although at the time the disciples were much more in sympathy with the feelings of the Jews for "outsiders," and almost missed the point.  But the woman, who saw the compassion of Jesus that He could not hide, continued to press her petitions until she was rewarded.
 
    The unjust judge is also a reverse example of how God deals with us.  God is more willing to give good gifts to us than we are to give them to our own children.  He points to the unjust judge and shows that if even an unjust man can be won over by persistence, how much more surely will He, who wants to help us from the start, respond to our cries.
 
    How do we obtain this persistence?  "It was Christ Himself who put into that mother's heart the persistence which would not be repulsed.  It was Christ who gave the pleading widow courage and determination before the judge....And the confidence which He Himself had implanted, He did not fail to reward."--Christ Object Lessons, p. 175.

Spiritual Prescription                        BELIEVING THAT GOD IS
 
        The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him, Ps. 64:10.
 
    Have you ever been afraid to admit to God that you were angry with Him? or that you didn't understand His dealings with you? or that you weren't at all sure that He was going to do for you that which you were asking Him to do?
 
    There's a big difference between having faith that God is going to answer your prayers according to your understanding, and believing in God.  "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. 11:6).  If we believe that God is, and that He will reward our seeking of Him, we have faith.  We do not have to believe that He will reward our seeking of things in the exact way that we have asked.  Faith is much more than positive thinking.  "When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers.  We are so erring and shortsighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good--that which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are."--Steps to Christ, p. 96. (Italics supplied.)
 
    Consider the prayer of Moses recorded in Exodus 5:23.  He had come at God's command to free the people of Israel from Egypt.  He had done as God had instructed in dealing with Pharaoh.  And instead of letting the people of Israel go, as Moses had expected, Pharaoh had increased their burdens.  Moses' prayers for the deliverance of the people seemed unanswered.  He went to God saying, "Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people, neither hast thou delivered thy people at all"!  Moses didn't understand God's plan--and apparently wasn't too happy with the results right then--but he still believed in God, and continued to communicate with Him, telling God how he felt.  His faith was evidenced, not because of some pious words, but by continuing to come to God, regardless of what answers he received.

Spiritual Prescription                        WAITING ON THE LORD
 
        Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thin heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.  Ps. 27:14.
 
    One of the greatest secrets that have helped some of us to a more meaningful prayer life is simply to stop being in such a hurry!  God communicates with us in two ways.  He speaks to us through His Word, but He also speaks to us through prayer.  God has a way of guiding your thoughts, of bringing ideas or convictions to your mind, if you are willing to wait before Him to give Him a chance to do this.  The sum of prayer is not to rush into His presence, say what we have on our minds, and then hurry away.  "Many, even in their seasons of devotion, fail of receiving the blessing of real communion with God.  They are in too great waste.  With hurried steps they press through the circle of Christ's loving presence, pausing perhaps a moment within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel.  They have no time to remain with the divine Teacher.  With their burdens they return to their work....Not a pause for a moment in His presence, but personal contact with Christ,...this is our need."--Education, p. 260, 261. (Italics supplied.)
 
    When you have finished talking to God about what you have read in your time of devotions, and have presented your requests and petitions, and have finished your speech, stay there.  Don't jump up and rush off to work or to class.  Stay in His presence.  Keep your mind open for the messages the Holy Spirit may be trying to bring you.  Listen.  Allow God an opportunity to bring thoughts to your mind that you may need for the day ahead.  Give Him a chance to remind you of things that you might have otherwise forgotten.  Allow Him to communicate to you directly, by giving Him a few quiet moments to get your attention focused on the things He sees that you need to consider.
 
    To try to describe this concept is sometimes a little awkward, but I believe that it happens, and that if we would stay on our knees after we have finished saying our little speeches, we would discover that God can communicate with us in two ways, much more than we often allow Him to do.  "Through sincere prayer we are brought into connection with the mind of the Infinite."--Steps to Christ, p. 97.

Spiritual Prescription                        TALKING FOR THE SAKE OF TALKING
 
        And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.  Ex. 33:11.
 
    Think for a few minutes today about one on your close friends whose companionship you enjoy, and with whom you are able to visit on a regular basis.  How long has it been since you talked to this person for as much as ten minutes at a stretch, without asking them to give you anything or to do anything for you?  What did you talk about?  Most people would probably have little trouble talking to one of their best friends for long periods of time without asking for anything.
 
    But how about God?  How long has it been since you talked to Him for ten minutes and neither asked Him to give you anything nor asked Him to do anything for you?
 
    If the primary purpose of the Christian life is for relationship with God, then the primary purpose of prayer is for communication.  Yet how many Christians consider prayer as primarily a medium through which to get things--primarily for the purpose of getting answers.  In fact, there are some who have wondered whether or not they received the answers they were seeking.
 
    We understand in our human relationships that the primary purpose for our talking is not to get something from the other person, but rather just talking for the sake of talking--talking because we enjoy the other person's company.
 
    While those who are close to us are often willing to do many things for us, and while we certainly hope that if we were to offend one of our earthly friends and ask forgiveness, they would grant it, yet seeking these services from them is never the basis of any really lasting relationship.  But how often in our attempts to communicate with God we limit our communication to requests for His help, and miss the blessing of talking to Him just for the joy of talking to One who loves and understands us and is interested in whatever we are anxious to share.
 
    If your communication with God has been primarily on a "give me or forgive me" basis, try setting aside ten minutes today to talk to Him without asking Him for anything at all.  You may discover a whole new dimension to praying that you have missed before.

Spiritual Prescription                        GOD ANSWERS SINNERS' PRAYERS
 
        And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  Luke 18:13.
 
    In Luke 18:13, the publican says, "God be merciful to ma a sinner."  But in John 9:31, in the story of the man who was blind from birth, we read, "God heareth not sinners."  And Plasm 66:18 says that if we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us.
 
    Suppose you happen to be one who is regarding iniquity in your heart.  How are you going to get rid of that iniquity?  Any ideas?  You can't do it by yourself.  The only way that anyone can get rid of iniquity is by coming to God, through prayer.  If He won't hear me until I get rid of the iniquity, but I can't get rid of the iniquity without His help, then I'm stuck!  Have you ever pondered this?
 
    What was the context of "God heareth not sinners"?  It was a healing--the performing of a miracle.
 
    If I am regarding iniquity in my heart, the Lord may not hear me for special prayers for healing or miracles or all kinds of other special blessings.  But He would have to be willing to hear me for my prayers to find power to stop regarding iniquity in my heart, wouldn't He?  He'd have to hear me on that.  At least that!  Yet there are people who feel that their prayers aren't going any higher than their heads because they feel that they aren't perfect yet, that they are still falling and failing.
 
    Read the story about the man with leprosy who was cleansed.  It shows that God always hears sinners when sinners cry out to Him for deliverance and forgiveness from sin.  It may not always be God's will to do some things we ask, but it is always God's will to "cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life" (The Desire of Ages, p. 266).
 
    Don't let the devil keep you away from the prayer-communion with God because of your faults and failings.  Any sinner, regardless of how far he has wandered from God--whether he is near to the Father's house or still in the pigpen--is offered help.  Whoever cries out to God for forgiveness and for the power of God to deal with the iniquity that he has been regarding in his heart is always going to be heard.

Spiritual Prescription                        THE PRAYER OF HUMILITY
 
        Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.  James 4:10.
 
    Anybody knows that in order to get acquainted or stay acquainted with someone else, you have to talk to that person.  That's what prayer is all about.  If the entire basis of the Christian life is a relationship, then prayer is an absolute necessity.  There is no substitute, there is no alternative.  For a blind man, there might have to be some alternative to reading the Bible--but there is no alternative to prayer.
 
    How can this communication with God through prayer become meaningful?  We are told that "nothing is more essential to communion with God than the most profound humility" (Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 50).  Consider the story of the Pharisee and the publican, recorded in Luke 18:11: "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men..."  And he went on to list his good behavior.  Now in what sense was he not like other men?  Externally or internally?  It would have to be outward actions he was referring to.  But the publican, "standing afar off, would not life up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."  And the publican went down to his house justified, rather than the other.
 
    The Pharisee could, by his own strong willpower, make his outward life correct.  But his heart remained unchanged.  It is only those who, with the publican, recognize their inability to do anything toward making themselves right with God, except to come to Him and admit their desperate need of His grace, that are justified.
 
    It is more than just a matter of saying the right words.  "The lips may express a poverty of soul that the heart does not acknowledge.  While speaking to God of poverty of spirit, the heart may be swelling with the conceit of its own superior humility and exalted righteousness.  In one way only can a true knowledge of self be obtained.  We must behold Christ.  It is ignorance of Him that makes men so uplifted in their own righteousness."--Christ's Object Lessons, p. 158.  If we desire communion with God, we can contemplate Christ and invite His Spirit to bring us to that humility essential for communion with Him.

Spiritual Prescription                        DON’T GIVE UP
 
        I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 3:14.
 
    Sam was a college student.  He had worked for quite a while to save enough money to be able to go to school.  At first he had been so excited about finally being able to start preparation for his lifework that his studies had come easily.  But as the weeks went by, it seemed that the teachers piled on more and more work.  He became involved in more social activities.  He started cutting down on his sleep to keep up, and one evening a terrible thing happened.
 
    He was trying to study for a quiz the next day when he began to grow sleepy.  He yawned, stretched, and finally arose from his desk and splashed cold water on his face in order to stay awake.  He started the chapter over again.  But the next thing he knew he was remembering how delighted a certain friend of his from the opposite side of campus had seemed when she accepted his invitation to the weekend program.
 
    Sam was horrified.  How could he benefit from studying when his mind wandered or when he was half asleep?  He had wanted to become a lawyer.  But what could he do?  Sadly he checked out of school and returned home.
 
    "We thought you were going to college," everyone said when they saw him back at his old job.
 
    "Well, I tried it," Sam replied.  "But my studies weren't interesting to me.  I would get sleepy, and my mind wandered when I tried to study.  Since I wasn't getting anything out of it anyway, I quit and came back home."
 
    What happens when you are reading the Bible and your mind begins to wander or you get sleepy?  Do you do as Sam did, and quit?  Do you put the Bible back on the shelf for another six months?  Or do you do as Sam should have done, and kept at it?
 
    Probably very few people have actually quit school because their minds wandered when they tried to study.  And yet many have quit trying to have a relationship with God on that basis.  It doesn't make sense, does it?  We should be willing to put at least as much effort into something that has to do with all eternity as we are into those things that have to do only with our three-score years and ten.