THE DIVINE SCIENCE OF PRAYER (Choose success in your prayer life! – Choose “The Divine Science of Prayer” . “In the prayer of faith there is a divine science; it is a science that everyone who would make his lifework a success must understand.” {Education, page 257} Do you understand “The Divine Science of Prayer?” In the year 1888 a message was brought to the Seventh-day Adventist church by two young men, Jones and Wagoneer preaching “righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.” We knew we, as a church, had been called to carry God’s last warning message to a world. This message is found in Revelation 14:6-12, the three angel’s message. Angel one (verses 6-7) tells us that “The hour of God’s Judgment has come.” Angel message number two (verse 8) tells us that “Babylon” the modern churches, are “fallen.” Message number three (verses 9-11) warns us against receiving “the mark of the beast.” And tells us that those who receive this mark will receive “the wrath of God.” These three messages end in verse 12 which says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Therefore we know that those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” will not receive “the mark of the beast” or “the wrath of God.” For many years many Seventh Day Adventists emphasized the first part “keep the commandments of God” and forgot to emphasize the second part (The source of power) – “and the faith of Jesus.” Therefore God sent two men to reemphasize the importance of the second part – “the faith in Jesus.” Two years later, 1890, Ellen G. White, the most translated American author that ever lived, came out with her book “Steps to Christ” which is translated into over 150 languages and has a current circulation of over 100,000,000 copies. It was is that same year that E.G. White was asked about the connection of the teaching of Jones and Wagoneer and the three angel’s message of Revelation 14:6-12. And here is her answer. “Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, ‘It is the third angel’s message in verity.’”—The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890. The words “in verity” (in truth) are like an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence, driving the point home! Since the “third angel’s message” is “justification by faith” let’s take a look at two chapters E.G. White wrote on faith “Faith and Acceptance,” chapter six from “Steps to Christ” and “Faith and Prayer,” chapter 30 from her book “Education.” And last of all Chapter 7 from Ministry of Healing. . Some promises for you from Pastor Doug of Amazing Facts - amazingfacts.org/bible-study/gods-promises.aspx . THE DIVINE SCIENCE OF PRAYER – “A Life of All Power” prophecymadeeasy/chapter33.htm . Steps to Christ – chapter 6 – “Faith and Acceptance” (1) whiteestate.org/books/sc/sc6.html . Education – chapter 30 “Faith and Prayer” (2) whiteestate.org/books/ed/ed30.html . Ministry of Healing- chapter7 – “The Co-Working of the Divine and the Human” (3) whiteestate.org/books/mh/mh7.html . Let’s take a look at how to receive “A LIFE OF ALL POWER.” We will examine a couple of statements from the chapters “Faith and Prayer,” “The Co-Working of the Divine and the Human” and then look at the chapter “Faith and Acceptance.” Notice I have capitalized certain words – I am unaware of how to emphasize words in any other way in face book. There are certain KEY words that I have capitalized. In “The Divine Science of Prayer” we learn that God offers you wonderful GIFTS and He has gift wrapped them in His PROMISES. He has given us the ABC’s of prayer so that we can take the gift, unwrap it and possess the wonderful gifts of “forgiveness, cleansing, a new heart, His righteousness and many others gifts He wants us to receive from Him. Salvation and a new heart and life come to us as gifts but if we don’t understand “The Divine Science of Prayer” we will meet with continual failure in really knowing God. What are the ABC’s of prayer? I want you to go and read “Faith and Acceptance” below and count how many times you find the words “GIFT,” “PROMISE” or “PROMISES” and the words “ASK,” “BELIEVE,” and “CLAIM” Also go to Genesis 32:9, 12 and notice how Jacob prays claiming the promises that God made him in Genesis 28:12-15 . We’ve all heard the song, “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder.” Who or what is “Jacob’s ladder? Jesus claimed in John 1:51 to be Jacob’s ladder. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Remember “dishonest” Jacob had left home to escape his brother Esau’s hatred. He was lonely and lay down with a rock for his pillow and “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; THE LAND ON WHICH YOU LIE I WILL GIVE TO YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS. ALSO YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE AS THE DUST OF THE EARTH; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I AM WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP YOU WHEREVER YOU GO, AND WILL BRING YOU BACK TO THIS LAND; FOR I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Genesis 28:12-15. . Jesus spoke to Jacob (John 8:58) that night and promised him (1) the land on which he laid down upon would be his (and yours) and (2) that his descendants would be “as the dust of the earth,” a number too big to count. (3) He also promised him that He would be with Jacob and he promised “I will not leave you” and “I will bring you back to this land.” . . Many years latter Jacob had a big family and decided to return to his homeland just as God promises him. Upon beginning the journey back to the homeland that he had left so many years earlier, he found out that his brother Esau was still angry with him and wanted him dead and had hired 400 armed men to help him kill Jacob. What was Jacob to do? . “Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD WHO SAID TO ME, ‘RETURN TO YOUR COUNTRY AND TO YOUR FAMILY, AND I WILL DEAL WELL WITH YOU’: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. For YOU SAID, ‘I WILL SURELY TREAT YOU WELL, AND MAKE YOUR DESCENDANTS AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, WHICH CANNOT BE NUMBERED FOR MULTITUDE.’”’” Genesis 32:9-12 . He remembered the promises that Jesus had promised him so many years before and he prayed the ABC’s of Bible prayer. He put his faith in God’s promises and prayed (ASK) the promises back to God – He prayed “YOU SAID, ‘I WILL SURELY TREAT YOU WELL, AND MAKE YOUR DESCENDANTS AS THE SAND OF THE SEA, WHICH CANNOT BE NUMBERED FOR MULTITUDE.” He believed (BELIEVE) God’s promise to him Claiming the answer in God’s promise, acknowledging “I am not worthy.” That night Jesus touched him and changed his name from Jacob which means cheater to Israel, a prince of God. You and I must learn the ABC’s of Bible prayer. We must learn to pray like Jacob and we will truly “be born again.” In fact that is how you become “born again.” See “A Life of All Power,” a tract I wrote prophecymadeeasy/chapter33.htm . ’How to exercise faith should be made very plain. To every promise of God there are conditions. If we are willing to do His will, all His strength is ours. WHATEVER GIFT HE PROMISES, IS IN THE PROMISE ITSELF. The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11. As surely as the oak is in the acorn, so surely is the gift of God in His promise. IF WE RECEIVE THE PROMISE, WE HAVE THE GIFT.” {Education, page 253} . “Prayer and faith are closely allied, and they need to be studied together. IN THE PRAYER OF FAITH THERE IS A DIVINE SCIENCE; it is a science that everyone who would make his lifework a SUCCESS MUST UNDERSTAND. Christ says, What things soever ye desire, when ye PRAY, BELIEVE THAT YE RECEIVE THEM, AND YE SHALL HAVE THEM. Mark 11:24. He makes it plain that our asking must be according to Gods will; we must ask for the things that He has promised, and whatever we receive must be used in doing His will. The conditions met, the promise is unequivocal.” {Education, page 257} “For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any GIFT He has PROMISED, we may ASK; then we are to BELIEVE that we RECEIVE, and return thanks to God that we have received.” {Education, page 258} “We need look for no outward evidence of the blessing. THE GIFT IS IN THE PROMISE, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realized when we need it most.” {Education, page 258} “To live thus by the word of God means the surrender to Him of the whole life. There will be felt a continual sense of need and dependence, a drawing out of the heart after God. Prayer is a necessity; for it is the life of the soul. Family prayer, public prayer, have their place; but it is secret communion with God that sustains the soul life.” {Education, page 258} . “THE SAME POWER THAT CHRIST EXERCISED WHEN HE WALKED VISIBLY AMONG MEN IS IN HIS WORD. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons; by His word He stilled the sea and raised the dead, and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God, as He had spoken to all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ.” {Ministry of Healing, page 122} . The Scriptures are to be received as Gods word to us, not written merely, but spoken. When the afflicted ones came to Christ, He beheld not only those who asked for help, but all who throughout the ages should come to Him in like need and with like faith. When He said to the paralytic, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee; when He said to the woman of Capernaum, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, He spoke to other afflicted, sin-burdened ones who should seek His help. Matthew 9:2; Luke 8:48. {Ministry of Healing, page 122} . So with all THE PROMISES OF GODS WORD. IN THEM HE IS SPEAKING TO US INDIVIDUALLY, speaking as directly as if we could listen to His voice. It is in these promises that Christ communicates to us His grace and power. They are leaves from that tree which is for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2. Received, assimilated, they are to be the strength of the character, the inspiration and sustenance of the life. NOTHING ELSE CAN HAVE SUCH HEALING POWER. Nothing besides can impart the courage and faith which give vital energy to the whole being. {Ministry of Healing, page 122} . “He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.” {Desire of Ages, page 123} “And HOW this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the word could He resist temptation. It is written, He said. And unto us are given exceeding great and precious PROMISES: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4. EVERY PROMISE IN GODS WORD IS OURS. By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the word. All its strength is yours. Thy word, says the psalmist, have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Psalm 119:11; 17:4. {DA 123.4} CHAPTER 6 Faith and Acceptance . This chapter is from Steps to Christ, pages 49-55. . As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in bondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to escape, the more you realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him--what can you do to obtain it? . It is peace that you need--Heavens forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a GIFT, without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1. It is yours if you will but reach out your hand and grasp it. The Lord says, Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. Ezekiel 36:26. . You have confessed your sins, and in heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ASK that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart. Then BELIEVE that He does this because He has PROMISED. This is the lesson which Jesus taught while He was on earth, that the GIFT which God PROMISES us, we must BELIEVE we do receive, and it is ours. Jesus healed the people of their diseases when they had faith in His power; He helped them in the things which they could see, thus inspiring them with confidence in Him concerning things which they could not see--leading them to BELIEVE in His power to forgive sins. This He plainly stated in the healing of the man sick with palsy: That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. Matthew 9:6. So also John the evangelist says, speaking of the miracles of Christ, These are written, that ye might BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name. John 20:31. . From the simple Bible account of how Jesus healed the sick, we may learn something about how to BELIEVE in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Let us turn to the story of the paralytic at Bethesda. The poor sufferer was helpless; he had not used his limbs for thirty-eight years. Yet Jesus bade him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. The sick man might have said, Lord, if Thou wilt make me whole, I will obey Thy word. But, no, he BELIEVED Christs word, BELIEVED that he was made whole, and he made the effort at once; he willed to walk, and he did walk. He acted on the word of Christ, and God gave the power. He was made whole. . In like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God PROMISES to do all this for you through Christ. You BELIEVE that PROMISE. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you BELIEVE the PROMISE,--BELIEVE that you are forgiven and cleansed,--God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man BELIEVED that he was healed. It is so if you BELIEVE it. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, I BELIEVE it; it is so, not because I feel it, but because God has PROMISED. . Jesus says, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, BELIEVE that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24. There is a condition to this PROMISE--that we pray according to the will of God. But it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ASK for these blessings, and BELIEVE that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1. . Henceforth you are not your own; you are bought with a price. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18, 19. Through this simple act of believing God, the Holy Spirit has begotten a new life in your heart. You are as a child born into the family of God, and He loves you as He loves His Son. . Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but day by day say, I am Christs; I have given myself to Him; and ASK Him to give you His Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. The apostle says, As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Colossians 2:6. . Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can CLAIM His blessing. But they may CLAIM the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity. . Here is where thousands fail; they do not BELIEVE that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that Gods PROMISES are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die. . God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. He says, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins. Isaiah 55:7; 44:22. . I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezekiel 18:32. Satan is ready to steal away the blessed assurances of God. He desires to take every glimmer of hope and every ray of light from the soul; but you must not permit him to do this. Do not give ear to the tempter, but say, Jesus has died that I might live. He loves me, and wills not that I should perish. I have a compassionate heavenly Father; and although I have abused His love, though the blessings He has given me have been squandered, I will arise, and go to my Father, and say, I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son: make me as one of Thy hired servants. The parable tells you how the wanderer will be received: When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15:18-20. . But even this parable, tender and touching as it is, comes short of expressing the infinite compassion of the heavenly Father. The Lord declares by His prophet, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3. While the sinner is yet far from the Fathers house, wasting his substance in a strange country, the Fathers heart is yearning over him; and every longing awakened in the soul to return to God is but the tender pleading of His Spirit, wooing, entreating, drawing the wanderer to his Fathers heart of love. . With the rich PROMISES of the Bible before you, can you give place to doubt? Can you BELIEVE that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and He gave Himself in the person of Christ, that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us? He declares, Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isaiah 49:15. . Look up, you that are doubting and trembling; for Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Thank God for the GIFT of His dear Son and pray that He may not have died for you in vain. The Spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may CLAIM His blessing. . As you read the PROMISES, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity. The great heart of Infinite Love is drawn toward the sinner with boundless compassion. We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1:7. Yes, only BELIEVE that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness. . Did you count them? . How many times did you find the word “ASK?” _______ . How many times did you find the word “BELIEVE?” __________ . How many times did you find the word “CLAIM?” ___________ . How many times did you find the word “GIFT?” ___________ . How many times did you find the word “PROMISE?”_______________ . Will you ask, believe and claim God’s greatest gift to you just now, His Holy Spirit? His Spirit is in His Promises. You may ABC these promises and receive His Spirit on a daily basis. – Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:17, 18; Luke 11:5-13. You may receive the daily gift of “living power” of God’s Holy Spirit. . For more information on the 1888 General Conference meeting with Jones and Wagoneer click on this link. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1888_Minneapolis_General_Conference_(Adventist) . Some promises for you from Pastor Doug of Amazing Facts - amazingfacts.org/bible-study/gods-promises.aspx . And I remain your brother in Christ, Glen Walker – I will see you in heaven as an everlasting friend! prophecymadeeasy
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 21:19:07 +0000
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