Prayer

granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we
follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.
There are few who rightly appreciate or improve the precious privilege of prayer.
We should go to Jesus and tell Him all our needs. We may bring Him our little cares
and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress
us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. When we feel that we need the presence
of Christ at every step, Satan will have little opportunity to intrude his temptations. It
is his studied effort to keep us away from our best and most sympathizing friend. We
should make no one our confidant but Jesus. We can safely commune with Him of all
that is in our hearts.—(Testimonies for the Church 5:200, 201.)
More prayer needed as the end approaches—Confederacies will increase in
number and power as we draw nearer to the end of time. These confederacies will
create opposing influences to the truth, forming new parties of professed believers
who will act out their own delusive theories. The apostasy will increase. “Some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”
(1 Timothy 4:1). Men and women have confederated to oppose the Lord God of
heaven, and the church is only half awake to the situation. There needs to be much
more of prayer, much more of earnest effort, among professed believers.—(Selected
Messages 2:383.)
If there was ever a time when we should watch and pray in real earnest, it is
now. There may be supposable things that appear as good things, and yet they need
to be carefully considered with much prayer, for they are specious devices of the
enemy to lead souls in a path which lies so close to the path of truth that it will
be scarcely distinguishable from the path which leads to holiness and heaven. But
the eye of faith may discern that it is diverging from the right path, though almost
imperceptibly. At first it may be thought positively right, but after a while it is seen
to be widely divergent from the path of safety, from the path which leads to holiness
and heaven.—(Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 229.)
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