Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Pray in the New Year!

"The praying attitude of the Church in the first days after the Ascension, when the disciples waited for the Spirit, should be the Church’s attitude still. . . . [P]rayer is the main work of a ministry. And no more mischievous and misleading theory could be propounded, nor any one more dishonoring to the Holy Spirit, than the principle . . . that because the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the Church has no need and no warrant to pray any more for the effusion [outpouring] of the Spirit of God. On the contrary, the more the Church asks for the Spirit and waits for His communication, the more she receives."
George Smeaton, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, pages 288-289.

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

No comments: