UGWUNKWO DISTRICT PRAYER RETREAT

THEME: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD AMOS 4:12

THEME SONG: SDAH 601

Morning Devotion 1: The Mind Renewed

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2. YRP 50.1

The part man has to act in the salvation of the soul is to believe on Jesus Christ as a perfect
Redeemer, not for some other man, but for his own self. He is to trust, to love, to fear the God of
heaven. There is a certain work to be accomplished. Man must be delivered from the power of sin.
He must be made perfect in every good work. In doing the words of Christ is his only assurance
that his house is built upon the solid foundation. To hear, to say, to preach, and not to do the words
of Christ is building upon the sand. YRP 50.2

Those who do the words of Christ will perfect a Christian character, because Christ's will is their
will. Thus is Christ formed within, the hope of glory. They are beholding, as in a glass, the glory of
God. By our making Christ the subject of meditation, He will become the subject of conversation;
and by beholding, we will actually be changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even by
the Spirit of the Lord. Man, fallen man, may be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that he
can "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." How does he prove this?
By the Holy Spirit taking possession of his mind, spirit, heart, and character. Where does the
proving come in? "We are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men" (1 Corinthians
4:9). YRP 50.3

A real work is wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the human character, and its fruits are seen; just as
a good tree will bear good fruit, so will the tree that is actually planted in the Lord's garden produce
good fruit unto eternal life. Besetting sins are overcome; evil thoughts are not allowed in the mind;
evil habits are purged from the soul temple. The tendencies, which have been biased in a wrong
direction, are turned in a right direction. Wrong dispositions and feelings are rooted out. Holy
tempers and sanctified emotions are now the fruit borne upon the Christian tree. An entire
transformation has taken place. This is the work to be wrought. - Elder E. P. Daniels and the Fresno
Church, 8, 9. YRP 50.4
 UGWUNKWO DISTRICT PRAYER RETREAT
THEME: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD AMOS 4:12
THEME SONG: SDAH 601

Sunday Evening: Devotion Self Crucified

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20. YRP 51.1

Candidly and seriously we are to consider the question, Have we humbled ourselves before God,
that the Holy Spirit may work through us with transforming power? As children of God, it is our
privilege to be worked by His Spirit. When self is crucified, the Holy Spirit takes the brokenhearted
ones, and makes them vessels unto honor. They are in His hands as clay in the hands of the potter.
Jesus Christ will make such men and women superior in mental, physical, and moral power. The
graces of the Spirit will give solidity to the character. They will exert an influence for good because
Christ is abiding in the soul. YRP 51.2

Unless this converting power shall go through our churches, unless the revival of the Spirit of God
shall come, all their profession will never make the members of the church Christians. There are
sinners in Zion who need to repent of sins that have been cherished as precious treasures. Until
these sins are seen, and thrust from the soul, until every faulty, unlovely trait of character is
transformed by the Spirit's influence, God cannot manifest Himself in power. There is more hope
for the open sinner than for the professedly righteous who are not pure, holy, and undefiled.... YRP
51.3

Who is willing to take himself in hand? Who is willing to lay his finger upon his cherished idols of
sin, and allow Christ to purify the temple by casting out the buyers and sellers? Who is prepared to
allow Jesus to enter the soul and cleanse it from everything that tarnishes or corrupts? The standard
is "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). God
calls upon men and women to empty their hearts of self. Then His Spirit can find unobstructed
entrance. Stop trying to do the work yourself. Ask God to work in and through you until the words
of the apostle become yours, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." - Manuscript Releases
1:366, 367. YRP 51.4
 UGWUNKWO DISTRICT PRAYER RETREAT
THEME: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD AMOS 4:12
THEME SONG: SDAH 601

Monday Morning Devotion: Thoughts Transformed

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8. YRP
52.1

We have each of us an individual work to do, to gird up the loins of our minds, to be sober, to
watch unto prayer. The mind must be firmly controlled to dwell upon subjects that will strengthen
the moral powers. The youth should begin early to cultivate correct habits of thought. We should
discipline the mind to think in a healthful channel, and not permit it to dwell upon things that are
evil. The psalmist exclaims, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). YRP 52.2

As God works upon the heart by His Holy Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts must
be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only
weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean,
if the words of the mouth are to be words acceptable to heaven, and helpful to your associates.
Christ said to the Pharisees, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the
heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the
day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned" (Matthew 12:34 - 37). YRP 52.3

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ presented before His disciples the far - reaching principles of
the law of God. He taught His hearers that the law was transgressed by the thoughts before the evil
desire was carried out in actual commission. We are under obligation to control our thoughts, and to
bring them into subjection to the law of God. - The Review and Herald, June 12, 1888. YRP 52.4
 UGWUNKWO DISTRICT PRAYER RETREAT
THEME: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD AMOS 4:12
THEME SONG: SDAH 601

Monday Evening Devotion: Pride Is Broken, February 16

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man
the measure of faith. Romans 12:3. YRP 55.1

The acceptance of truth is one of God's means of sanctification. The more clearly we understand the
truth that He sends to us, and the more faithfully we obey it, the more humble shall we be in our
own estimation, and the more exalted shall we be in the estimation of the heavenly universe. The
more unselfish our efforts for God, the more Christlike will be their influence, and the greater will
be the good they will accomplish. YRP 55.2

There is a wide difference between the spirit of the world and the spirit of Christ. One leads to self -
seeking, to striving for treasures that will be destroyed by the fires of the last day; the other leads to
self - denial and self - sacrifice, to striving for the treasures that never perish. YRP 55.3

The Holy Spirit, received by faith, breaks stubborn hearts. This is the soul and power of the
sanctification of the truth, the source of the faith that works by love and purifies the heart. All true
exaltation grows out of the humiliation developed in the life of Christ, shown by the wonderful
sacrifice that He made to save perishing souls. He who is exalted by God must first humble himself.
God has exalted Christ above every name that is named. But Christ first reached to the very depths
of human woe, weaving Himself into the sympathies of the race by His meekness and gentleness.
He has set an example that all who engage in His service are to follow. YRP 55.4

"Learn of me," said the greatest Teacher that the world has ever known. "Learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29). It is not enough
for us to read the Word of God. The Scriptures are given for our instruction, and we are to search
them carefully and diligently. We are to study the Word of God, comparing one portion with
another. Scripture is the key that unlocks scripture. As we read and study and pray, there is beside
us a divine Teacher, the Holy Spirit, enlightening our understanding, that we may comprehend the
great truths of God's Word. - Pacific Union Recorder, February 23, 1905. YRP 55.5

UGWUNKWO DISTRICT PRAYER RETREAT

THEME: PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD AMOS 4:12
THEME SONG: SDAH 601

Tuesday Morning Devotion: Temper Is Subdued

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good
conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. James 3:13. YRP 54.1

Meekness in the school of Christ is one of the marked fruits of the Spirit. It is a grace wrought by
the Holy Spirit as a sanctifier, and enables its possessor at all times to control a rash and impetuous
temper. When the grace of meekness is cherished by those who are naturally sour or hasty in
disposition, they will put forth the most earnest efforts to subdue their unhappy temper. Every day
they will gain self - control, until that which is unlovely and unlike Jesus is conquered. They
become assimilated to the divine Pattern, until they can obey the inspired injunction, "Be swift to
hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). YRP 54.2

When a man professes to be sanctified, and yet in words and works may be represented by the
impure fountain sending forth its bitter waters, we may safely say, that man is deceived. He needs
to learn the very alphabet of what constitutes the life of a Christian. Some who profess to be
servants to Christ have so long cherished the demon of unkindness that they seem to love the
unhallowed element, and to take pleasure in speaking words that displease and irritate. These men
must be converted, before Christ will acknowledge them as His children. YRP 54.3

Meekness is the inward adorning, which God estimates as of great price. The apostle speaks of this
as more excellent and valuable than gold, or pearls, or costly array. While the outward adorning
beautifies only the mortal body, the ornament of meekness adorns the soul, and connects finite man
with the infinite God. This is the ornament of God's own choice. He who garnished the heavens
with the orbs of light has by the same Spirit promised that He will "beautify the meek with
salvation" (Psalm 149:4). Angels of heaven will register as best adorned, those who put on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and walk with Him in meekness and lowliness of mind. - The Review and Herald,
January 18, 1881. YRP 54.4