H.M.S. Richards on Ellen White and Her Prayers

I had to post these quotes written by H.M.S.Richards about Ellen White. An Elder shared them with me last Friday, after I preached for vespers about prayer. I found the quotes really powerful and inspiring. 

"You can give me a lot of proof of the Spirit of Prophecy, and I accept and believe it. But if I didn't have one of those proofs, I would believe in her [Ellen White] because I heard her pray. That, to me, was the greatest proof of her prophetic office. Within thirty seconds after she began to pray, we were all in the presence of God. I was afraid to look up, lest I should see God standing there by her side. She was talking with Him, and she was completely oblivious of others around her. Within a minute you could hear sobs all over the building. That great congregation was in tears. There was one mind, one conviction of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the Holy Fire, the Spirit of God, as she prayed.

I'll tell you, my friends, it made many changes in lives. People were surprised by the power and presence of God. They have never expected that. They came to see a prophet, something strange - but God took hold of them. They were weeping and crying out. Talk about psychology if you want, there wasn't any of that there. She was quiet until she started to pray, and then, just like that, it was there - a tongue of fire. She had it when she prayed. I was there, and I know. When she got up, she was just a dear old lady again." H.M.S. Richards, Feed My Sheep, 407 *

I want to have that power! And I know that God can give it to us, if we ask for it! Let's all press forward and ask the Lord to give us that tongue of fire. Because it is then that we will be able to finish the work! We need the Holy Spirit more than ever! And God is ready to give it to us if we ask Him to.

 "There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour His Spirit upon a languishing church and an impenitent congregation." Messengers to young people, p.133

May we all seek Him with all our hearts and may our lives be a testimony of the transforming power of the Almighty One!

*For those who want to read the book, you can find it here: Feed My Sheep.