Divine assistance

“ If a person is in trouble, or in want, he should seek unto the Lord by prayer, and obtain from Him aid, assistance, and light, and by that Divine Spirit he may overcome his weakness, break through the cloud of darkness, and walk in the light of the Lord. ”

“ First, if we wish to take real care of our own spiritual and temporal interests, we should, above all, take to heart the interests of God and procure by charity the temporal welfare of our neighbor. Secondly, if we wish to obtain favors readily from God we should practice the mandate of our Lord, Date, et dabitur vobis. Give and it shall be given to you. In the third advice he impresses forcibly upon them the truth that almsgiving is not a counsel to be dispensed with if one pleases, but a rigorous precept included in the commandments of our Divine Saviour. ”

“ With all our need of men and means to carry on the work which the Lord has entrusted to this agency, we recognize still more our constant need of that Divine help which alone can never fail us. Dear fellow-workers in this special field, let the spirit and the practice of this week of prayer go with us through the year. Let those who manage, those who do the detail work, and those who furnish the supplies, all pray for themselves, each other and the work. We shall work better if we pray. ”

“ Faith provides the atmosphere through which alone the divine aid can be manifested, and the divine aid is sent through and by means of our friends and helpers and counsellors in the unseen world. It is man's business, his chief business, now and here, to co-operate with God in the carrying out of His plans and purposes. It was this literal and practical faith in divine aid that the Franciscan Fathers taught in the wilderness through all hardship and disaster. ”

“ I hope that God who is often satisfied with our good will and who permitted this event, will inspire some good ecclesiastics with the desire of going to the aid of these poor souls who so well deserve assistance. ”

“ I reply, assistance is of two kinds; it is either affording us proper means, such as the holy scriptures, the ministry of the word, ordinances of religion, and precious promises by way of encouragement;—or, it is actually to influence the mind by supernatural agency. If this latter assistance be afforded, the event is secured; for nothing is requisite to secure the volitions, and all the exercises of the will, in faith, repentance, love, hope, and even perseverance therein unto the end, but this kind of influence to a certain degree. ”

“ The grace of the Father, the mercy of the Son, and the hovering of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person, be our help every day. Our help is in Thee. In Thee, our true Physician, is our hope. Put the medicine of Thy mercy on our wounds, and bind up our bruises that we be not lost. Without Thy help we are powerless to keep Thy commandments. ”

“ The grace of assistance is called actual and transient, because it acts transiently upon the soul, whereas the grace of sanctification or justification remains habitually in the soul, beautifies it, and makes it holy and just in the eyes of God. ”

“ The valuable characteristic of this work will be recognised by every serious, thoughtful Christian, in a word, by all who perceive and lament the growing tendency to prefer the claims of external service, ecclesiastical controversy, or multiplied activities to the practice of private devotion. ‘Aids to Prayer’ offers both encouragement and help to those who aspire to higher attainments in the Divine Life. ”

“ You have every help that can animate your endeavours:—You have written laws to direct you—the example of Christ and his disciples to encourage you—the most awakening motives to engage you—and you have, besides, the comfortable promise of constant assistance from the Holy Spirit, if you diligently and sincerely pray for it. ”

“ Think, moreover, of the great advantage of this service; for by it we gain the mastery over self, superiority over Satan, and become the sons of God.
Secondly, you must have a lively faith and trust in God, that He will give you all things which you need for His service, and for your own good.
This holy confidence is a vessel into which Divine Mercy pours the treasures of His grace; and the larger and more capacious it is, the more richly laden will our prayers return into our bosom. ”

“ With solicitude, as is the duty of our pastoral office, for the health of the Lord's flock entrusted by divine arrangement to our unworthy care, we willingly invite the faithful of that flock, all and singular, to visit churches and perform pious and meritorious works, in order that with the aid of divine grace, through spiritual largesses, indulgences (namely) , and the pardoning of sins, they may the more easily reach the joys of everlasting happiness. ”

“ By interpreting God as a corporeal Saviour but not as the saving Principle, or divine Love, we shall continue Salvation is through reform to seek salvation through pardon and not through reform, and resort to matter instead of Spirit for the cure of the sick. ”

“ It is the duty, it is the privilege of the minister of Christ to speak comfort to those who require comfort.”
“Can you tell me,” cried Mark, with a great effort, “the way for sinners—to be saved?”
“The Saviour is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Gate by which alone we enter into salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The just shall live by faith.” ”

“ Of divine providence, therefore, every man can be saved, and those are saved who acknowledge God and live rightly. It is plain from what has been demonstrated above that every human being can be saved. ”

“ And the meaning is that, as out of heathenism God raised up that marvelous man as an instrument to accomplish his purposes in the deliverance of his people, so there is such fullness of resources in the reach of divine power that in any emergency or peril he is able to find, anywhere, means to rescue his followers or his Church out of danger. ”

“ In attending to ordinary business and daily needs, we should not allow ourselves to be transported by eagerness and anxiety, but take reasonable and moderate care----and then leave everything completely and entirely to the disposal and guidance of Divine Providence, giving it scope to arrange matters for its own ends, and to manifest to us God's Will. ”

“ That God would still give them power to work miracles for the confirmation of the doctrine they preached, which, by the cure of the lame man, they found to contribute very much to their success, and would contribute abundantly to their further progress: Lord, grant us boldness, by stretching forth thy hand to heal. Note, Nothing emboldens faithful ministers more in their work than the tokens of God's presence with them, and a divine power going along with them. They pray, [1.] That God would stretch forth his hand to heal both the bodies and souls of men ”

“ If, however, we can conscientiously say that duty—not inclination, not pleasure, not business—detains us here, are we labouring in prayer for these helpless ones as we might do? Are we using our influence and means as largely as they might be to help forward their salvation? In short, are we seeking first, for ourselves and for them, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, leaving to God to add other blessings? ”

“ And if we seek and secure his help, we shall not only be able to do all that God requires, but we shall find comfort in doing it. The work of the Spirit is to give help and comfort to those who are trying to serve the blessed Saviour. ”

“ We ask thee to help us so to conduct ourselves, that all the holy Prophets, the angels of Heaven, with thee and thy Son, may be engaged continually for our welfare, in the work of salvation and eternal lives. ”

“ By this compassionate restoration of the vital powers He proclaimed Himself the Father’s Delegate, commissioned to express the Divine compassion and to exercise the Divine power to communicate life. This was meant to be an easy lesson by which men might learn that God is full of compassion, ceaselessly working for the good of men; that He is present among us seeking to repair the mischief resulting from sin, and to apply to our needs the fulness of His own life, and that Jesus Christ is the medium through whom He makes Himself accessible to us and available for us. ”

“ I only ask God, my Father, in the name of Jesus, to help me to live my religion, and to give me ability to save my fellow-beings from the corruptions of the world, to fill them with the peace of God, and to prepare them for a better kingdom than this. ”

“ That is the simple principle on which the value of all external aids to devotion depends. They may be helps towards the appreciation of divine truth, and to the suffusing of the heart with devout emotions which may lead to building up a holy character. ”

“ They shall go, and cry to the gods to whom they now offer incense, and put them in mind of the costly services wherewith they had honoured them, expecting they should now have relief from them, but in vain. They shall be sent to the gods whom they served ( Judg. x. 14; Deut. xxxii. 37, 38) , and what the better? They shall not save them at all, shall do nothing towards their salvation, nor give them any prospect of it; they shall not afford them the least comfort, nor relief, nor mitigation of their trouble. It is God only that is a friend at need, a present powerful help in time of trouble. ”

“ Error came in when a man founded a Divine service the sole object of which was to obtain prayers for himself; it was mitigated by the association of family, benefactors, and friends, and the usual addition of all faithful souls. ”

“ Behold the goodness, the long-suffering, the kindness, and the strong parental feeling of our Father and God in preparing the way and providing the means to save the children of men,—not alone the Latter-day Saints—not those alone who have the privilege of the first principles of the celestial law, but to save all. ”

“ The reason why the subject of aid and assistance hath time and again streamed and will continue to stream from the Pen of Providence is to warn the friends of God lest they engage in activities that would give rise to strife and turmoil. It is incumbent upon them, one and all, to diligently seek ways to help the Cause of God in such manner as We have explained. ”

“ O God, who dispensest the services of angels and men in a wonderful order, favourably grant that our life may be protected on earth by those who always do thee service in heaven. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. ”

“ The legends of the Fourteen Holy Helpers are replete with the most glorious examples of heroic firmness and invincible courage in the profession of the Faith, which ought to incite us to imitate their fidelity in the performance of the Christian and social duties. If they, with the aid of God's grace, achieved such victories, why should not we, by the same aid, be able to accomplish the little desired of us? God rewarded His victorious champions with eternal bliss; the same crown is prepared for us, if we but render ourselves worthy of it. ”

“ O GOD, whose mercies are infinite and whose goodness is without limit, I beseech Thee through the merits and intercession of the Holy Helpers, grant me the grace of perseverance in Thy love and service to the end. Thou, who dost dispense so many favors through the Holy Helpers, despise not my prayer, but graciously hear and grant it. ”

“ In contrast to this darkness, consider the priceless and to-be-cherished blessing of knowing with certainty wherein the heart is to take comfort, how to seek help in distress and how to conduct one's self in one's own station. If, though provided with spiritual riches on all sides, you are not sufficient of yourself at all times to grasp them, you can, nevertheless, always reach and appropriate them by means of the ordinary ministry and office of the Church, yes, by the aid of your fellow-Christians. ”

“ May His Spirit and His grace sustain us in the discharge of every duty, in the developing of every divine institution and in maintaining every correct principle, and in promoting peace and righteousness upon the earth, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. ”

“ You may be surprised at my words, and say in your hearts almost angrily, ‘Why who saves our souls but God? therefore religion must have to do with God.’ But, my friends, for your souls’ sake, and for God’s sake, ask yourselves this question on your knees this day:—If you could get your souls saved without God’s help, would it make much difference to you? ”

“ Because the needs of mankind on earth are various, the faithful selected certain saints as intercessors in certain cases of distress, and obtained relief; hence these saints came to be regarded as special patrons in such trials, and were called Holy Helpers. ”

“ Salvation and life everlasting are before us; it is our business to secure them in the kingdom of our God, and to prepare for the restoration of the inhabitants of the earth who have slept without the Gospel. ”

“ In that Divine fellowship we shall be able to pray for the true health and recovery of our sick people. ‘The prayer of faith shall save the sick,’ for faith implies a whole-hearted acceptance of the Will of God195 for the uncertain future. This gives a man the tranquillity of soul which is no less needed for prayer than for action. ”

“ He has mercy upon them, he bears with them, he pleads with them by his Spirit, and occasionally sends his angels to administer to them. Marvel not, then, that I pray for every soul that can be saved. Are they yet upon saving ground? Many of them can yet be saved, if they will turn to the Lord. ”

“ To the first class belong those cases in which a person needs divine help at the present moment or at least at a time definitely near, and seeks it through prayer. Such a petition would be, for instance, to obtain the necessary and effective aid of divine grace for overcoming an existing transient temptation, or the conversion of a certain sinner approaching death. To the second class belongs the avoidance of temporal evils, or of continuous temptations, or the conversion of a certain sinner now in good health. ”