These things that God has shown me were brought to my mind as I lay there, as it were, under the enemy Death, and I said to those around me. “I am learning my lesson, and I hope I will not have to learn it again.” The lesson was that in the education of young men we should not lead them to think that it is sermonizing that is to do the work. We say it; but let them see the results carried out. After the discourse is through, we should have time to seek God by ourselves. That used to be the way. The ministers would go away and pray together, and they would not let loose until the Spirit of God responded to their prayers. And they would come away with their faces fairly lighted up; and when they spoke to the congregation, their words meant something. They reached the hearts of the people, because the Spirit that gave the blessing to them, prepared the hearts to receive the message. There is far more being done by the universe of heaven than we have any idea of, in preparing the way so that souls will be converted. We want to work in harmony with the messengers of heaven. We want more of God; we do not want to feel that it is our talking and our sermonizing that is to do the work: we want to feel that unless the people are reached through God, they never will be reached.
(PH089 38.1)