Jehovah Imparts Power
1 As Jehovah’s people, we have been given the assignment to preach the good news while maintaining our conduct “fine among the nations.” (1 Pet. 2:12; Matt. 24:14) In view of the critical times as well as our own weaknesses and shortcomings, we could never accomplish this work on our own. (2 Tim. 3:1-5) How happy we are that we can look to Jehovah for help!
2 The apostle Paul endured many trials. (2 Cor. 11:23-27) How was he able to cope with these and finish his assigned work? Jehovah granted him “power beyond what is normal.” (2 Cor. 4:7) Paul acknowledged such divine help when he wrote: “For all things I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.” (Phil. 4:13) Jehovah will help us in the same way. How can we obtain this assistance?
3 By Praying Incessantly: Jesus urged us to ‘keep on asking, seeking, and knocking,’ and not to give up. (Luke 11:5-10) Our persistence in prayer demonstrates to Jehovah the depth of our concern, the intensity of our desire, and the genuineness of our motive. (Ps. 55:17; 88:1, 13; Rom. 1:9-11) Paul recognized the importance of persistence in prayer when he urged us to “pray incessantly.” (1 Thess. 5:17) Prayer is one of the primary ways in which we obtain Jehovah’s help.
4 By Following Theocratic Direction: “Theocracy” means “rule by God,” who is love. We benefit from his rule by accepting his authority and following his instructions in large and small decisions. “The faithful and discreet slave” represents theocratic rule on this earth. (Matt. 24:45-47) Cooperation with the organization that the “slave” uses is vital if we are to obtain Jehovah’s blessing. (Compare Hebrews 13:17.) Jehovah will reward our loyalty to him and our willingness to obey his laws by supplying the power we need at the appropriate time.—Heb. 4:16.
5 By Keeping Close to Our Brothers: Love is the identifying mark of Jesus’ disciples. (John 13:34, 35) With a wide variety of personalities, friction can arise among us because of personal differences. We need to be tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another. (Eph. 4:32) This makes it possible to remain close to our brothers in the faith and to be encouraged by their steadfast endurance under trial. “Knowing that the same things in the way of sufferings are being accomplished in the entire association of [our] brothers,” we have the God-given strength to deal with similar pressures.—1 Pet. 5:9.
6 By Maintaining a Good Routine of Personal Study: Fortifying our minds and hearts spiritually enables us to fight off Satan’s attack. (1 Pet. 5:8) A good routine of personal study will increase our bank of godly knowledge. We can draw from this when facing everyday challenges. Paul stressed that “accurate knowledge” plays a vital part in gaining salvation. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) It is essential to take in spiritual food regularly.
7 All the provisions necessary to help us keep strong are readily available through the Christian congregation. Wholehearted support of its activities will guarantee that we “will walk and not tire out.”—Isa. 40:29-31.