Presenting the Good News—With Magazines
1 When you read the April and May issues of The Watchtower and Awake! you surely will agree that they deserve a wide distribution. The Watchtower of April 15 focuses on the often repeated but little understood “Lord’s prayer,” while the April 22 Awake! contains a series of articles dealing with the desperate plight of young people in this modern world.
2 Although millions routinely pray the Lord’s model prayer, how many really grasp its vital significance? For many sincere ones it would be a thrilling revelation to learn that God’s name is Jehovah, that the kingdom for which they pray is today a reality and that God’s will for the earth includes a restored earthly paradise and a resurrection of the dead. We certainly would not want to hold back such vital information as is presented in the April 15 issue of The Watchtower.
3 Surely our hearts go out to the millions of young people described in the April 22 Awake! Some of them are like ‘sheep without a shepherd,’ maybe forsaken, unloved and lost in this chaotic and sick world. Given an opportunity to see the Bible’s solution for today’s problems, might not thousands of these young folks be helped into a secure, happy relationship with Jehovah? We have good reason to show our concern by being enthusiastic and energetic in helping to give these timely magazines wide distribution.
4 In offering these magazines, there is no need to give a long and involved presentation. Just one strong reason for reading a selected article will generally be sufficient to stimulate the householder’s interest, and then you can make the offer. For example, note this simple presentation: “Good morning. My friends and I are talking with our neighbors about prayers to God. Many of us still use the prayer we learned as children, that is, the ‘Lord’s prayer’ or ‘Our Father’ prayer. Although having repeated it many, many times, however, some are finding that there is really more to that prayer than what they had previously understood. That is why this special article entitled ‘The Model Prayer’ has been prepared. The meaning of each phrase in the ‘Lord’s prayer’ is explained from the Scriptures. This is your copy along with Awake! for 30 cents.”
5 Another approach might be: “Good morning. My family and I are taking some time this morning to talk to our neighbors about prayer. Do you think God is still listening to prayers? [Allow for comment] Many people have wondered if God is still listening to their prayers or if they have been praying to God in the right way. These questions are examined in the article ‘Does God Listen to Your Prayers?’ in this issue of The Watchtower. I found it very interesting and helpful and would like to leave you this copy along with Awake! for a contribution of 30 cents.”
6 If you wish to feature Awake! in magazine work, you can try this short presentation: “We are making brief calls because of our interest in the young people of our community. Perhaps you are aware that many young persons are very unhappy about life even though they have much materially. In fact, suicide has become a leading cause of death among teenagers. Why is that so? And what do young people need for a meaningful life? These questions are answered in this new issue of Awake! We want you to have this copy along with The Watchtower for a contribution of 30 cents.”
7 May Jehovah bless all of us as we use these fine instruments to stimulate interest in his kingdom.