PRAYER

22. Why is prayer very necessary?

²² It is not possible to maintain spiritual balance without prayer. It keeps a person reminded of his dependence upon Jehovah God. It is one of the ways he can express his heartfelt gratitude for what God has done and will yet do. It is the way he can talk with Jehovah, unloading his troubles and worries upon the heavenly Father. “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God, and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”—Phil. 4:6, 7.

23, 24. Explain where a person’s mind should be during a prayer, and why.

²³ Sincere prayer brings a person near to God, just as it is written: “Jehovah is near to all those calling upon him, to all those who call upon him in trueness.” (Ps. 145:18) He is near those whose mind is on him and his interests and whose heart is in their prayer. To pray with one’s mind on something else is not praying in sincerity. Such a prayer is mechanical and meaningless, just like the prayers of those whom Jesus spoke about when he quoted his Father’s words spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, yet their hearts are far removed from me.”—Matt. 15:8.

²⁴ Whether a person is praying privately or in a congregation his mind should be on what is being said. Prayer is communication with the Creator and is certainly worthy of our closest attention. We must keep our minds stayed on Jehovah to maintain spiritual equilibrium. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in Jehovah for ever; for in Jehovah, even Jehovah, is an everlasting rock.” (Isa. 26:3, 4, AS) Heartfelt prayers engender greater trust and dependence upon Jehovah. They help the Christian stand firm while surrounded by the corruptions of this old world and while being buffeted by its persecutions.

THE PROSPECT AHEAD

25. Why is the narrow road of Christian integrity not a fruitless one, and why cannot weaknesses in one’s spiritual equilibrium be ignored?

²⁵ The narrow road of Christian integrity is not a fruitless course. It has rich rewards now and in the future. They are prized rewards that are well worth seeking. But they will go only to those who are spiritually balanced. This means Christians with weak equilibrium must correct their weakness and steady their footing without delay. It is a serious matter that cannot be blissfully ignored.

26, 27. What are some of the rewards a stable Christian now enjoys, and to what does he confidently look?

²⁶ Great peace of mind is one of the rewards the balanced Christian now enjoys. No matter how turbulent world affairs may become, he is not disturbed. He knows what the future holds and knows that he is walking the way that leads to survival. This eliminates any fear of God’s coming destruction of the present wicked system of things.

²⁷ He has the joy that comes to those who love God’s laws, who live by his principles and who engage in his service. His conscience does not prick him because he has acted improperly or has failed to do what was required of him. His mind is at ease. He looks forward to being an eyewitness of the earth’s transformation into a paradise home for obedient mankind. And he confidently expects to be living more than a thousand years from now when the gift of eternal life is given to those who have walked the narrow way of Christian integrity.

28. How does the one who is spiritually balanced view death?

²⁸ If he should be faced with death before then, he has the prospect of being brought back to life in his resurrection as one of the bride of Christ or on earth as a human creature, gaining his hope of everlasting life on earth, because he did not slip from that narrow road. Because of the resurrection hope the balanced Christian can face death with no qualms or fears. Persecutors cannot intimidate him with threats of death. He steadfastly maintains his integrity in spite of what they do or say.

29. What has happened to some who found the narrow way to life?

²⁹ As Jesus foretold, few of earth’s total population have found the narrow way of integrity. Of those who have, some failed to maintain spiritual equilibrium and fell. A few of these fallen ones recovered and made the very difficult climb back. It was only by their sincere, heartfelt repentance and God’s undeserved kindness that they were able to return to the road. How long they stay on it depends upon them. If they now act as wise persons by watching how they walk and by developing and maintaining good spiritual balance they will be able to stay on the road until their goal of eternal life is reached.

30. Can a person ignore the symptoms of poor spiritual balance, and why?

³⁰ What happened to those who fell and did not recover should be a warning to all who walk that road. They cannot be indifferent to the forces that pull them or push at them, trying to make them fall. They cannot ignore Scriptural warnings of stumbling stones. They cannot close their eyes to symptoms of poor spiritual balance. Too much is at stake. Let them do as the apostle Peter said: “Brace up your minds for activity, keep completely balanced and set your hope upon the undeserved kindness that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”—1 Pet. 1:13.

31. What can be expected as the complete end of the present system of things draws nearer?

³¹ As we draw nearer to the complete end of this present wicked system of things, it will become increasingly more difficult to stay on the narrow road of Christian integrity. It will require greater skill and stronger determination to keep spiritually balanced. If a person is unsteady now, how can he stand then?

32. (a) How only can a person reach the goal of eternal life? (b) Of what value will the balanced Christian be to the organization in the meantime?

³² The goal at the end of the road is worth all the effort and endurance necessary to maintain good balance. Your future is a bright one, an endless one, if you keep your eyes on the goal ahead and your feet firmly implanted on the road of Christian integrity underneath. With good spiritual balance you can walk that narrow way as sure-footedly as the tightwire walker walks his thin wire. It is only by maintaining your balance in all things that you will reach your goal. In the process of getting there you will be a dependable and useful instrument in the hands of Jehovah God and his theocratic organization.

The Power of the Truth

At a recent assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses in Japan an elderly witness related how he had retired from his employment so that he and his wife could devote their full time to preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. And his wife smilingly related how her husband now does something that is unheard of for Japanese husbands—he helps with the housework, making it possible for both to meet the hour requirements of the full-time ministry! What the truth won’t do!—1958 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses.