In this sermon, R.A. Tori shares his personal journey of becoming a preacher despite his initial shyness and inhibition. He describes the torment he felt in his early years of preaching, having to learn sermons by heart and constantly prepare for the next one. However, he experienced a transformative moment when he realized that the Holy Spirit would stand beside him during his sermons, taking on the responsibility. This realization brought him immense joy and empowered him to become a mighty prayer and witness. Tori emphasizes that God is just as alive and powerful today as he was 2,000 years ago, and encourages listeners to seek the power and strength of the Holy Spirit in their own lives.

God lives and works today. He is just as alive today as He was 2,000 years ago, and the power of His Spirit is just as powerful. What does that mean for our lives? Faith, joy, zeal, and much more. Today's meditation by Basilia Schlenk shares the testimony of the famous American evangelist, R. A. Torrey. His story gives a clue as to how we can each experience the wonderful reality of God. O Holy Ghost, we magnify Your power so full and great You come from God's own town on high Our life to recreate O Holy Ghost, You swords of might You show to us Christ's face And let us glimpse God's glory bright His wondrous deeds of grace R. A. Torrey, one of the greatest American evangelists, once confessed how hard it had been for him to become a preacher. In his childhood and youth, he was extremely bashful and inhibited. However, he knew that for the sake of Jesus, he had to become a preacher. Still, it was terribly difficult for him even to pray aloud in the prayer meetings of his own church. He writes, trembling, I repeated as much of my little prepared verse as I could remember and then fell back onto my seat. My first years as a preacher were torment. I preached three times on Sunday. I learned my sermons by heart and sank back after the third sermon onto my seat with immense relief. But then followed at once the fearful thought, tomorrow you've got to begin to prepare the next Sunday's sermon. What a torture my life was. But then the happy day came when a thought took possession of me. When I stand up to preach, God the Holy Spirit will stand beside me and He will bear all the responsibility. From that day on, preaching was the joy of my life. Sometimes now when I stand up to preach, before I say a word, my heart is so full of the thought that He is standing right beside me, ready and prepared to take the whole congregation into His hand and do whatever has to be done, that I can hardly refrain from shouting my joy aloud. Yes, especially in these dark days we can and should become empowered with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. We should be mighty prayers and witnesses so that the mighty acts of God may be seen among us. Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, You are the Creator Spirit who can call into existence something which doesn't lie within us. You distribute Your gifts to those who ask for them, and therefore we thank You that You give us what we lack, the spirit of faith, fervor and zeal for Jesus and for His kingdom. To God the Holy Ghost be praise, within our souls revealing God's image, with its glory bright, transforming and renewing. He pours on us love, joy and peace, and gives our prayer His power and grace. Praise Him who works within us. This program by Basilea Schlinck has come to you from the little land of Canaan. If you would like a free leaflet by the same author, please write to God Lives and Works Today, 9849 North 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85028-4099. That's God Lives and Works Today, 9849 North 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85028-4099. God bless you.