Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22.
We need an abiding, heartfelt dependence upon the Son of God for salvation and for all wisdom and spiritual influences. Unless there is much more love to God and to man, and a continual dependence upon the renewing, sanctifying grace of Christ to work a transformation of character by a divine change in the heart, which will be manifestly seen in word, spirit, and action, we shall fail in our work...
We need increased faith, far less confidence and assurance in what we can do, and far greater confidence in what the Lord is longing to do for us individually, if we will prepare the way for Him. We need, O so much more than we now have, the longing of soul for communion with God. We need to plead most earnestly with Him. If thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, when thou shalt seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul...
A great desire after large blessings and deep fullness should be cherished. But these we shall never have while we feel so self-sufficient, while we have so tame a love for God and so little Christlike love for our brethren. When self is emptied from the heart, the vacuum will be supplied with the fullness of Christ. Let the soul be less engaged in business matters. Let it put far less trust in the wisdom that bears the marks of being more human than divine. The praise given by word or action to any human being is an offense to God. Yet God will praise every individual that keeps His commandments in truth and righteousness. It is very human to place confidence and trust in man, but not so readily do these same persons walk as seeing Him who is invisible...
God recognizes the wants of the soul. But our people, who have the great treasure of the Word of God opened before them, do not realize this. Self-esteem, self-sufficiency, so corrodes the soul with the slime and selfishness of earthliness, that the excellence of the things of eternal interest makes scarce a ripple upon the human heart...
There needs to be a reaching out after God, not... now and then, but a continual earnest, heartbreaking confessing and humbling of the soul before God. God’s people must come into the audience chamber of the Most High... God understands that you need Him, and if you ask, you will receive help when tempted and tried. Your petitions, made known only to God who searcheth the heart, He will hear and answer.—Letter 45, November 15, 1897, to A. G. Daniells and “my ministering brethren, and the church in Melbourne.”
Reference: E.G. White, "The Upward Look," p. 333.