He who is placed as a president of a conference must learn that the human heart is wayward, and that it needs to be strictly sentineled by watchfulness and prayer. As he seeks the Lord conscientiously and constantly, he is taught of God to grow into a representative man, and can be trusted as God trusted Abraham. He needs the whole armor of God; for he has to fight the good fight of faith, and having done all that the Spirit of God has taught him to do, to stand. His enemies may be those of his own household, his wife and children, or they may be his own hereditary and cultivated tendencies, which continually seek for the mastery. Man is human and defective in character, and must battle for the victory. Everyone who begins aright must begin at his own heart. Let the fervent prayer go forth from unfeigned lips, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” and it will bring the response, “A new heart also will I give you.” {TM 327.2}

Ham der er sat som formand for en konferense må lære at det menneskelige hjerte er egensindigt, og at det behøver at blive strengt bevogtet ved vagtsomhed og bøn. Som han søger Herren samvittighedsfuldt og stadigt, er han belært af Gud at vokse til en repræsentativ mand, og blive betroet som Gud betroede Abraham. Han behøver hele Guds rustning; for han må kæmpe troens gode kamp, og må gøre alt det som (328) Guds Ånd har lært ham at gøre, for at stå. Hans fjender kan være fra hans egen husstand, hans hustru og børn, eller det kan være hans egen arv og opelskede tilbøjelighed, der hele tiden søger herredømme. Mennesket er menneskeligt og mangelfuld i karakter, og må kæmpe for sejren. Enhver der vil begynde rigtigt, må begynde med sit eget hjerte. Lad denne brændende bøn gå ud af uskrømtede læber, »skab mig, o Gud, et rent hjerte,« og dette vil give svaret, »Jeg giver eder et nyt hjerte.«