Visiting from house to house forms an important part of the minister’s labors. He should aim to converse with all the members of the family, whether they profess the truth or not. It is his duty to ascertain the spiritual condition of all; and he should live so near to God that he can counsel, exhort, and reprove, carefully and in wisdom. He should have the grace of God in his own heart and the glory of God constantly in view. All lightness and trifling is positively forbidden in the word of God. His conversation should be in heaven, his words seasoned with grace. All flattery should be put away, for it is Satan’s work to flatter. Poor, weak, fallen men generally think enough of themselves and need no help in this direction. Flattering your ministers is out of place. It perverts the mind and does not lead to meekness and humility; yet men and women love to be praised, and it is too frequently the case that ministers love it. Their vanity is gratified by it, but it has proved a curse to many. Reproof is more to be prized than flattery. {2T 338.1}

Om aftenen bøjede vi os i bøn og fremlagde hans sag for Herren. Vi bad om, at vi måtte lære Herrens vilje angående den syge at kende. Det eneste, vi ønskede, var, at Gud måtte blive æret. Ville Herren, at vi skulle bede for denne plagede mand? Vi overlod sagen til Gud og gik til hvile. I en drøm blev denne mands sag tydeligt fremstillet. Hans færd fra barndommen af blev påvist og hvis vi bad, ville Herren ikke høre os, for han så uretfærdighed i hans hjerte. Den følgende morgen kom denne mand til os, for at vi skulle bede for ham. Vi tog ham til side og meddelte ham, at det gjorde os ondt, at vi var nødsaget til at afslå hans anmodning. Jeg fortalte ham min drøm, som han indrømmede var i overensstemmelse med sandheden. Han havde øvet selvbesmittelse helt fra sine drengeår og han havde fortsat med denne last under sit ægteskab, men sagde, at han ville forsøge at afbryde den.