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Reuben Archer Torrey (1856 – 1928) was an American evangelist, Christian Apologist, pastor, educator, and author.

One of the important conditions of growth and strength in the Christian life is work. No man can keep up his physical strength without exercise and no man can keep up his spiritual strength without spiritual exercise, i.e., without working for his Master. The working Christian is the happy Christian. The working Christian is the strong Christian. Some Christians never backslide because they are too busy about their Master’s business to backslide. Many professed Christians do backslide because they are too idle to do anything but backslide. Jesus said to the first disciples, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). No one who is not a fisher of men is following Christ. Bearing fruit in bringing others to the Savior is the purpose for which Jesus has chosen us and is one of the most important conditions of power in prayer.

Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16) These words of Jesus are very plain.

They tell us that the one who is bearing fruit is the one who can pray in the name of Christ and get what he asks in that name. In the same chapter, Jesus tells us that bearing fruit in His strength is the condition of fullness of joy. He says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) Experience abundantly proves the truth of these words of our Master. Those who are full of activity in winning others to Christ are those who are full of joy in Christ Himself.

If you wish to be a happy Christian, if you wish to be a strong Christian, if you wish to be a Christian who is mighty in prayer, begin at once to work for the Master and never let a day pass without doing some definite work for Him. But how can a young Christian work for Him? How can a young Christian bear fruit? The answer is very simple and very easy to follow. You can bear fruit for your Master by going to others and telling them what your Savior has done for you, and by urging them to accept this same Savior and showing them how to do it. There is no other work in the world that is so easy to do, so joyous, and so abundant in its fruitfulness, as personal hand-to-hand work. The youngest Christian can do personal work. Of course, he cannot do it as well as he will do it later, after he has had more practice.

Learn to use tracts. Get a few good tracts that are fitted to meet the needs of different kinds of people. Then hand these tracts out to the people whose needs they are adapted to meet. Follow your tracts up with prayer and with personal effort.

Go to your pastor and ask him if there is some work he would like to have you do for him in the church. Be a person that your pastor can depend upon. We live in a day in which there are many kinds of work going on outside the church, and many of these kinds of work are good, and you should take part in them, as you are able, but never forget that your first duty is to the church of which you are a member. Be a person that your pastor can count on. It may be that your pastor may not want to use you, but at least give him the chance of refusing you. If he does refuse you, do not be discouraged, but find work somewhere else. There is plenty to do and few to do it. It is as true to-day as it was in the days of our Savior, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37), “therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (Matt. 9:38) The right kind of men are needed in the ministry. The right kind of men and women are needed for the evangelizing work, as well as teaching small groups in the congregation. See that you fill your place and fill it well.