I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake… 1 Corinthians 9.22

We yield all confidence in ourselves and humbly plead for pardon.

This, Calvin’s third rule of prayer, has two aspects to it. 

First, in prayer we put confidence only in the Lord, and not in our prayers. If we are praying for sinners to repent, our confidence is naturally in Christ. Only Christ can lead a person to repentance, and only the Spirit can convert a sinner to Christ. The whole concept behind praying for revival is that we trust God. Although our sinfulness should give us pause and lead us to reflect and examine ourselves, yet God’s promises are inviolable and should lay to rest any doubts. 

The second aspect bears on how we should act if, indeed, our confidence rests in Christ. Mindful of sin’s prevalence, and acknowledging Christ as our Savior, we should naturally pray that God would work in the hearts of sinners, and that they would acknowledge themselves as such and look to Jesus for forgiveness and life.

But, sadly that is not necessarily the case. 

In many situations, our actions say otherwise. Many churches today go to great lengths to accommodate non-believers. They don’t talk about “sinners” because it carries a negative connotation. Instead, they reach out to “seekers.” The worship service is designed not with a primary focus on glorifying God, but on appealing to the elusive seekers we are hoping to win over. The choice of music (contemporary), the prayers (worthy of a football game invocation), and the message (not too long, and preferably funny) are often directed more to visitors than to God. 

Paul said he willingly became all things to all men that he might win some to Christ. But he consistently prayed for others and exhorted the churches to pray that the Gospel would be proclaimed, without compromise. 

We should continue to work hard at winning the lost. And we should seek to enlist other men in this movement of men in prayer.

But we should exert more effort in our prayers, resting our confidence in the Lord alone.

Ralph Lehman, Men’s Prayer Coordinator (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
T. M. Moore, Principal (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Prayer Resources for a Movement of Men at Prayer
Don't forget, the following resources are available to you to encourage and enlist other men in this movement of Men at Prayer:

“Men of the Church: A Solemn Call” can be downloaded for free by clicking this link. Hand this brief paper to every man you know, and urge them to join you in this movement of Men at Prayer.

Order additional copies of If Men Will Pray and begin challenging your friends to take up this daily work of seeking the Lord with greater consistency and power.

Finally, our latest resource for prayer is the book, Restore Us! It’s available at the bookstore, and is our guide and resource for enlisting you and your friends in praying daily for revival.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.