Jonathan Edwards on Prayer

“And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 39.29

An Humble Attempt
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“The Holy Spirit, in his indwelling presence, his influences and fruits, is the sum of all grace, holiness, comfort, and joy; or, in one word, of all the spiritual good Christ purchased for men in this world: and is also the sum of all perfection, glory, and eternal joy that he purchased for them in another world. The Holy Spirit is the subject matter of the promises, both of the eternal covenant of redemption, and also of this covenant of grace.”

In Scripture, the “face of God” is equated, among other things, with the Spirit. To be indwelled by the Spirit is to have the face of God shining upon us, bringing us into His glory (2 Cor. 4.6), and radiating Christ out through us. In the process, we are filled with power, joy, and peace, and we bear the fruit, exercise the gifts, and wield the power for witness and holiness that this same Spirit gives. When we gather to pray for revival, using a psalm to guide and focus our prayers, we join our voices together after each man prays, crying out in unison, “Restore us, O LORDGod of hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Ps. 80.19) Thus we plead with the Lord to send His good Spirit afresh upon us, that we might know a greater measure of His salvation, and that others may be saved through our witness. What we long for in revival, therefore, is a renewed upwelling, filling, and overflowing of the Spirit of God within and through us. We should all be committed to praying for this.

What would your church look like if the Spirit of God began increasingly to manifest Himself in these ways from within the people you serve? How would that impact your community? Are such effects worth seeking in prayer?

T. M. Moore

Learn to Pray for Revival – and Pray!
We currently conduct three meetings to pray for revival, enlisting participants from around the country to come together in our online prayer room once a month – or once a week – to seek the Lord for revival. We use selected psalms to guide our time together, and spend around 30 minutes in prayer together. Join us. We’d like to begin a second weekly group, convening at 4:00 Eastern time each Thursday, to seek the Lord for revival. If you’d like to be part of this group, or if you would like to join an existing revival prayer group, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

An Humble Attempt
If you have not read Edwards’ book on praying for revival, I urge you to do so. We’ll send it to you in a free PDF which you can print or download to your e-reader. Just email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.and request Jonathan Edwards’ An Humble Attempt.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations are from Jonathan Edwards, An Humble Attempt, &c. in Edward Hickman, ed. The Works of Jonathan Edwards(Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1834, 1995), Vol. Two, pp. 278ff.