Jonathan Edwards on Prayer

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4.8

An Humble Attempt
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“It is abundantly represented in Scripture as the spirit and character of all true saints, that they set their hearts upon, love, long, wait, and pray for the promised glory of that day…The glorious inhabitants of the heavenly world – the saints and angels there, who rejoice when one sinner repents – are earnestly waiting, in an assured and joyful dependence upon God’s promises of that conversion of the world and marriage of the Lamb, which shall take place when that glorious day comes…”

It’s sometimes difficult, reading Edwards, to distinguish his longing for promised revival now and for the Day of the Lord and the marriage supper of the Lamb. In his thinking, the one anticipates and is a foretaste of the other, so he is not always so careful to distinguish them, as, I think, in this passage. Either way, we must consider whether we love the Lord’s appearing, and how much. Do we love it when He appears to us in reviving grace, daily renewing our vision, hope, and strength in Him? Do we rejoice to think about the lost people we know coming to saving faith, when Jesus finally makes Himself known to them? Do we earnestly pray for Him to appear with more presence, promise, and power in our churches? In our community and nation? Throughout the world? If we love the Lord’s appearing in such ways as this, we should unite to pray for and earnestly seek it.

How shall the people of God demonstrate that they love the appearing of the Lord, if not through prayer and preparing their own lives?

T. M. Moore

Ready for Revival?
Are you praying for revival? Are you gathering others to pray with you? Are you preparing your church for the coming harvest? You can, and you should. Two resources from our bookstore can help. The book, Restore Us!, can provide the rationale, resources, and encouragement you need to take up this calling as an ongoing aspect of your walk with and work for the Lord. Order your copy by clicking here. And our book, Preparing Your Church for Revival, shows you how to ready the hearts of church members and leaders for the work we look to God to do in our community. Order your copy by clicking here.

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.

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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.