Jonathan Edwards on Prayer

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11.13

An Humble Attempt
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“The word of God is full of precepts, encouragements, and examples, tending to excite and induce the people of God to be much in prayer for this great mercy. The Spirit of God is the chief of blessings, for it is the sum of all spiritual blessings; which we need infinitely more than others, and wherein our true and eternal happiness consists…The Scriptures not only direct and encourage us, in general, to pray for the Holy Spirit above all things else; but it is the expressly revealed will of God, that his church should be very much in prayer for that glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit…”

If Edwards is correct in his reading of Scripture, then we are surely remiss in our duty of seeking a fresh upwelling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Where is the evidence that Christians unite together frequently to seek a greater measure of God’s Spirit for revival, renewal, and awakening? In fact, here and there we do see signs of such a stirring, and this is most encouraging. The Spirit alone can bring revival to the churches of the land, but we must seek Him for it, asking and pleading with the Father to give us that great gift with fresh new power and presence. Otherwise, we will never be revived. And if we join together in seeking Him, we shall have more reason to believe that God will hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal and restore His people once again. Let us be “very much in prayer for that glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”

How much are you in prayer for the Holy Spirit to revive you and your church? Have you gathered a group of your church members who are committed to seeking Him for as long as it takes?

Pastors’ Webinar on Forgiveness
Our Spring Pastors’ Webinar will feature Dr. Stan Gale speaking on the subject, “Finding Forgiveness.” We have space for 15 men to join, and all you have to do to secure a spot is drop me a note at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Dr. Gale brings many years of pastoral experience to this subject, and he will be speaking on the role of forgiveness in the life of the individual believer and the local church. We’ll follow his presentation with Q & A and discussion, so if you’d like to participate, let me know right away.

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.