Jonathan Edwards on Prayer

And it will be said in that day:
“Behold, this is our God;
We have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the LORD;
We have waited for Him;
We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25.9

An Humble Attempt
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“God will come to those that are seeking him and waiting for him…When Christ came in the flesh, he was first revealed to them who were waiting for the consolation of Israel, and looking for redemption in Jerusalem, Luke i.25, 38. And in that great outpouring of the Spirit that was in the days of the apostles, which was attended with such glorious effects among the Jews and Gentiles, the Spirit came down first on them that were engaged in united earnest prayer for it.”

Do we think, that is, have we considered, that our lack of the kind of prayer for which Edwards called could be the very thing that is hastening the secularization of our society? We have fretted much over the state of our world, and exerted ourselves in the political realm for change more in line with our values. But fretting and politics do not change hearts. This is the work of God’s Spirit. For without the Holy Spirit to restrain evil, convert sinners, and transform the redeemed, men and their societies will drift in the direction of the sin that everywhere abounds. If our lack of prayer is contributing to this, might our fervor in uniting to pray mark the beginning of a turnaround? As Asaph noted in Psalm 80, even as we join together to pray, we can know that this great reviving work of God has begun again, because unless He moves you to pray, you will not (Ps. 80.18, 19).

What kinds of objections to this project of meeting together regularly to pray for revival would you expect to meet from those you might invite to participate? How will you answer those objections?

If Men Will Pray
What might God do, if men will begin to take more seriously the work of prayer? Our book, If Men Will Pray, works through Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 2.1-8, and guides men step-by-step in a deeper, more consistent, more fruitful and enjoyable life of prayer. The book is designed to be used by two men, praying together and encouraging one another over a one-month commitment. Watch this brief videoto learn more. Order a copy for yourself and a friend, and start enlisting men to seek the Lord and revival right now (click here).

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..

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.