Jonathan Edwards on Prayer

“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7.14

An Humble Attempt
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“And if ministers and people should by particular agreement and joint resolution, set themselves, in a solemn and extraordinary manner, from time to time, to pray for the revival of religion in the world, it would naturally tend more to awaken in them a concern about things of this nature, and more of a desire after such a mercy. It would engage them to more attention to such an affair, make them more inquisitive about it, more ready to use endeavours to promote what they, with so many others, spend so much time in praying for.”

The complete title of Edwards’ book is An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of All God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Progress of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth, Pursuant to Scripture Promises and Prophecies. As we have seen, his work fulfills the promise of the title. If you will seek the Lord for revival, your concern about revival, and your willingness to exert yourself for it, will grow. If you will call others to join you for revival, this mindset of seeking and working for revival, and of longing for and relying more completely on God’s Spirit, will spread like a holy virus through all your life and work. If you will make the time to pray for revival, your approach to following Christ and serving Him will be dramatically transformed. If only we could be persuaded to pray for revival! So many good things can happen as we unite, time and time again, to plead with the Lord for a renewed outpouring of His Spirit! So much blessing could come to the Church and the world, if only…

Have you begun yet to pray for revival? Are you encouraging others to do so?

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.