Jonathan Edwards on Prayer

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4.2, 3

Distinguishing Marks
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“The apostle’s discourse on this subject is introduced by an occasional mention of the indwelling of the Spirit, as sure evidence of an interest in Christ…Whence we may infer, that the design of the apostle is not only to give marks whereby to distinguish the true Spirit from the false, in his extraordinary gifts of prophecy and miracles, but also in his ordinary influences on the minds of his people, in order to their union to Christ, and being built up in him; which is also manifest from the marks themselves that are given, which we shall hereafter notice.”

Jonathan Edwards’ message on the marks of the Spirit is based on 1 John 4, and he will follow the apostle’s teaching in guiding us to a clearer understanding of the favor and blessings of God we should be seeking in prayer. In Edwards’ day, some were doubting the signs of revival because of their extraordinary and ecstatic nature. How could what seemed to be the possession of a very few indicate a general outpouring of God’s Spirit? Edwards did not deny these, but he emphasized the more broadly visible signs of revival, those that indicate the Spirit’s working in the thoughts, spiritual lives, and growth of all believers. When you see these, you can be sure the Spirit is at work, bringing the life of Christ to greater expression in more and more of His people. So when you pray for revival, think of how the Spirit of God might work in you, and through your church, in ways that show the reality of Jesus, alive from the dead, to all the people around you.

In what ways would you expect to see the evidence of the Spirit at work for revival in your life? In your church?

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.

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, Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, in Edward Hickman, ed. The Works of Jonathan Edwards(Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1834, 1995), Vol. Two, pp. 257ff.