LECTURES ON REVIVALS OF RELIGION
by The Rev. CHARLES G. FINNEY
LECTURE VIII
MEETINGS FOR PRAYER
TEXT. --"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven." --MATTHEW xviii. 19.*
HITHERTO, in treating of the subject of PRAYER, I have confined my remarks to
secret prayer. I am now to speak of social prayer, or prayer offered in company,
where two or more are united in praying. Such meetings have been common from the
time of Christ, and even hundreds of years before. And it is probable that God's
people have always been in the habit of making united supplication, whenever
they had the privilege. The propriety of the practice will not be questioned
here. I need not dwell now on the duty of social prayer. Nor is it my design to
discuss the question, whether any two Christians agreeing to ask any blessing,
will be sure to obtain it. My object is to make some remarks on
MEETINGS FOR PRAYER.
I. The design of Prayer Meetings.
II. The manner of conducting them.
III. Mention several things that will defeat the design of holding them.
I. THE DESIGN OF PRAYER MEETINGS.
1. One design of assembling several persons together for united prayer, is to
promote union among Christians. Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of
Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when
they witness the outpouring of each other's hearts in prayer. Their spirituality
begets a feeling of union and confidence, highly important to the prosperity of
the church. It is doubtful whether Christians can ever be otherwise than united,
if they are in the habit of really praying together. And where they have had
hard feelings and differences among themselves, they are all done away, by
uniting in prayer. The great object is gained, if you can bring them really to
unite in prayer. If this can be done, the difficulties vanish.
2. To extend the spirit of prayer. God has so constituted us, and such is the
economy of his grace, that we are sympathetic beings, and communicate our
feelings to each other. A minister, for instance, will often as it were breathe
his own feelings into his congregation. The Spirit of God that inspires his soul,
makes use of his feelings to influence his hearers, just as much as he makes use
of the words he preaches. So he makes use of the feelings of Christians. Nothing
is more calculated to beget a spirit of prayer, than to unite in social prayer,
with one who has the spirit himself; unless this one should be so far ahead that
his prayer will repel the rest. His prayer will awaken them, if they are not so
far behind as to revolt at it and resist it. If they are anywhere near the
standard of his feelings, his spirit will kindle, and burn, and spread all
around. One individual in a church, that obtains a spirit of prayer, will often
arouse a whole church, and extend the same spirit through the whole, and a
general revival follows.
3. Another grand design of social prayer. is to move God. Not that it changes
the mind and feelings of God. When we speak of moving God, as I have said in a
former lecture, we do not mean that it alters the will of God. But when the
right kind of prayer is offered by Christians, they are in such a state of mind,
that it becomes proper for God to bestow a blessing. They are then prepared to
receive it, and he gives because he is always the same, and always ready and
happy to show mercy. When Christians are united, and praying as they ought, God
opens the windows of heaven, and pours out his blessings till there is not room
to receive them.
4. Another important design of prayer meetings is the conviction and conversion
of sinners. When properly conducted, they are eminently calculated to produce
this effect. Sinners are apt to be solemn when they hear Christians pray. Where
there is a spirit of prayer, sinners must feel. An ungodly man, a Universalist,
once said respecting a certain minister, "I can bear his preaching very well,
but when he prays, I feel awfully; I feel as if God was coming down upon me."
Sinners are often convicted by hearing prayer. A young man of distinguished
talents, known to many of you, said concerning a certain minister to whom before
his conversion he had been very much opposed, "As soon as he began to pray, I
began to be convicted, and if he had continued to pray much longer, I should not
have been able to contain myself." Just as soon as Christians begin to pray as
they ought, sinners then know that they pray, and they feel awfully. They do not
understand what spirituality is, because they have no experience of it. But when
such prayer is offered, they know there is something in it; they know God is in
it, and it brings them near to God; it makes them feel awfully solemn, and they
cannot bear it. And not only is it calculated to impress the minds of sinners,
but when Christians pray in faith, the Spirit of God is poured out, and sinners
are melted down and converted on the spot.
II. THE MANNER OF CONDUCTING PRAYER MEETINGS.
1. It is often well to open a prayer meeting by reading a short portion of the
word of God; especially if the person who takes the lead of the meeting, can
call to mind any portion that will be applicable to the object or occasion, and
that is impressive, and to the point. If he has no passage that is applicable,
he had better not read any at all. Do not drag in the word of God to make up
part of the meeting as a mere matter of form. This is an insult to God. It is
not well to read any more than is applicable to the subject before the meeting,
or the occasion. Some people think it always necessary to read a whole chapter,
though it may be ever so long, and have a variety of subjects. It is just as
impressive and judicious to read a whole chapter, as it would be for a minister
to take a whole chapter for his text, when his object was to make some
particular truth bear on the minds of his audience. The design of a prayer
meeting should be to bring Christians to the point to pray for a definite object.
Wandering over a large field, hinders and destroys this design.
2. It is proper that the person who leads should make some short and appropriate
remarks, calculated to explain the nature of prayer, and the encouragements we
have to pray, and to bring the object to be prayed for directly before the minds
of the people.
A man can no more pray without having his thoughts concentrated, than he can do
anything else. The person leading, should therefore see to this, by bringing up
before their minds the object they came to pray for. If they came to pray for
any object he can do this. And if they did not, they had better go home. It is
of no use to stay there and mock God, by pretending to pray, when they have
nothing on earth to pray for.
After stating the object, he should bring up some promise or some principle, as
the ground of encouragement to expect an answer to their prayers. If there is
any indication of Providence, or any promise, or any principle in the Divine
government that affords a ground of faith, let him call it to mind, and not let
them be talking out of their own hearts at random, without knowing any solid
reason to expect an answer. One reason why prayer meetings mostly accomplish so
little, is because there is so little common sense exercised about them. Instead
of looking round for some solid footing on which to repose their faith, they
just come together and pour forth their words, and neither know nor care whether
they have any reason to expect an answer. If they are going to pray about
anything concerning which there can be any doubt or any mistake, in regard to
the ground of faith, they should be shown the reason there is for believing that
their prayers will be heard and answered. It is easy to see, that unless
something like this is done, three-fourths of them will have no idea of what
they are doing, or of the ground on which they should expect to receive what
they pray for.
3. In calling on persons to pray, it is always desirable to let things take
their own course wherever it is safe. If it can be left so with safety, let
those pray who are most inclined to pray. It sometimes happens that even those
who are ordinarily the most spiritual, and most proper to be called on, are not
at the time in a suitable frame; they may be cold and worldly, and only freeze
the meeting. But if you let those pray who desire to pray, you avoid this. But
often this cannot be done with safety, especially in large cities, where a
prayer meeting might be liable to be interrupted by those who have no business
to pray; some fanatic or crazy person, some hypocrite or enemy, who would only
make a noise. In most places, however, this course may be taken with perfect
safety. Give up the meeting to the Spirit of God, Those who desire to pray, let
them pray. If the leader sees any thing that needs to be set right, let him
remark, freely and kindly, and put it right, and then go on again. Only, he
should be careful to time his remarks, so as not to interrupt the flow of
feeling, or to chill the meeting, or turn off the minds from the proper subject.
4. If it is necessary to name the individuals who are to pray, it is best to
call on those who are most spiritual first. And if you do not know who they are,
then those whom you would naturally suppose to be most alive. If they pray at
the outset, they will be likely to spread the spirit of prayer through the
meeting, and elevate the tone of the whole. Otherwise, if you call on those who
are cold and lifeless at the beginning, they will be likely to diffuse a chill
throughout the meeting. The only hope of having an efficient prayer meeting is
when at least a part of the church is spiritual, and they infuse their spirit
into the rest. This is the very reason why it is often best to let things take
their course, for then those who have the most feeling are apt to pray first,
and give character to the meeting.
5. The prayers should always be very short. When individuals suffer themselves
to pray long, they forget where they are, that they are only the mouth of the
congregation, and that the congregation cannot be expected to sympathise with
them, so as to go along and feel united in prayer, if they are long and tedious,
and go all around the world and pray for every thing that they can think of.
Commonly, those who pray long in meeting, do it not because they have the spirit
of prayer, but because they have not. And they go round and round, not because
they are full of prayer. Some men will spin out a long prayer in telling God who
and what he is, or they exhort God to do so and so. Some pray out a whole system
of divinity. Some preach, some exhort the people, till every body wishes they
would stop, and God wishes so too, undoubtedly. They should keep to the point,
and pray for what they came to pray for, and not follow the imagination of their
own foolish hearts all over the universe.
6. Each one should pray for some one object. It is well for every individual to
have one object for prayer: two or more may pray for the same thing, or each a
separate object. If the meeting is convened to pray for some specific thing, let
them all pray for that. If its object is more general, let them select their
subjects, according as they feel interested in them. If one feels particularly
disposed to pray for the church, let him do it. If the next feels disposed to
pray for the church, he may do so too. Perhaps the next will feel inclined to
pray for sinners; for the youth; to confess sin; let him do it, and as soon as
he has got through let him stop. Whenever a man has deep feeling, he always
feels on some particular point, and if he prays for that, he will speak out of
the abundance of his heart, and then he will naturally stop when he is done.
Those who feel most, will be most ready to confine their prayers to that point,
and stop when they have done and not pray all over the world.
7. If in the progress of the meeting it becomes necessary to change the object
of prayer, let the man who leads state the fact, and explain it in a few words.
If the object is to pray for the church, or for backsliders, or sinners, or the
heathen, let him state it plainly, and then turn it over and hold it up before
them till he brings them to think and feel deeply before they pray. Then state
to them the grounds on which they may repose their faith in regard to obtaining
the blessings they pray for, if any such statement is needed, and so lead them
right up to the throne, and let them take hold of the hand of God. This is
according to the philosophy of the mind. People always do it for themselves when
they pray in secret, if they really mean to pray to any purpose. And so it
should be in prayer meetings.
8. It is important that the time should be fully occupied, so as not to leave
long seasons of silence. This always makes a bad impression and chills the
meeting. I know that sometimes churches have seasons of silent prayer. But in
those cases they should be specially requested to pray in silence, so that all
may know why they are silent. This often has a most powerful effect, where a few
moments are spent by a whole congregation in silence, while all lift up their
thoughts to God. This is very different from having long intervals of silence
because there is nobody to pray. Every one feels that such a silence is like the
cold damp of death over the meeting.
9. It is exceedingly important that he who leads the meeting should press
sinners who may be present to immediate repentance. He should crowd this hard,
and urge the Christians present to pray in such a way as to make sinners feel
that they are expected to repent immediately. This tends to inspire Christians
with compassion and love for souls. The remarks made to sinners are often like
pouring fire upon the hearts of Christians, to awaken them to prayer and effort
for their conversion. Let them see and feel the guilt and danger of sinners
right among them, and then they will pray.
III. I am to mention several things which may defeat the design of a prayer
meeting.
1. When there is an unhappy want of confidence in the leader, there is no hope
of any good. Whatever the cause may be, whether he is to blame or not, the very
fact that he leads the meeting will cast a damp over it and prevent all good. I
have witnessed it in churches, where there was some offensive elder or deacon,
perhaps justly offensive, and perhaps not, set to lead the prayer meeting, and
the meeting would all die under his influence. If there is a want of confidence
in regard to his piety, or in his ability, or in his judgment, or in anything
connected with the meeting, everything he says or does will fall to the ground.
The same thing often takes place where the church have lost their confidence in
the minister.
2. Where the leader lacks spirituality, there will be a dryness and coldness in
his remarks and prayers, and every thing will indicate his want of unction, and
his whole influence will be the very reverse of what it ought to be. I have
known churches where a prayer meeting could not be sustained, and the reason was
not obvious, but those who understood the state of things knew that the leader
was so notorious for his want of spirituality, that he would inevitably freeze a
prayer meeting to death. In many Presbyterian churches the elders are so far
from being spiritual men that they always freeze a prayer meeting. And then they
are often amazingly jealous for their dignity, and cannot bear to have any body
else lead the meeting. And if any member that is spiritual takes the lead of a
prayer meeting, they will take him to task for it: "Why, you are not an elder,
and ought not to lead a prayer meeting in presence of an elder." And thus they
stand in the way, while the whole church is suffering under their blighting
influence.
A man who knows he is not in a spiritual frame of mind has no business to
conduct a prayer meeting; he will kill it. There are two reasons: First, he will
have no spiritual discernment, and will not know what to do, or when to do it. A
person who is spiritual can see the movements of Providence, and can feel the
Spirit of God, and understand what he is leading them to pray for, so as to time
his subjects, and take advantage of the state of feeling among Christians. He
will not overthrow all the feeling in a meeting by introducing other things that
are incongruous or ill-timed. He has spiritual discernment to understand the
leadings of the Spirit, and his workings in those who pray, and to follow on as
the Spirit leads. Suppose an individual leads who is not spiritual, and there
are two or three prayers, and the spirit of prayer rises, but the leader has no
spiritual discernment to see it, and he makes some remarks on another point, or
reads a piece out of some book, that is as far from the feeling of the meeting
as the north pole. It may be just as evident to others what they are called to
pray for, as if the Son of God himself had come into the meeting and named the
subject; but the leader will overthrow it all, because he is so stupid that he
does not know the indications of the meeting.
And then, if the leader is not spiritual, he will very likely be dull and dry in
his remarks and in all his exercises. He will read a long hymn in a dreamy
manner, and then read a long passage of Scripture, in a tone so cold and wintry
that he will spread a wintry pall over the meeting, and it will be dull as long
as his cold heart is placed up in front of the whole thing.
3. A want of suitable talents in the leader. If he is wanting in that kind of
talents which are fitted to make a meeting useful, he will injure the meeting.
If he can say nothing, or if his remarks are so out of the way as to produce
levity or contempt, or if they have nothing in them that will impress the mind,
or are not guided by good sense, or not appropriate, he will injure the meeting.
A man may be pious, but so weak that his prayers do not edify, but rather
disgust, the people present. When this is so, he had better keep silence.
4. Sometimes the benefit of a prayer-meeting is defeated by a bad spirit in the
leader. For instance when there is a revival, and great opposition, if a leader
gets up in a prayer meeting and speaks of instances of opposition, and comments
upon them, and thus diverts the meeting away from the object they come to pray
for, he knows not what spirit he is of. Its effect is always ruinous to a prayer
meeting. Let a minister in a revival come out and preach against the opposition,
and he will infallibly destroy the revival, and turn the hearts of Christians
away from their proper object. Let the man who is set to lead the church be
careful to guard his own spirit, lest he should mislead the church, and diffuse
a wrong temper. The same will be true, if any one who is called upon to speak or
pray, introduces in his remarks or prayers anything controversial, impertinent,
unreasonable, unscriptural, ridiculous or irrelevant. Any of these things will
quench the tender breathings of the spirit of prayer, and destroy the meeting.
5. Persons coming late to the meeting. This is a very great hindrance to a
prayer meeting. When people have begun to pray, and their attention is fixed,
and they have shut their eyes and closed their ears, to keep out everything from
their minds, in the midst of a prayer somebody will come bolting in and walk up
through the room. Some will look up, and all have their minds interrupted for
the moment. Then they all get fixed again, and another comes in, and so on. Why,
I suppose the devil would not care how many Christians went to a prayer-meeting,
if they will only go after the meeting is begun. He would be glad to have ever
so many go scattering along so, and dodging in very piously after the meeting is
begun.
6. When persons make cold prayers, and cold confessions of sin, they are sure to
quench the spirit of prayer. When the influences of the Spirit are enjoyed, in
the midst of the warm expressions that are flowing forth, let an individual come
in who is cold, and pour his cold breath out, like the damp of death, and it
will make every Christian that has any feeling want to get out of the meeting.
7. In some places it is common to begin a prayer meeting by reading a long
portion of Scripture. Then the deacon or elder gives out a long hymn. Next, they
sing it. Then he prays a long prayer, praying for the Jews and the fullness of
the Gentiles, and many other objects that have nothing to do with the occasion
of the meeting. After that perhaps he reads a long extract from some book or
magazine. Then they have another long hymn and another long prayer, and then
they go home. I once heard an elder say, they had kept up a prayer meeting so
many years, and yet there had been no revival in the place. The truth was, that
the officers of the church had been accustomed to carry on the meetings in just
such a dignified way, and their dignity would not allow anything to be altered.
No wonder there was no revival. Such prayer meetings are enough to hinder a
revival. And if ever so many revivals should commence, the prayer meeting would
destroy them. There was a prayer meeting once in this city, as I have been told,
where there appeared to be some feeling, and some one proposed that they should
have two or three prayers in succession, without rising from their knees. One
dignified man present opposed it, and said that they never had done so, and he
hoped there would be no innovations. He did not approve of innovations. And that
was the last of the revival. Such persons have their prayer meetings
stereotyped, and they are determined not to turn out of their track, whether
they have the blessing or not. To allow any such thing would be a new measure,
and they never like new measures.
8. A great deal of singing often injures a prayer meeting. The agonizing spirit
of prayer does not lead people to sing. There is a time for everything; a time
to sing, and a time to pray. But if I know what it is to travail in birth for
souls, Christians never feel less like singing, than when they have the spirit
of prayer for sinners. Singing is the natural expression of feelings that are
joyful and cheerful. The spirit of prayer is not a spirit of joy. It is a spirit
of travail, and agony of soul, supplicating and pleading with God with strong
cryings, and groanings that cannot be uttered. This is more like any thing else
than it is like singing. I have known states of feeling, where you could not
distress the people of God more than to begin to sing. It would be so entirely
different from their feelings. Why, if you knew your house was on fire, would
you first stop and sing a hymn before you put it out? How would it look here in
New York, when a building was on fire, and the firemen are all collected, for
the foreman to stop and sing a hymn? It is just about as natural for the people
to sing when exercised with a spirit of prayer. When people feel like pulling
men out of the fire, they do not feel like singing. I never knew a singing
revival amount to much. Its tendency is to do away all deep feeling. It is true
that singing a hymn has sometimes produced a powerful effect upon sinners who
are convicted, but in general it is the perfect contrast there is between their
feelings and those of the happy souls who sing, that produces the effect. If the
hymn be of a joyful character it is not directly calculated to benefit sinners,
and is highly fitted to relieve the mental anguish of the Christian, so as to
destroy that travail of soul which is indispensable to his prevailing in prayer.
When singing is introduced in a prayer-meeting, the hymns should be short, and
so selected as to bring out something solemn; some striking words, such as the
Judgment Hymn, and others calculated to produce an effect on sinners; or
something that will produce a deep impression on the minds of Christians; but
not that joyful kind of singing, that makes every body feel comfortable, and
turns off the mind from the object of the prayer meeting.
I once heard a celebrated organist produce a remarkable effect in a protracted
meeting. The organ was a powerful one, and the double bass pipes were like
thunder. The hymn was given out that has these lines:
See the storm of vengeance gathering
O'er the path you dare to tread;
"Hear the awful thunder rolling,
Loud and louder o'er your head."
When he came to these words, we first heard the distant roar of thunder, then it
grew nearer and louder, till at the word "louder," there was a crash that seemed
almost to overpower the whole congregation.
Such things in their proper place do good. But common singing dissipates
feeling. It should always be such as not to take away feeling, but to deepen it.
Often a prayer meeting is injured by calling on the young converts to sing
joyful hymns. This is highly improper in a prayer meeting. It is no time for
them to let feeling flow away in joyful singing, while so many sinners around
them, and their own former companions, are going down to hell. A revival is
often put down by the church and minister all giving themselves up to singing
with young converts. Thus by stopping to rejoice, when they ought to feel more
and more deeply for sinners, they grieve away the Spirit of God, and they soon
find that their agony and travail of soul are all gone.
9. Introducing subjects of controversy into prayer will defeat a prayer meeting.
Nothing of a controversial nature should be introduced into prayer, unless it is
the object of the meeting to settle that thing. Otherwise, let Christians come
together in their prayer-meetings, on the broad ground of offering united prayer
for a common object. And let controversies be settled somewhere else.
10. Great pains should be taken, both by the leader and others, to watch
narrowly the motions of the Spirit of God. Let them not pray without the Spirit,
but follow his leadings. Be sure not to quench the Spirit for the sake of
praying according to the regular custom. Avoid everything calculated to divert
attention away from the object. All affectation of feeling that is not real,
should be particularly guarded against. If there is an affectation of feeling,
most commonly others see and feel that it is affectation, not reality. At any
rate, the Spirit of God knows it, and will be grieved, and leave the place. On
the other hand, all resistance to the Spirit will equally destroy the meeting.
Not unfrequently it happens, that there are some so cold that if any one should
break out in the spirit of prayer, they would call it fanaticism, and perhaps
break out in opposition.
11. If individuals refuse to pray when they are called on it injures a prayer
meeting. There are some people, who always pretend they have no gifts. Women
sometimes refuse to take their turn in prayer, and pretend they have no ability
to pray. But if any one else should say so, they would be offended. Suppose they
should know that any other person had made such a remark as this, "Do not ask
her to pray; she cannot pray; she has not talents enough;" would they like it?
So with a man who pretends he has no gifts, let any one else report that he has
not talents enough to make a decent prayer, and see if he will like it. The
pretence is not sincere; it is all a sham.
Some say they cannot pray in their families, they have no gift. But a person
could not offend them more than to say they cannot pray a decent prayer before
their own families. They would say, "Why, the man talks as if he thought nobody
else had any gifts but himself." People are not apt to have such a low opinion
of themselves. I have often seen the curse of God follow such professors. They
have no excuse. God will take none. The man has got a tongue to talk to his
neighbors, and he can talk to God if he has any heart for it. You will see their
children unconverted, their son a curse, their daughter--tongue cannot tell. God
says he will pour out his fury on the families that call not on his name. If I
had time, I could mention a host of facts to show that God MARKS those
individuals with his disapprobation and curse who refuse to pray when they
ought. Until professors of religion will repent of this sin and take up the
cross (if they choose to call praying a cross!) and do their duty, they need not
expect a blessing.
12. Prayer meetings are often too long. They should always be dismissed while
Christians have feeling, and not be spun out until all feeling is exhausted, and
the Spirit is gone.
13. Heartless confessions. People confess their sins and do not forsake them.
Every week they will make the same confession over again. A long, cold, dull,
stupid confession this week, and then the next week another just like it,
without forsaking any sins. Why, they have no intention to forsake their sins!
It shows plainly that they do not mean to reform. All their religion consists in
these confessions. Instead of getting a blessing from God by such confessions
they will get only a curse.
14. When Christians spend all the time in praying for themselves. They should
have done this in their closets. When they come to a prayer meeting, they should
be prepared to offer effectual intercessions for others. If Christians pray in
their closets as they ought, they will feel like praying for sinners. If they
pray exclusively in their closets for themselves, they will not get the spirit
of prayer. I have known men shut themselves up for days to pray for themselves,
and never get any life, because their prayers are all selfish. But if they will
just forget themselves, and throw their hearts abroad, and pray for others, it
will wake up such a feeling, that they can pour forth their hearts. And then
they can go to work for souls. I knew an individual in a revival, who shut
himself up seventeen days, and prayed as if he would have God come to his terms,
but it would not do, and then he went out to work, and immediately he had the
Spirit of God in his soul. It is well for Christians to pray for themselves, and
confess their sins, and then throw their hearts abroad, till they feel as they
ought.
15. Prayer meetings are often defeated by the want of appropriate remarks. The
things are not said which are calculated to lead them to pray. Perhaps the
leader has not prepared himself; or perhaps he has not the requisite talents, to
lead the church out in prayer, or he does not lead their minds to dwell on the
appropriate topics of prayer.
16. When individuals who are justly obnoxious for any cause, are forward in
speaking and praying. Such persons are sometimes very much set upon taking a
part. They say it is their duty to get up and testify for God on all occasions.
They will say, they know they are not able to edify the church, but nobody else
can do their duty, and they wish to testify. Perhaps the only place they ever
did testify for God was in a prayer meeting; all their lives, out of the
meeting, testify against God. They had better keep still.
17. Where persons take a part who are so illiterate that it is impossible
persons of taste should not be disgusted. Persons of intelligence cannot follow
them, and their minds are unavoidably diverted. I do not mean that it is
necessary a person should have a liberal education in order to lead in prayer.
All persons of common education, especially if they are in the habit of praying,
can lead in prayer, if they have the spirit of prayer. But there are some
persons who use such absurd and illiterate expressions, as cannot but disgust
every intelligent mind. They cannot help being disgusted. The feeling of disgust
is an involuntary thing, and when a disgusting object is before the mind, the
feeling is irresistible. Piety will not keep a person from feeling it. The only
way is to take away the object. If such persons mean to do good, they had better
remain silent, Some of them may feel grieved at not being called to take a part.
But it is better that they should be kindly told the reason than to have the
prayer meeting regularly injured, and rendered ridiculous by their performances.
18. A want of union in prayer. When one leads the others do not follow, but are
thinking of something else. Their hearts do not unite, do not say, Amen. It is
as bad as if one should make a petition and another remonstrate against it. One
asks God to do a thing, and the others ask him not to do it, or to do something
else.
REMARKS.
1. An illy conducted prayer meeting often does more hurt than good. In many
churches, the general manner of conducting prayer meetings is such that
Christians have not the least idea of the design or the power of such meetings.
It is such as tends to keep down rather than to promote pious feeling and the
spirit of prayer.
2. A prayer meeting is an index to the state of religion in a church. If the
church neglect the prayer meetings, or come and have not the spirit of prayer,
you know of course that religion is low. Let me go into the prayer meeting, and
I can always see the state of religion there.
3. Every minister ought to know that if the prayer meetings are neglected, all
his labors are in vain. Unless he can get Christians to attend the prayer
meetings, all he can do will not bring up the true religion.
4. A great responsibility rests on him who leads a prayer meeting. If the prayer
meeting be not what it ought to be, if it does not elevate the state of
religion, he should go seriously to work and see what is the matter, and get the
spirit of prayer, and prepare himself to make such remarks as are calculated to
do good and set things right. A leader has no business to lead prayer meetings,
if he is not prepared, both in head and heart, to do this. I wish you, who lead
the district prayer meetings of this church, to notice this point.
5. Prayer meetings are the most difficult meetings to sustain as they ought to
be. They are so spiritual, that unless the leader be peculiarly prepared, both
in heart and mind, they will dwindle. It is in vain for the leader to complain
that members of the church do not attend. In nine cases out of ten, it is the
leader's fault, that they do not attend. If he felt as he ought, they would find
the meetings so interesting, that they would attend of course. If he is so cold,
and dull, and without spirituality, as to freeze every thing, no wonder people
do not come to the meeting. Church officers often complain and scold because
people do not come to the prayer meeting, when the truth is, they themselves are
so cold that they freeze every body to death that comes.
6. Prayer meetings are most important meetings for the church. It is highly
important for Christians to sustain the prayer meetings:--
(1.) To promote union.
(2.) To increase brotherly love.
(3.) To cultivate Christian confidence.
(4.) To promote their own growth in grace.
(5.) To cherish and advance spirituality.
7. Prayer meetings should be so numerous in the church, and be so arranged, as
to exercise the gifts of every individual member of the church--male and female.
Every one should have the opportunity to pray, and to express the feelings of
his heart, if he has any. The sectional prayer meetings of this church are
designed to do this. And if they are too large for this, let them be divided, so
as to bring the entire mass into the work, to exercise all gifts, and diffuse
union, confidence, and brotherly love through the whole.
8. It is important that impenitent sinners should always attend prayer meetings.
If none come of their own accord, go out and invite them. Christians ought to
take great pains to induce their impenitent friends and neighbors to come to
prayer meetings. They can pray better for impenitent sinners when they have them
right before their eyes. I have know female prayer meetings exclude sinners from
the meeting. And the reason was, they were so proud they were ashamed to pray
before sinners. What a spirit! Such prayers will do no good. They insult God.
You have not done enough, by any means, when you have gone to the prayer meeting
yourself. You cannot pray, if you have invited no sinner to go. If all the
church have neglected their duty so, and have gone to the prayer meeting, and
taken no sinners along with them, no subjects of prayer--what have they come
for?
9. The great object of all the means of grace is to aim directly at the
conversion of sinners. You should pray that they may be converted there. Not
pray that they may be awakened and convicted, but pray that they may be
converted on the spot. No one should either pray or make any remarks, as if he
expected a single sinner would go away without giving his heart to God. You
should all make the impression on his mind, that NOW he must submit. And if you
do this, while you are yet speaking God will hear. If Christians make it
manifest that they have really set their hearts on the conversions of sinners,
and are bent upon it, and pray as they ought, there would rarely be a prayer
meeting held without souls being converted, and sometimes every sinner in the
room. That is the very time, if ever, that sinners should be converted in answer
to those prayers. I do not doubt but that you may have sinners converted in
every sectional prayer meeting, if you do your duty. Take them there, take your
families, your friends, or your neighbors there with that design, give them the
proper instruction, if they need instruction, and pray for them as you ought,
and you will save their souls. Rely upon it, if you do your duty, in a right
manner, God will not keep back his blessing, and the work will be done.
*Original had verse number "10" by mistake.