Online Christian Literature Index

The Prayer Meeting

 

 

“God’s plan is there shall be none of self and all of Christ. The very people who are doing the most for God in saving souls, in mission work, in the care of orphans, are those who are working on short supplies of strength, of money, of talents, of advantages, and are kept in a position of living by faith and taking from God, day by day both physical and spiritual supplies. This is the way God succeeds and gains conquests over His own people, and over the unbelief of those who look on His providences.” - George Muller

“We most absolutely must believe that God alone can, and that God most surely will, quicken the dead. Then with simple, unceasing, persistent, importunate prayer we will see that God Himself will do for us what to human thought appears impossible. Give God no rest until Christ has the place in your heart which He claims." - Andrew Murray

"A congregation without a prayer meeting is essentially defective in its organization, and so must be limited in its efficiency." - J. B. Johnston

 

   

The Prayer Meeting and Its History

By J.B. Johnston
 

The Prayer meeting, viewed as a subject of vital interest, has engaged the attention of the writer for more than the third of a century, though never, till very recently indeed within the present year with even the remotest idea of presenting to the Christian public his views through the press. And even now the force of circumstances in Divine Providence, rather than any desire to appear as an author, has induced him to submit his views to the public eye. The merits of the theme the almost entire want of any standard work on the subject, so far as known the importance of some settled scriptural views and practise in relation to this precious institution of divine worship the religious sentiment and feeling of the age, and the tendency of the evangelical Churches to harmonize in views and practise here, all seem to invite to reflection and conscientious investigation. Few, if any, in these churches entirely ignore the Prayer meeting; yet many can give very little "reason of the hope that is in them," in regard to its claims. Very loose, vague, crude views perhaps no well matured views at all are entertained by too many. Christians too often assemble themselves together in the Prayer meeting only because the multitude move that way, and under excitement are carried along, without considering whether there is any Divine warrant for this way of worshipping God.

 

 

Prayer Meetings

By Charles H. Spurgeon
(1834-1892)

In churches which are not completely tied and bound by liturgies and rituals, it has been common practice to hold meetings for corporate prayer. We call them prayer-meetings. Now, it may be profitable, now and then, to examine some of our traditions, to see whether they are Scriptural, to note their defects, to see in what respect they may be improved, or to observe their merits, so that we can be induced to continue in them even more. The subject, therefore, this evening, suggested to me by the fact that we are going to meet for a day of prayer tomorrow, is that of prayer-meetings — assemblies of the people of God for that special kind of worship which consists in each one expressing their desire before the Lord. Let us go through this very briefly.

 

 

Why We Have Not

By Charles H. Spurgeon
(1834-1892)

 

The Holy Ghost, by the mouth of His servant James, has said, “Ye have not, because ye ask not.” I would not willingly be censorious, but crying evils demand open rebuke. Do you not think that this text applies to the case of many of our churches? They have no prosperity, their numbers do not increase, and the congregations are small; and, as the main cause of it all, they have scarcely a prayer-meeting. I hear perpetually of prayer-meetings abandoned, or, what is much the same thing, blended with the weekly lecture. From various sources I gather that, in many instances, the meeting for prayer is so small that it is difficult to spin out the hour; and as the same few persons come from time to time, variety is out of the question; indeed, in some places, the prayer-meeting only exists to reveal the nakedness of the land. Now, if there be no conversions, and no additions to such churches, what is the reason? Is it not found here, “Ye have not, because ye ask not?”

 

 

The Secret of Effectual Corporate Prayer

By Pastor Joe Jacowitz
 

God has laid a burden on my heart that the church becomes a “house of prayer” (Isa. 56:7). Someone once wrote that "a prayerless church is a dead church."  This is true.  However, I want to focus on what we can become by the mercy and grace of God.  God is able to erect a very strong superstructure on the foundation of Jesus Christ in the church.  But the strength of such a superstructure is determined by God's strength us.  If we are prayerless then we are saying we are self-sufficient.  By our silence we are saying to God, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing…” (Rev.3:17).   If this is our attitude then God says to us, “You do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Rev.3:17-19).

 

 

 

 

 

Spurgeon on the Church Prayer Meeting

 

The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be slothfulness in prayer.

If a church is to be what it ought to be for the purposes of God, we must train it in the holy art of prayer. Churches without prayer-meetings are grievously common. Even if there were only one such, it would be one to weep over. In many churches the prayer-meeting is only the skeleton of a gathering: the form is kept up, but the people do not come. There is no interest, no power, in connection with the meeting. Oh, my brothers, let it not be so with you! Do train the people to continually meet together for prayer. Rouse them to incessant supplication. There is a holy art in it. Study to show yourselves approved by the prayerfulness of your people. If you pray yourself, you will want them to pray with you; and when they begin to pray with you, and for you, and for the work of the Lord, they will want more prayer themselves, and the appetite will grow. Believe me, if a church does not pray, it is dead. Instead of putting united prayer last, put it first. Everything will hinge upon the power of prayer in the church.

Beloved, let every church learn the value of its prayer-meetings in its darkest hour. When the pastor is gone, and when it has been difficult to find a suitable successor; when, it may be, there are splits and divisions; when death falls upon honored members, when poverty comes in, when there is a spiritual famine, and when the Holy Spirit appears to have withdrawn himself — then there is but one remedy for these and a thousand other evils, and that one remedy is contained in this short sentence, “Let us pray.”

United prayer is useful inasmuch as God has promised extraordinary and special blessings in connection with it, [we see this principle described in the context of church discipline]: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” [Matthew 18:20]. “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” [Matthew 18:19]. God asks for agreement, and, once the saints agree, He pledges Himself that the prayer of His agreeing ones shall be answered. Why, see what accumulated force there is in prayer, when one after another pours out their passionate desires; when many seem to be tugging at the rope; when many seem to be knocking at mercy’s gate; when the mighty cries of many burning hearts come up to heaven. When, my beloved, you go and shake the very gates of heaven with the powerful battering-ram of holy passion, and sacred insistence, then will the kingdom of heaven forcefully advance. When first one, and then another, and yet another, throws their whole soul into the prayer, the kingdom of heaven is conquered and the victory is very great indeed.