CHARLES FINNEY: AN EXAMPLE OF A MAN MIGHTY IN PRAYER

Those who have been mighty in prayer have always been those who have come before God and have reminded Him of His promises and of His Word. I suppose Charles G. Finney was one of the most outstanding exponents of prayer who ever lived. He is known as the man who prayed down revivals. As far as church history is concerned, he had the greatest success concerning converts of any other minister since the days of the Early Church.

Supposedly, more people remained saved under his ministry after conversion than in any point in history since the days of the evangelistic journeys of the Apostle Paul. Whole cities were stirred because of Charles Finney's prayers. For instance, I read in his autobiography that in 1829, Finney went to Rochester, New York, and conducted a meeting, and practically everyone in town got saved. All of the honky-tonks and beer joints were closed down. There wasn't a place in town left where one could buy anything alcoholic to drink. Nearly everyone in town had to have gotten saved in order for that to happen. The only theater in town closed up. Vaudeville was popular then, but there was no need to put on a show if no one went to the theater! There was such a move of God that when the circus came to town, there was only one performance and only two people showed up! The circus had to close down and leave town. Everyone was interested in God. The revival was on.

The people just weren't interested in anything else. You can learn something from a fellow like Finney. I also read from Finney's autobiography that he was a Presbyterian minister and then a Congregationalist. When Finney was a Presbyterian, he was holding a meeting sponsored by the Presbyterian church. He told about going to another place in New York to preach in a Presbyterian church on a Sunday afternoon. Finney had been talking for about fifteen minutes when suddenly the power of God fell on him, and four hundred people fell off their seats onto the floor (there were more than four hundred people present). They fell to the floor under the power of God. Finney hadn't seen that happen before. He found out that all four hundred people had gotten saved; they had all been sinners.

When you read about Finney, you find that he was a real man of prayer. I read in his autobiography years ago, and he said that he'd had some experiences in prayer that alarmed him. (I wish we could say in the same way Finney meant it that we had experiences in prayer that alarmed us!) What Finney meant was that many times in prayer, he found himself saying to the Lord, "Lord, You don't think that we're not going to have revival here do you! You don't think that Thou couldst withhold Thy blessings. You said in Your Word to ask and it would be given us."

Finney said he found himself telling the Lord what the Lord had said in His Word. He found himself telling the Lord that He was obligated to perform His Word because He had said it. The following is an excerpt from something Finney said, and it shows us that Finney prayed for results, basing his petitions firmly on the promises in God's Word. I was constrained to pray without ceasing. [I could not rest in the house and was obliged to retire to the barn frequently through the day, where I would unburden my soul and pour out my heart to God in prayer. I had wonderful faith given to me at that time, and had some experiences that alarmed me.

When alone I would wrestle and struggle, and my faith would rise till I would say to God] that He had made a promise to answer prayer, and I could not, and would not, be denied. [I could be so burdened as to use such strong language to God in prayer.] I felt so certain that He would hear me, and that faithfulness to His promises, and to himself, rendered it impossible that He should not hear and answer, that frequently I found myself saying to Him, "I hope Thou dost not think that I can be denied. I come with Thy faithful promises in my hand, and I cannot be denied."' (Kenneth Hagin)

Tnx Sidespin,I'll check up Finney.
I feel stirred up in me when I see what some (like Finney) r able
2 accomplish in this same human body that we all occupy and I find
Myself sometimes cry out in my spirit"use me Lord!"
There must b a quality that provokes God 2 listen speedily 2 some.

Finney was such a man of faith n it really spoke for him. I remembered when I newly gave my life to Christ n was to encounter him (through his book ofcourse), the Holy Spirit gave me his name n I dont even knew who he was, even if he was a preacher, till I googled it or something.

The man truly influenced my early xtian life!

Charles Finney is light years ahead of our generation of present day christians.He's my role model.What do you expect from a man that his salvation prayer alone began from around 8am in the morning till about 5pm in the evening right in the discomfort of the woods.Many of us had a less than 5 minute salvation prayer before we began our christian journey.
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I hardly new any preacher that took sinless sanctity seriously like that man.His sanctification experience was so real that on looking at his face alone some would break down & cry & give their lives to Christ.His power was borne out of a habit of marathon prayers plus a life given to highest levels of sinless sanctity.

Pastor Olu T: Finney was such a man of faith n it really spoke for him. I remembered when I newly gave my life to Christ n was to encounter him (through his book ofcourse), the Holy Spirit gave me his name n I dont even knew who he was, even if he was a preacher, till I googled it or something.
The man truly influenced my early xtian life!

@Pst Olu is his book available in Nigeria?

@bizman interesting info. Tnks

melodies:
@Pst Olu is his book available in Nigeria?

Yeah, though I dont know of now bt then I actually got one of his books, bt u can still try local stores or e-books. But I must warn u or rather say probably make u aware before hand 'cos of the old English used mostly by him.

melodies: @bizman interesting info. Tnks

Be warned that Finney doesn't preach these soft, bread & butter messages that is the order of the day.He preaches raw concentrated, deep holiness messages that people hate today.In fact you regard him as too hard.He doesn't spare sin at all.Some believers read Finney & had to repent & start their christian life all over again.
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Finney's books used to be in bookshops those days christians were serious but these days of prosperity & carnal preaching in books, its hard to see such holiness geared books like Finneys.

bizmahn:
Be warned that Finney doesn't preach these soft, bread & butter messages that is the order of the day.He preaches raw concentrated, deep holiness messages that people hate today.In fact you regard him as too hard.He doesn't spare sin at all.Some believers read Finney & had to repent & start their christian life all over again.
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Finney's books used to be in bookshops those days christians were serious but these days of prosperity & carnal preaching in books, its hard to see such holiness geared books like Finneys.

Hmmn..You guys got me stirred up this morning.I wonder why i could not sleep sef.It was in God's general i came across the biography of charles finney.The experience he had when he recieved the Holy Spirit baptism and spoke in tongues for days was exciting to me.The day i recieved mine i only spoke in tongues for hours o...wish i would have continued long enough into the night sef.lol

There are still hiding generals in the body of Christ today @bizhmann..am not talking about the popular ones with large congregations but the unknown ones God is using mightily in villages and bushes to propel the gospel.You have not seen anything yet.

@Pst.T i love the accuracy of the Holy Spirit in your life when he told you the name of finney..I guess your ministry is patterned in that area.

Revival is already in Africa o...not that it is going to come..It has come..Pick up the signal guys and join the train of the rigtheous army of God.It is well.The campaign for souls in 2014 has just begun i tell ya.

Bidam: Hmmn..You guys got me stirred up this morning.I wonder why i could not sleep sef.

Bros yu no dey sleep? Lol. Okay convert your sleepless times to prayers.If u gat nothing to pray for,then pray for me(I crave total sinless sanctity) & for our dear country Nigeria...u know... corruption & boko haram.God can make you the Finney of our time.

melodies:
@Pst Olu is his book available in Nigeria?

His books are available.

bizmahn:
Bros yu no dey sleep? Lol. Okay convert your sleepless times to prayers.If u gat nothing to pray for,then pray for me(I crave total sinless sanctity) & for our dear country Nigeria...u know... corruption & boko haram.God can make you the Finney of our time.

Yes bros...I have been at it for sometimes now late last year.I pray for more grace to tarry in His presence. Stay blessed.

Bidam: Hmmn..You guys got me stirred up this morning.I wonder why i could not sleep sef.It was in God's general i came across the biography of charles finney.The experience he had when he recieved the Holy Spirit baptism and spoke in tongues for days was exciting to me.The day i recieved mine i only spoke in tongues for hours o...wish i would have continued long enough into the night sef.lol

There are still hiding generals in the body of Christ today @bizhmann..am not talking about the popular ones with large congregations but the unknown ones God is using mightily in villages and bushes to propel the gospel.You have not seen anything yet.

@Pst.T i love the accuracy of the Holy Spirit in your life when he told you the name of finney..I guess your ministry is patterned in that area.

Revival is already in Africa o...not that it is going to come..It has come..Pick up the signal guys and join the train of the rigtheous army of God.It is well.The campaign for souls in 2014 has just begun i tell ya.

Thank God bro n u perceived right, I love what u said about God's generals still in our midst today 'cos there are not in the limelight bt in villages etc. Many dont realize it which why they are always looking at the wrong places, I tell you Heaven is going to be a shocker for many 'cos we will see so many unknown up there while those making waves now that we expect to will be no where to be found or taking d lowest place.

bizmahn:
Bros yu no dey sleep? Lol. Okay convert your sleepless times to prayers.If u gat nothing to pray for,then pray for me(I crave total sinless sanctity) & for our dear country Nigeria...u know... corruption & boko haram.God can make you the Finney of our time.

For u to crave for sanctification bro it shows that u are a sincere xtian, bt I perceived the way u are going about it is not it. This is not a thing we struggle for, n funny enough not even what we pray for, bt what comes to us naturally to us as we grow to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Jesus Ephesians 4:13.

If u will I enjoin u to read my thread "salvation-Spirit, soul and body" and we discuss?

Pastor Olu T:

For u to crave for sanctification bro it shows that u are a sincere xtian, bt I perceived the way u are going about it is not it. This is not a thing we struggle for, n funny enough not even what we pray for, bt what comes to us naturally to us as we grow to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Jesus Ephesians 4:13.

If u will I enjoin u to read my thread "salvation-Spirit, soul and body" and we discuss?

You sound sincere too but I think you missed it here like all of us do sometimes.If you have thoroughly read Finneys books you get to see he prayed for sanctification & got it,John wesley in his book Christian perfection describes vividly how he yearned & prayed earnestly for sanctification & got it.
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Pastor Kumuyi & many deeper life brethren at the heat of their vibrant revival fire so many years back testify vividly how they prayed & got it.Yes it can be prayed for,recieved & also can be lost.Sooo many have lost theirs today but good news is if anyone pays the price,it can be restored.But prayer & consecration for sanctification & the price to pay seems to be the hardest but the experience is the most rewarding.

bizmahn:
You sound sincere too but I think you missed it here like all of us do sometimes.If you have thoroughly read Finneys books you get to see he prayed for sanctification & got it,John wesley in his book Christian perfection describes vividly how he yearned & prayed earnestly for sanctification & got it.
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Pastor Kumuyi & many deeper life brethren at the heat of their vibrant revival fire so many years back testify vividly how they prayed & got it.Yes it can be prayed for,recieved & also can be lost.Sooo many have lost theirs today but good news is if anyone pays the price,it can be restored.But prayer & consecration for sanctification & the price to pay seems to be the hardest but the experience is the most rewarding.

I need not say much 'cos I understand u have a relationship with God as I do n we are growing to maturity, I have never for once pray for sanctification bt attained it even not knowing then bt later realized after. The reason all those people attained sanctification after praying was simply 'cos of all their times of tarrying in the presence of God which resulted into growth, n not necessarily prayer (if they had been praying for something else like salvation of souls they would still have attained it). I admire the men u mentioned n many of them shaped my life, bt one thing u need to understand is that revelation is progressive n we should move with it. Many of what Paul taught were foreign to Peter, though peter received his revelation from the mouth of Jesus Himself. If we had not the writings of Paul n just Peter's, many of us we still struggle as xtians bt thank God.

Bt whichever way we will all still attain maturity/sanctification, all I am just saying is that there is a way which does not entail struggle that comes easily to us. Pls do read the thread n tell me what u think so we discuss if u will.

I believe there are two aspects of sanctification in a believers life.The first is automatically recieved via the new birth while the second is progressive as we fellowship with God and His word.

Bidam: I believe there are two aspects of sanctification in a believers life.The first is automatically recieved via the new birth while the second is progressive as we fellowship with God and His word.

Exactly, the moment we accepted Jesus we received a package which sanctification was part of, but it was in a seed form n need to manifest with time 1Corinthians 1:30. So in other words sanctification can be seen in two ways, the instant we receive when we got saved n the progressive as we become like Christ, bt even though the second is progressive it also comes naturally as we grow in Christ.