Soul-Winners And Their Prayers
By Samuel L. Brengle

“The inwrought fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16, R.V.).

All great soul-winners have been men of much and mighty prayer, and all great revivals have been preceded and carried out by persevering, prevailing knee-work in the closet. Before Jesus began His ministry, when great multitudes followed Him, He spent forty days and nights in secret prayer and fasting (Matt. 4:1-11).

Paul prayed without ceasing. Day and night his prayers and pleadings and intercessions went up to God (Acts 16:25; Phil. 1:3-11; Col. 1:3,9-11).

The Pentecostal baptism of the Spirit and the three thousand conversions in one day were preceded by ten days of prayer and praise and heart-searching and Bible-searching. And they continued in prayer until, on another day, five thousand were converted, and “a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 2:4-6; 4:4; 6:4-7).

Luther used to pray three hours a day, and he broke the spell of ages and set captive nations free.

John Knox used to spend nights in prayer, and cry to God, saying, “Give me Scotland, or I die!” and God gave him Scotland.

Baxter stained the walls of his study with praying breath, and sent a tide of salvation through all the land.

Over and over again, Mr. Wesley in his Journals—which, for lively interest, are next to the Acts of the Apostles—tells us of half and whole nights of prayer, in which God drew near and blessed people beyond expectation, and then he and his helpers were empowered to rescue England from paganism and send a revival of pure, aggressive religion throughout the whole earth.

David Brainerd used to lie on the frozen ground at night, wrapped in a bear’s skin, and spit blood, and cry to God to save the Indians. God heard him, and converted and sanctified the poor, ignorant, heathenish, quarrelsome, drunken beings by the scores and hundreds.

The night before Jonathan Edwards preached the wonderful sermon that started the revival which convulsed New England, he and some others spent the night in prayer.

A young man named Livingstone, in Scotland, was appointed to preach at one of the great assemblies. Feeling his own utter weakness, he spent the night in prayer, and next day preached a sermon, and five hundred people were converted. Glory to God! Oh, my Lord, raise up some praying people!

Mr. Finney used to pray till whole communities were put under the spell of the Spirit of God and men could not resist the mighty influence. At one time, he was so prostrated by his labours that his friends sent him on a voyage of rest to the Mediterranean Sea. But he was so intent upon the salvation of men that he could not rest, and, on his return, he got into an agony of soul for the evangelization of the world. At last, the earnestness and agony of his soul became so great that he prayed all day, till in the evening he got a restful assurance that God would carry on the work.

On reaching New York, he delivered his “Revival Lectures,” which were published at home and abroad, and resulted in revivals all over the world. Then his writings fell into the hands of Catherine Booth and mightily influenced her, so that The Salvation Army is in part God’s answer to that man’s agonizing, pleading, prevailing prayer that God would glorify His own name and save the world.

There is a young evangelist in America who was saved from Roman Catholicism. Everywhere he goes a “revival tornado” strikes the place and hundreds of people are converted. I wondered wherein lay the secret of his power; till a lady at whose house he stopped said he prayed all the time. She could hardly get him to his meals from his mighty wrestlings with God.

Before joining The Salvation Army, I was one day talking with Dr. Cullis, of Boston, that man of simple, wonder-working faith. He was showing me some photographs, and among them was one of Bramwell Booth, our Chief of the Staff.

“There,” said the doctor, “that man leads the mightiest holiness meetings in all England.”

He then told me about those famous White chapel meetings. When I went to England, I determined, if possible, to find out the secret of them.

“For one thing,” said an officer, “Mr. Bramwell used to conduct young men’s meetings at headquarters at that time, and he used to ask each saved young fellow to spend five minutes alone with God every day, wherever they could get it, praying for those Friday night meetings. One, who is a Brigadier now and was then employed in a large warehouse, had to squeeze himself into a great wicker packing case to get a chance to pray for five minutes.”

God has not changed. He waits to do the will of praying men.

Mr. Finney tells of a church in which there was a continuous revival for thirteen years. At last the revival stopped, and everybody feared and questioned why, till one day a tearful man arose and told how for thirteen years he had prayed every Saturday night till after midnight for God to glorify Himself and save the people. But two weeks before, he had stopped this praying, and then the revival had stopped. If God will answer prayer like that, what a tremendous responsibility rests on us all to pray!

Oh, for a holy soldier in every corps and a believing member in every church, who would spend half of every Saturday night in prayer! Here is work for resting officers, and for people who cannot go into Christian work because of insurmountable difficulties. You can do some needed knee-work.

But let no one imagine that this is easy work. It is difficult and amounts sometimes to an agony, but it will turn to an agony of joy in union and fellowship with Jesus. How Jesus prayed!

The other day a Captain, who prays an hour or more each morning and half an hour before his evening meeting, and who is very successful in getting souls saved, was lamenting to me that he often has to force himself to secret prayer. But in this he is tempted and tried like his brethren. All men of much prayer have suffered the same.

The Rev. William Bramwell, who used to see hundreds of people converted and sanctified everywhere he went, prayed six hours a day, and yet he said he always went to secret prayer reluctantly. He had to pull himself up to it. And after he began to pray, he would often have dry seasons, but he persevered in faith, and the heavens would open, and he would wrestle with God until the victory came. Then, when he preached, the clouds would break and rain down blessings on the people.

One man asked another the reason why Mr. Bramwell was able to say such new and wonderful things that brought blessings to so many people. “Because he lives so near the Throne that God tells him His secrets, and then he tells them to us,” said the other.

The Rev. John Smith, whose life, William Booth once told me, had been a marvelous inspiration to him, like Bramwell, always spent much time in prayer. He always found it hard to begin, and then got so blessed that it was hard to stop. Everywhere he went, mighty revival waves went also with him.

This reluctance to secret prayer may arise from one or more of several causes:

1. From wicked spirits. I imagine the devil does not care much to see the majority of coldhearted people on their knees in public, for he knows they do it simply because it is proper and the fashion. But he hates to see one on his knees in secret, for that man means business, and, if he perseveres in faith, is bound to move God and all Heaven in the interests he represents. So the devils oppose that man.

2. From the sluggishness of the body and mind, caused by sickness, loss of sleep, too much sleep, or overeating, which unduly taxes the digestive organs, clogs the blood, and dulls all the higher and nobler powers of the soul.

3. From a failure to respond quickly when we feel led by the Spirit to go to secret prayer. If, when we feel we should pray, we hesitate longer than is necessary and continue reading or talking when we could just as well be praying, the spirit of prayer will be quenched.

We should cultivate gladness at the thought of getting alone with Jesus in secret communion and prayer, as much as lovers expect pleasure and joy in each other’s society.

We should promptly respond to the inward call to prayer. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” and, “Keep our bodies under, lest after having preached to others we ourselves should be castaways.”

Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and not faint” (Luke 18:1); and Paul said, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).

One daredevil, praying, believing man can get the victory for a whole city or nation sometimes. Elijah did on Mount Carmel. Moses did for backsliding Israel; Daniel did in Babylon. But if a number of people can be led to pray in this way, the victory will be all the more sweeping. Let no one imagine, in a wicked heart of unbelief, that God is grudging and unwilling to answer prayer. He is more willing to answer those whose hearts are right with Him than parents are to give bread to their children.

When Abraham prayed for Sodom, God answered till Abraham stopped asking (Gen. 18:22-33). And is He not often angry with us because we ask so timidly, and for such small blessings, just as the prophet Elisha was angry with the king who smote but thrice when he should have smitten five or six times? (2 Kings 13:18-19).

Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace and ask largely, that our joy may be full! (Heb. 4:16).

From Helps To Holiness(culled from Herald of His Coming)

he keeps answering prayers because His name is AMEN... even yea and amen. Nice post brother, more grace, more blessings in Jesus name, amen.

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Wow! I've been really blessed by this. May God help me.

sonofthunder:
.

Why are you booking space afterall you are the ftc.

avicky:
Why are you booking space afterall you are the ftc.

for you viewing...

sonofthunder:

for you viewing...

if you say so.

Not by intellectual power, nor by logical might, but by His Spirit.

Mr. Finney tells of a church in which there was a continuous revival for thirteen years. At last the revival stopped, and everybody feared and questioned why, till one day a tearful man arose and told how for thirteen years he had prayed every Saturday night till after midnight for God to glorify Himself and save the people. But two weeks before, he had stopped this praying, and then the revival had stopped. If God will answer prayer like that, what a tremendous responsibility rests on us all to pray! Oh, for a holy soldier in every corps and a believing member in every church, who would spend half of every Saturday night in prayer! Here is work for resting officers, and for people who cannot go into Christian work because of insurmountable difficulties. You can do some needed knee-work. But let no one imagine that this is easy work. It is difficult and amounts sometimes to an agony, but it will turn to an agony of joy in union and fellowship with Jesus. How Jesus prayed!

sonofthunder:
Mr. Finney tells of a church in which
there was a continuous revival for
thirteen years. At last the revival
stopped, and everybody feared and
questioned why, till one day a tearful
man arose and told how for thirteen
years he had prayed every Saturday
night till after midnight for God to
glorify Himself and save the people.
But two weeks before, he had stopped
this praying, and then the revival had
stopped. If God will answer prayer
like that, what a tremendous
responsibility rests on us all to pray!
Oh, for a holy soldier in every corps
and a believing member in every
church, who would spend half of
every Saturday night in prayer! Here
is work for resting officers, and for
people who cannot go into Christian
work because of insurmountable
difficulties. You can do some needed
knee-work.
But let no one imagine that this is
easy work. It is difficult and amounts
sometimes to an agony, but it will
turn to an agony of joy in union and
fellowship with Jesus. How Jesus
prayed!

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Scholar8200:
Not by intellectual power, nor by logical might, but by His Spirit.

bro, I miss your post so much, good to have you back, may God give you strength to continue to defend the truth.

malvisguy212:
bro, I miss your post so much, good to have you back, may God give you strength to continue to defend the truth.

Amen, thanks.

Now this has always being a challenge to me; they followed His Footsteps (Luke 6:12):

Chief among the Primitive Methodists' praying men was John Oxtoby, affectionately known as "Praying Johnny". Praying Johnny was not known for his culture or great intellect, he possessed neither. What he possessed was the faith that moves mountains. He was of average height, sharp features, light brown hair and brown eyes. His speech and words were not considered eloquent to the ears of men, yet they were always sweet to the Father's ear. "Six hours each day he usually spent on his knees, pleading with God, in behalf of himself, the Church and sinners." The Primitive Methodists loved to preach, pray, sing and shout. John Oxtoby was certainly no exception to this rule. "When travailing in anguish for a revival in the neighborhood in which he was laboring and when deeply anxious to see the glory of the Lord revealed, he spent many hours in secluded retirement; and has sometimes in this manner devoted whole days and nights to God."

Praying Johnny not only exercised the power of prayer in the closet, but also in the public assembly. Often in answer to his public prayers whole assemblies were slain by the power of the Holy Spirit. Strong men struck with conviction fell to their knees and cried for mercy. Through the testimony of John Oxtoby's prayer life, Jesus Christ was seen not only as a God who hears, but also as a God who speaks. On behalf of despairing saints, Praying Johnny touched the heart of Jesus and brought back precise words of direction and encouragement.

The legendary story of Oxtoby's intercession for Filey illustrates his persistence in prayer. The town of Filey had resisted the efforts of many preachers and each one had been driven out until all efforts were abandoned. "Oxtoby himself undertook the mission, and when he came within sight of Filey, he fell on his knees in agony of soul. Under a hedge he wrestled in prayer and wept and interceded for the success of his mission. A passing miller heard his voice and stopped in astonishment. The miller heard Johnny Oxtoby say, 'Will thou make a fool of me, God? I told them at Bridlington that thou was going to revive thy work, and thou must, or I shall never be able to show my face among them again, and then what will the people say about praying and believing?' He continued to plead for several hours. The struggle was long and heavy but he would not give in. At last he rose exclaiming, 'It is done, Lord, it is done! Filey is taken!' And it was. Fresh from the presence of God, Oxtoby entered Filey and began singing in the streets. 'Turn to the Lord and seek salvation' was his theme and soon a crowd of rough fishermen flocked to listen." The fire of God fell as he began to preach. Men trembled, hardened sinners wept and while he prayed many fell on their knees crying for mercy.

If our churches and communities are not radically transformed in the same way our Christian liberties will very soon be swept away by a tidal-wave of oppression and sin. Our nation is on the verge of self-destruction, and our only alternative is revival! As a nation we have continued to stray because the Church has stubbornly failed to pray!

And the women too:

One particular meeting was held in a town called Devils Den. No minister had ever been successful there, and people came to mock her. They were looking to see the female evangelist who would soon run out of town shattered and defeated. But they received the surprise of their lives! Sister Etter might have been a woman, but she was not one to be taken lightly. She knew the key to spiritual warfare, and the fervency of prayer that unlocked heaven. For three days Maria preached and sang. No one moved. Finally, on the fourth day, she exercised her spiritual authority through intercession and tore down the demonic principality that ruled over Devils Den. She prayed that God would show a great display of His power to break the people's stiff formality. That night, people throughout the meeting cried and repented to God. It was the greatest manifestation of the presence of God the town had ever witnessed. (God's Generals - Roberts Liardon)

Oh for some old-fashioned sister today that know some old-fashioned persistence and importunity in prayer till the light shone through!

Some speak today of money being the wheel of the Gospel ...if that was the case why didnt Jesus tell His disciples/us so?

Scholar8200:
Some speak today of money being the wheel of the Gospel ...if that was the case why didnt Jesus tell His disciples/us so?

i wonder

Scholar8200:
Some speak today of money being the wheel of the Gospel ...if that was the case why didnt Jesus tell His disciples/us so?

RIGHT BRO , its been long , trust everything is moving fine ?