Where are the Men of Prayer?
With passion and conviction, this fiery hot guest post will stir your soul, bring you to your knees, and cause a desperate clinging to the King of kings and Lord of lords. May we be such men (and women) of prayer. Men who have a single eye for Jesus and a sole consumption to see King and Kingdom realized and experienced on earth. May we be the individuals whom God uses to bring forth an unparalleled revival in this generation. Oh how we desperately need it! May these words from my dear friend Nick Thompson set you aflame.
“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.”
–Samuel Brengle
“There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality
that did not begin in united prayer.”
–A.T. Pierson
The church of America today is in desperate need of a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God. We have never had so many churches and programs and books and yet we are more powerless and cold than ever. There is much preaching and singing and serving but God is seemingly absent.
Many read about the great revivals of past centuries and in quite unbelief dismiss the fact that God is wishing to do such a thing in this day and place. Not only do they disbelieve such a thing could explode within the church today but they don’t want it to. They are comfortable in their ‘religion’ and fear that revival might bring about some kind of dangerous fanaticism.
There are still others who talk much and loudly about our need of revival in the church of Jesus Christ. And they are quite passionate and sincere about it. But they never get past talking about it. Unfortunately, talking about revival will not bring it. Neither will the fleshly effort of man open the floodgates of Heaven.
Travel back in time to every great revival that has ever fallen upon the church and you will see that every single one, without exception, was born out of mighty and travailing prayer.
Watch as a man named John Hyde hides away in a closet for weeks on end, unseen by the world, crying out to God for Him to break forth among the heathen of India. Feel this man’s agony as he carries the burden of his God for the lost and dares not eat or rest until God brings awakening among this Christ-less multitude. And watch as God pours forth His Spirit and brings a mighty revival in answer to this little man’s endless petitions.
Watch as John Wesley’s preaching causes thousands of men and women to fall on their faces, paralyzed by the Spirit. Walk the streets as pubs and whore-houses are shut down because of the mighty movement of God sweeping the land through this man. And then listen to his famous quote, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”
Read about David Brainerd who was small, weak, and deathly sick in his physical body but was a giant in the prayer closet. Observe him as his frail 85-pound body falls on its knees in feet of snow in the dead of winter and prays from sunrise to sunset for the heathen Natives. Feel the passion and fervor of his prayer as all the snow melts around him from the heat of his fiery prayer. And watch as the Natives are transformed and turned into new creations in Christ.
The stories are endless, many are written in earthy books and many are too sacred and glorious to put into words. But throughout history, God has been moved and His power has been manifested in response to the unseen and unending petitions of little, unimpressive men.
Where are such men today? Where are the men with calloused knees and teary eyes? Enough of our revival-talk. Who is willing to give his life for such a thing? Who is willing to carry the burden of God for His adulterous bride who is running hard after the world? Who is willing to carry the burden of God for the lost who are dancing their way to eternal hell-fire? This is life or death!
We believe that our programs and preaching will bring transforming revival and Satan laughs. Satan himself is not even foolish enough to believe such a thing. We spend most of our days doing things for God and let the cobwebs grow within our prayer closet. This is foolishness, utter foolishness.
We should be ashamed of our weak, selfish, and powerless prayer lives and our lack of care for the things of God. We are helpless and hopeless until we learn to stand and fight with our God in persistent, intercessory prayer.
God is looking throughout the earth for men to recruit into His school of prayer, where true men are made. So few enter this school and even fewer graduate. But you must enroll and give your life for such a cause for the glory of your King. You must wipe the cobwebs from your prayer closet and plead with the Spirit of the Living God to make you such a man.
If you will not do this, then you might as well dig your own grave and lay down until your dying day for all your efforts and work for God will be a shameful waste.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Thompson is a man of prayer. Growing up near Chicago, Illinois, Nick attended a Bible college in Nashville for a few years before moving to Colorado to attend Ellerslie, a Bible/missionary school whose purpose is to train and equip men and women for the heroic and victorious Christian life. Nick has a burden for India and is daily feasting in the richness of Jesus through prayer and saturation of the Word.
