The excerpt below was taken courtesy of Megan Hill’s book Praying Together, faithful publisher.
Awakening, the extraordinary work of the Spirit of vivification and propagation, is often God’s response to the united prayers of his people. But when God responds gracefully, God’s people should not stop praying together. As shown in Chapter 2, God’s people are a people who pray; when he experiences an awakening, he prays even more, because he feels more deeply the privilege of referring to Christ and his Church, and takes the call to obedience even more seriously. an awakening When there is an awakening, people always pray together.
- This glorious cycle is evident in the book of Acts.
- After Jesus’ ascension.
- Did the believers persevere unanimously in prayer?(AT 1:14).
- Then the Lord filled them with His Spirit (Acts 2.
- 4) and regenerated many others (v.
- 41).
- Immediately afterwards.
- We find Christians praying together every day (v.
- 42:46).
- So they say that in every soul there was fear? (V.
- 43) and the Lord added to them.
- Day after day.
- Those who were saved (v.
- 47).
- The pattern is repeated throughout the history of the Church: people pray together.
- The Church strengthens.
- Many become.
- And people pray together again.
In the 1740s, the Spirit brought the revival of Cambuslang to Scotland. The pastor of Cambuslang Church reported that in February 1742, before waking up, the people of his church held “devoted and extraordinary prayers in large gatherings, praying especially for the success of the gospel. “Three months later, the newly resurrected Christians showed — a burning love for each other; divine worship was preserved in families; Have new prayer meetings been established involving both the elderly and young?Some in the parish itself, where twelve of these societies have already been opened, and others elsewhere, among which have they been revived?. The people gathered to pray were guided by the Lord, the number of people increased, and they prayed even more.
It is particularly moving to read the prayers of the children of Cambuslang and other parishes in this region. Students at one school asked the teacher for permission to hold a prayer meeting at the school. Some were “no more than 8 or 9 years old and others 12 or 13. ” Did you pray together three times a day? tomorrow noon and afternoon ?. At another school, “about twenty of them met twice a week and some had to walk a long distance in the dark to return on foot. ” One pastor reported: “It was observed that about 16 young people from the city gathered in a stable to pray. ” In other towns, have children been found praying in the fields? and “several girls between the ages of 10 and 14 have been observed meeting in a house to pray. ” In classrooms, in stables, in homes, the children of Scotland prayed together. In the morning, at noon and in the evening, they gave the Lord no rest. And with little voices and big prayers, they asked God to give them more. Ah, may the Lord pour out his Spirit today on the children and adults of our communities! This cycle? prayer and revival, revival and prayer? it will only end in eternity. With the coming of Christ, the Church will be definitely and completely established, never to be shaken again. The full harvest of redeemed souls will be gathered with joy in the heavenly barns. And God’s people will come alive more than before. Their bodies and souls will definitely be glorified. This latest revival, which will never fade, will bring an everlasting prayer meeting, and all the great multitude gathered will worship the Lamb forever.
When prayers mix. Almost all Christians affirm the centrality of prayer for a healthy Christian life, but for many, prayer is often a challenge, requiring intense personal commitment and self-discipline. a crucial element: the others.
Although personal prayer is important, God created the church to be a community of believers who pray together regularly. By exploring the rich biblical teaching of what it means to gather before the throne of God with one voice, Megan Hill establishes a theological basis for collective prayer and offers practical advice to make it a reality in our homes, communities, and churches.
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