Solparvus
Puritan Board Senior
Quote taken from Alexander Cumming's lecture on prayer for revival, from Richard Owen Roberts' "Lectures on Revival," delivered by ministers of Scotland. Go and buy this book!!
A private Christian who holds no office, has no public prominence, prays alone. Ordinarily, God does great works when believers unite themselves in prayer. But despite that being an ordinary case, can that private Christian believe or expect that God may indeed by their prayers turn the world upside down or effect great wonders in their own nation?
Edwards and Cumming say, "Absolutely."
"Determined that this objection is without weight, namely, That it is not likely that God will make great alterations on the whole world, and overturnings in kingdoms and nation, only for the prayers of one obscure person seeing such things used to be done in answer to the united earnest prayers of the whole church, and if my prayers should have some influence; it would be imperceptible and small." -Jonathan Edwards
Cummings continues...
"Moses alone stood in the breach to arrest the tide of indignation that was about to roll over Israel; Daniel's aspirations turned the captivity of Israel; and God said at a time when Israel was rushing with headlong recipitation into a gulph of idolatry and immorality, Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the city, they should deliver but their own souls, implying that in cases of ordinary turpitude, they would save a whole nation. If therefore, our souls are impregnated with a principle of saving faith, we may, in the retirement of our chamber, achieve victories that will tell on the destinies of the nation."
James 5:16b–18
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we [ordinary Christians] are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
A private Christian who holds no office, has no public prominence, prays alone. Ordinarily, God does great works when believers unite themselves in prayer. But despite that being an ordinary case, can that private Christian believe or expect that God may indeed by their prayers turn the world upside down or effect great wonders in their own nation?
Edwards and Cumming say, "Absolutely."
"Determined that this objection is without weight, namely, That it is not likely that God will make great alterations on the whole world, and overturnings in kingdoms and nation, only for the prayers of one obscure person seeing such things used to be done in answer to the united earnest prayers of the whole church, and if my prayers should have some influence; it would be imperceptible and small." -Jonathan Edwards
Cummings continues...
"Moses alone stood in the breach to arrest the tide of indignation that was about to roll over Israel; Daniel's aspirations turned the captivity of Israel; and God said at a time when Israel was rushing with headlong recipitation into a gulph of idolatry and immorality, Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the city, they should deliver but their own souls, implying that in cases of ordinary turpitude, they would save a whole nation. If therefore, our souls are impregnated with a principle of saving faith, we may, in the retirement of our chamber, achieve victories that will tell on the destinies of the nation."
James 5:16b–18
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we [ordinary Christians] are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
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