The following excerpts are taken from AN ANTHOLOGY OF EARLY BAPTISTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. It was originally published in 1836 and republished in 2001 by Particular Baptist Press.
A number of young people were now under concern for their salvation. Mr. John Peckins came and preached a powerful sermon; after which, while I was exhorting the people, there was much weeping and sobbing through the assembly, which increased till at length many broke out into a loud cry, which continued for an hour or more. We had something similar at a meeting the next day, but we had to lament over the most of those who made the greatest outcry; for they soon returned to their former courses, but others brought forth fruit.
I felt my heart very much drawn out in prayer for the dear youth. And I was often melted into tenderness while urging upon them the love of our dying Saviour. Not was I satisfied with praying for them in public, but I agonized in secret. There was a delightful water-fall in a pleasant grove, at a little distance from my dwelling, where I spent many precious seasons in prostrating myself before the Lord, mingling my feeble voice with the sound of many waters, in humble supplication for the blessing of God to descend upon the souls of the people to whom I preached the word. But sin was mixed with all I did. I often though that it was presumption to look for a divine blessing to attend the labours of one so weak and unworthy as I was; and yet, if any were brought to rejoice in hope under my preaching, this wretched heart would be seeking self-praise. But the Lord wrought wonders; and by the month of May, a considerable number were made to rejoice in hope, and were ready to offer themselves as candidates for baptism.
The attention of the people increased through the winter, and our prospects were more encouraging… I had strength to preach frequently in different parts of Newbury and Newburyport; and the Holy Spirit attended the word to the conviction of some of the young people…The members of the church were blessed with a spirit of prayer, and our prayer meetings became frequent, and were interesting. I held an inquiring meeting at my house on Monday evenings. In May and June, we had several candidates for baptism and membership, who were received…Thus the good work progressed, so that in about one year, the church had doubled in number.
There are several important points to notice in these excerpts. These all happened in local churches. God has set up the local church and that is His primary means of working through. It was preaching in the local churches and it was prayer in the local churches that God used. Not all of the meetings necessarily took place in a church building as such, but the meetings consisted of the people of God meeting for specific purposes. The minister in the second excerpt spent much time in private prayer for the people of his congregation that the blessing of God would descend on their souls. While he may have prayed for their physical and financial health, what is mentioned here is the blessing of God on their souls. In the modern day prayer meetings focus on health and wealth issues. If we are looking for true revival, we need to be praying for spiritual issues. God has given the vast amount of worldly riches to those His wrath is upon. What we must learn to seek is the blessings of God on souls. That is how Jesus prayed and that is how Paul prayed. They prayed for the work of God in the souls of men as that is true love.
The attention of the people in hearing the word increased and a spirit of prayer was given. God does not move just because churches offer words we call prayer, but only when there is true prayer. True prayer will not occur until He gives us a spirit of prayer, and we have to seek that as well. But when He begins to move in giving these things, the churches are strengthened and grow. Revival is biblical church growth and it is to be sought by prayer at all times and not just when it is convenient and we think we need something. A minister that feels the weight of the work of Satan in his soul with pride and desires for self-praise will be a minister that prays for his own heart and the hearts of others. Our prayers must be for souls and spiritual things because that is where the battle really is.
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