What is the spirit of prayer? (Charles Finney)

What is the spirit of prayer? (Charles Finney)

2022/3/26

Roman 8:26-27 NKJV
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 NKJV
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

“Every minister should know if the prayer meetings are neglected, all his work is in vain.”  －Charles Finney

“One individual who obtains the spirit of prayer will often spread around a whole church, so that a general revival follows.”  －Charles Finney

“Unless I had the spirit of prayer, I could do nothing.” －Charles G. Finney

“Both the Lord Jesus Christ AND the Holy Spirit are a Christian’s best intercessor(Hebrews 7:25) and best prayer partner.(Rom 8:26-27)  So in prayer, a Christian is never alone or lonely!” －Johnson and Pearl

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV
“Therefore He is also able to save [a]to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

“The depth of revival will be determined exactly by the depth of the spirit (attitude) of repentance. And this will hold true for all people, at all times."  -Frank Bartleman, received from God in early 1905.

“The deepest repentance and humility and our own frailty and weakness must be realized before we can know God’s strength.”  -Frank Bartleman

“Prayerlessness is sin. In First Samuel 12:23, God calls prayerlessness sin.” －Leonard Ravenhill

1 Samuel 12:23 (KJV)“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.”

“A revival can be expected when Christians have “the spirit of prayer” for a revival.  That is, they pray as if their hearts were set on it.”  –Charles Finney, sermon called “When to expect revival.”

“The spirit of prayer is the state of the heart.  It is a state of continual desire and anxiety for the salvation of sinners.  A Christian who has this spirit of prayer feels concerned for souls.  Souls are always on his mind.  He thinks of souls by day and dreams of souls by night.  Sometimes this feeling is very deep.  It is a deep, continual, earnest desire for the salvation of sinners. ”  –Charles Finney, sermon called “When to expect revival.”

“The spirit of prayer is just what Paul felt when he said, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth” (Gal. 4:19). This labor of soul is that deep agony that people feel when they hold on to God for a blessing and will not let Him go until they receive it.  I do not mean to say that it is essential to have this great distress in order to have the spirit of prayer. But this deep, continual, earnest desire for the salvation of sinners is what constitutes the spirit of prayer for a revival. ”  –Charles Finney, sermon called “When to expect revival.”

“A revival can be expected when Christians are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to carry it on. They must be willing to sacrifice their feelings, business, and time to help the work. Ministers must be willing to expend their energy. They must be willing to offend the impenitent by plain and faithful speech and perhaps offend many members of the church who will not repent. They must take a stand regarding the revival, whatever the consequences. They must be prepared to go on with the work even though they risk losing the affection of the impenitent and cold members of the church. The minister must be prepared, if it is the will of God, to be driven away from the place. He must be determined to go straight forward, leaving the event in God’s hands. ”  –Charles Finney, sermon called “When to expect revival.”

“Revival is wrought by God though His Holy Spirit, who works in believers as the Spirit of Prayer.”  －Leonard Ravenhill

“Believers are often led to expect a revival and to pray for it in faith, when nobody else can see the least sign of it.” －Charles Finney

“The Bible says, “The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” 。 The meaning of this, as I understand it, is that the Spirit excites desires too great to be uttered except by groans—making the soul too full to utter its feelings by words. The person can only groan them out to God, who understands the language of the heart.” －Charles Finney(Chapter 4 The Spirit of Prayer from the book “How to experience revival”)

“God is not going to pour “the spirit of prayer” that brings conviction to sinners on you without any effort of your own. You must cherish the slightest impressions. Take the Bible and go over the passages that show the conditions and prospects of the world. Look at the world, your children, and your neighbors and see their condition while they remain in sin. Then, persevere in prayer and effort until you obtain the blessing of the Spirit of God.”  －Charles Finney(Chapter 4 The Spirit of Prayer from the book “How to experience revival”)

“Be careful not to grieve the Spirit. Recognize that nothing good will be done without His influences. No praying or preaching will make any difference without Him. If Jesus Christ were to come down here and preach to sinners, not one would be converted without the Spirit. Be careful, then, not to grieve Him by slighting or neglecting His heavenly influences when He invites you to pray.”  －Charles Finney(Chapter 4 The Spirit of Prayer from the book “How to experience revival”)

About rote/mechanical prayers

“Rote/mechanical prayers or set prayers are not only absurd, but also reject the leading of the Spirit.”  －Charles Finney(Chapter 4 The Spirit of Prayer from the book “How to experience revival”)

“Rote, mechanical, and robotic prayers, and repetitive prayers out a religious ritual instead of the true desire of the heart, are not only absurd, but also hinders us from entering the power of prayer” －Johnson and Pearl

“Prayer does not consist of mere words. It does not matter what the words are if the heart is not led by the Spirit of God. If the desire is not kindled, the thoughts directed, and the whole current of feeling produced and led by the Spirit of God, it is not prayer.”  －Charles Finney(Chapter 4 The Spirit of Prayer)

“If you live in such a manner that the Comforter will not make His presence known with you or give you the “spirit of prayer”, then you must repent. Do not stop to decide whether you are a Christian or not, but repent as if you have never repented. Do not take it for granted that you are a Christian, but go like a humble sinner and pour out your heart to the Lord. You can never have the spirit of prayer in any other way.”  －Charles Finney

“When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Muller’s reply was, “Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming.”  －Source Unknown.

“The true spirit of prayer is no other than God’s own Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the saints. And as this Spirit comes from God, so doth it naturally tend to God in holy breathings and pantings. It naturally leads to God, to converse with him by prayer.”－Jonathan Edwards

“Satan cannot deny but that great wonders have been wrought by prayer. As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down. Satan’s strategies against prayer are three. First, if he can, he will keep thee from prayer. If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt thee in prayer. And, thirdly, if that plot takes not, he will labor to hinder the success of thy prayer.”  －William Gurnall

“The Prince of the power of the air seems to bend all the force of his attack against the spirit of prayer.”   －Andrew Bonar

Love never fails…Love is a decision.

“A continuous decision to love souls and intercede for them will NEVER FAIL to pray down God’s Shekinah glory and the Spirit’s outpouring.”  －Johnson and Pearl

Jesus taught that God will grant answers to prayer when prayer is persistent.

“You must persevere.  You are not to pray for a thing once, then cease, and call that the prayer of faith.  Look at Daniel.  He prayed 21 days and did not stop until he obtained the blessing.  He held on 3 weeks, then the answer came.  Jesus taught that God will grant answers to prayer when prayer is persistent.”  –Charles Finney

“Fasting is abstaining from anything that hinders prayer.”   －Andrew Bonar

“The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer.” －Leonard Ravenhill

“God sends His fire on the sacrifice, not on the altar.”  –Leonard Ravenhill

“No sacrifice on the altar means no fire.  The fire of God never falls on an empty altar. The greater the sacrifice, the more the fire.” –Frank Bartleman

“To pray effectively, you must pray with submission to the will of God.  If you plan to pray effectively, you must pray a lot.  It was said of the apostle James that after his death, people noticed his knees were callous, like a camel’s, from praying so much. Ah, here was the secret of success of those ministers!  They had callous knees!  –Charles Finney, prevailing prayer

The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.－E.M. Bounds

“Fervent prayer is an attitude and decision of the heart.  It is the daily need, decision, desire, and hunger of the heart for God’s Glory to come and stay on earth while leading sinners to true repentance and the daily carrying of the cross of Jesus.  A Christian who prays fervently has a daily and deep, deep concern for souls.  Souls are always on his mind.  He thinks of souls by day and dreams of souls by night.  This deep, continual, earnest desire for the salvation of sinners is what constitutes a fervent prayer for revival or outpouring of the Spirit of God. The ultimate purpose of a fervent prayer is God’s will being done on earth, and the maximum glorification of God and Jesus Christ in our generation.”  －Johnson and Pearl

James 5:16 KJV “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

“I care not where I go, or how I live, or what I endure so that I may save souls. When I sleep I dream of them; when I awake they are first in my thoughts.”– David Brainerd

“Prayer that does not give up are the only ones that go up to heaven. And prayers that conform to God’s will are the only ones He will listen.” －Johnson and Pearl

“A revival is near when Christians begin to confess their sins to one another.  Usually they confess in a general half-hearted manner.  They may do it in eloquent language, but it means nothing.  But when there is honest breaking down and pouring out of the heart in confession of sin, the floodgates will soon burst open, and salvation will flow everywhere!”  –Charles Finney, sermon called “When to expect revival.

“A revival can be expected when Christians are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to carry it on. They must be willing to sacrifice their feelings, business, and time to help the work.”  –Charles Finney, sermon called “When to expect revival.”

“Depend upon it, if you are bent on prayer, the devil will not leave you alone. He will molest you, tantalize you, block you, and will surely find some hindrances, big or little or both. And we sometimes fail because we are ignorant of his devices… I do not think he minds our praying about things if we leave it at that. What he minds, and opposes steadily, is the prayer that prays on until it is prayed through, assured of the answer.”   －Mary Booth

“The shortest distance between a problem and the solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.”  -Anonymous

The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

“For the sake of a lost & dying world, pay the price, get God’s power & SET THE CAPTIVES FREE” –John G. Lake

“A full and complete surrender is the price of blessing; it is the price of revival."  -Duncan Campbell

“The human soul is ever lazy toward God.  The real fact is that men are not willing to pay the full price to come back fully to God’s standard, to be all the Lord’s.”   –Frank Bartleman