The book by Edwin and Lillian Harvey, entitled How They Prayed Volume 3, stresses the role of prayer in revivals, widespread and local, and the emphasis many pastors and missionaries placed on private and public prayer. The following quotations from missionaries to Africa and India encourage us to give communion with God top priority in our service for Christ:
“The danger of our day is devotion to duty to the neglect of personal communion. We will do far more and far better if we carefully guard against hindering our times of communion with Him.
“As well try to draw water out of a dry well as to try to carry on Christian service without drawing present life from the Living Vine.
“Christian, beware! Declension is always a slow leak, never a blowout. Flatness in spiritual living and serving is the result of a gradual slipping away from God in prayer and Bible Study, a neglecting of the means of grace.”
“‘He wondered that there was no intercessor.’
“‘He marveled because of their unbelief.’
“Two things that cause God to wonder now will be our greatest marvel by and by: 1. That we did not pray more. 2. That we did not trust more. He marvels now―we shall marvel when we see Him. The most marvelous thing of today is the unbelief of the Christians.”
–Rowland Bingham
“The secret of failure everywhere is the neglect of private communion with God. India lives too public a life to have a deep Christianity. And Indian Christians will have to alter many of their customs before they get deeper.”
And again: “It is better to do a little well and prayerfully than to fulfill a whole world of engagements with undue haste and rush.”
–Walker of Tinevelly. (Used by permission)
“I have been more than usually drawn out in earnest prayer of late―for the expedition―for my family―the fear lest ___’s misrepresentation may injure the cause of Christ―the hope that I may be permitted to open this dark land to the blessed Gospel. I have cast all before my God. Good Lord, have mercy upon me. Leave me not, nor forsake me. He has guided well in time past. I commit my way to Him for the future. All I have received has come from Him. Will He be pleased in mercy to use me for His glory? I have prayed for this, and Jesus Himself said, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive,’ and a host of statements to the same effect.
–David. Livingstone
“What will it cost?” the people asked
As they planned the fall campaign;
While in past exploits they calmly basked,
Looking only for outside gain.
“Three hundred at least for evangelists;
Twenty for heat and light.
And remember the music enthusiasts.”
What a price for such a small fight.
“What will it cost?” List to Spirit’s pleas:
Praying, fasting, and tears.
Each member humbled on bended knees,
Confessing the faults of years.
“The rough made smooth, the crooked straight;
Recourse to repentance’s fruit.
The Breath of God on all who wait;
Healing for blind, deaf, and mute.”
If revival comes we will have to pay
In heavenly currency.
Not a part or e’en half, but ALL we must lay
At His feet! Is it YOUR plea?
―Floyd Banker. Used by permission as published in the Wesleyan Methodist.
These quotations have been taken from How They Prayed Volume Three which is published by Harvey Christian Publishers and is available in their Online Christian Bookstore.
The book by Edwin and Lillian Harvey, entitled How They Prayed Volume 3, stresses the role of prayer in revivals, widespread and local, and the emphasis many pastors and missionaries placed on private and public prayer. The following quotations from missionaries to Africa and India encourage us to give communion with God top priority in our service for Christ:
“The danger of our day is devotion to duty to the neglect of personal communion. We will do far more and far better if we carefully guard against hindering our times of communion with Him.
“As well try to draw water out of a dry well as to try to carry on Christian service without drawing present life from the Living Vine.
“Christian, beware! Declension is always a slow leak, never a blowout. Flatness in spiritual living and serving is the result of a gradual slipping away from God in prayer and Bible Study, a neglecting of the means of grace.”
“‘He wondered that there was no intercessor.’
“‘He marveled because of their unbelief.’
“Two things that cause God to wonder now will be our greatest marvel by and by: 1. That we did not pray more. 2. That we did not trust more. He marvels now―we shall marvel when we see Him. The most marvelous thing of today is the unbelief of the Christians.”
–Rowland Bingham
“The secret of failure everywhere is the neglect of private communion with God. India lives too public a life to have a deep Christianity. And Indian Christians will have to alter many of their customs before they get deeper.”
And again: “It is better to do a little well and prayerfully than to fulfill a whole world of engagements with undue haste and rush.”
–Walker of Tinevelly. (Used by permission)
“I have been more than usually drawn out in earnest prayer of late―for the expedition―for my family―the fear lest ___’s misrepresentation may injure the cause of Christ―the hope that I may be permitted to open this dark land to the blessed Gospel. I have cast all before my God. Good Lord, have mercy upon me. Leave me not, nor forsake me. He has guided well in time past. I commit my way to Him for the future. All I have received has come from Him. Will He be pleased in mercy to use me for His glory? I have prayed for this, and Jesus Himself said, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive,’ and a host of statements to the same effect.
–David. Livingstone
“What will it cost?” the people asked
As they planned the fall campaign;
While in past exploits they calmly basked,
Looking only for outside gain.
“Three hundred at least for evangelists;
Twenty for heat and light.
And remember the music enthusiasts.”
What a price for such a small fight.
“What will it cost?” List to Spirit’s pleas:
Praying, fasting, and tears.
Each member humbled on bended knees,
Confessing the faults of years.
“The rough made smooth, the crooked straight;
Recourse to repentance’s fruit.
The Breath of God on all who wait;
Healing for blind, deaf, and mute.”
If revival comes we will have to pay
In heavenly currency.
Not a part or e’en half, but ALL we must lay
At His feet! Is it YOUR plea?
―Floyd Banker. Used by permission as published in the Wesleyan Methodist.
These quotations have been taken from How They Prayed Volume Three which is published by Harvey Christian Publishers and is available in their Online Christian Bookstore.