George Whitefield (1714 - 1770) was an itinerant, evangelistic preacher, of Calvinistic theology, who was instrumentally used by God during the First Great Awakening.
In an urgent prayer for revival, he begged the Lord to raise up another generation of pastors and evangelists who would share his burden for God's glory and the souls of men. He prayed,
"Yeah
that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more . . . raise up unto
Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ. And what
manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated
by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds
and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be
men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal
ambitions; men who are willing to be 'fools for Christ's sake', who will bear
reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire
will be, not to gain earth's accolades, but to win the Master's approbation
when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will
preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God
will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness
'signs and wonders following' in the transformation of multitudes of human
lives."
A year or so ago, when I was completing my first trip through the devotional commentary Hold Fast the Faith by Matthew Everhard, I read Whitefield's prayer which was included in the last few pages. I was touched deeply by it and, in tears, began to pray for such pastors to, once again,emerge today.
Ran across this thru Modern Reformation Magazine and the Whitehorse Inn. I must say I agree wholeheartedly yet I think husbands and fathers in their families ought to be included in there somewhere as well.
thank you for your post on Whitefield's prayer. I was made aware of a prayer he wrote and specifically to give to people who were bothered about the state of their soul (so unlike the sinner's prayer today). I've done some brief searches for the wording of this prayer but nothing has turned up. Are you familiar with that specific prayer of George Whitefield?
I pray together with my father Whitefield that God will raise pastors that will be guided by the holy Spirit to bring many people to Jesus but not to themselves.
"Yeah that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more . . . raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ. And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be 'fools for Christ's sake', who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth's accolades, but to win the Master's approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness 'signs and wonders following' in the transformation of multitudes of human lives."
A year or so ago, when I was completing my first trip through the devotional commentary Hold Fast the Faith by Matthew Everhard, I read Whitefield's prayer which was included in the last few pages. I was touched deeply by it and, in tears, began to pray for such pastors to, once again,emerge today.
ReplyDeleteRan across this thru Modern Reformation Magazine and the Whitehorse Inn. I must say I agree wholeheartedly yet I think husbands and fathers in their families ought to be included in there somewhere as well.
ReplyDeletethank you for your post on Whitefield's prayer. I was made aware of a prayer he wrote and specifically to give to people who were bothered about the state of their soul (so unlike the sinner's prayer today). I've done some brief searches for the wording of this prayer but nothing has turned up. Are you familiar with that specific prayer of George Whitefield?
ReplyDeleteThese word appear in the preface to volume one of Arnold Dallimore's two volume biography of Whitfield published by The Banner of Truth Trust
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing this man was so used by God .we say amen to His prayers for our Nation's
ReplyDeleteI pray together with my father Whitefield that God will raise pastors that will be guided by the holy Spirit
ReplyDeleteto bring many people to Jesus but not to themselves.