CHAPTER VI THE PLACE OF.PRAYER IN EVANGELISM BY REV. R. A. TORREY, D. D., DEAN OF THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
The most important human factor in effective evangelism is PRAYER. Every great awakening in the history of the Church from the time of the Apostles, until today has been the result of prayer. There have been great awakenings with out much preaching, and there have been great awakenings with absolutely no organization, but there has never been a true awakening without much prayer. The first great ingathering in human history had its origin, on the human side, in a ten days’ prayer meeting. We read of the small company of early disciples: “These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). The result of that ten days’ prayer meeting is recorded in the 2nd chapter of the Acts of the Apostles: “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (2 :4 ) , and “there were added unto them in that day about 3,000 souls” (2 :41 ). That awakening proved real and permanent; those who were gath ered in on that greatest day in all Christian history, “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (2 :42). “And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved” (2 :47). Every great awakening from that day to this has had its earthly origin in prayer. “The Great Awakening” in the 18th century, in which Jonathan Edwards was one of the central figures, began with his famous “Call to Prayer.” The work of David Brainerd among the North American Indians, one 97
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