Prayer Request
Prayer Call
Upon a motion being made to the ministers and messengers of the associate Baptist Churches assembled at Nottingham, respecting meeting for prayer, to bewall the low estate of religion, and arnestly implore a revival of our churches, and of the general cause of our Redeemer, and for that end to wrestle with God for the effusion of His Holy Spirit, which alone can produce the blesed effect, it was unanimously RESOLVED, to recommend to all our churches and congregations, the spending of one hour in this important exercise on the first Monday in every calendar month.
We solemnly exhort all the churches in our connexion, to engage heartily and perseveringly in the prosecution of this plan. And thus it may be well to endeavour to keep the same hour, as a token of our unity therein, it is supposed the following scheme may suit many congregations, viz to meet on the first Monday evening in May, June and July from 8 to 9. In Aug from 7 to 8; Sept and Oct. from 6 to 7; Nov. Dec. Jan. and Feb from 5 to 6; March from 6 to 7; and April from 7 to 8. Nevertheless if this hour, or even the particular evening, should not suit in particular places, we wish our brethren to fix on one more convenient to themselves.
We hope also that as many of us our brethren who lives at a distance from our places of worship may not be able to attend there, that as many as are conveniently situated in a village or neighbourhood, will unite in small societies at the same time. And if any single individual should be so situated as not to be able to attend to this duty in society with others, let him retire at the appointed hour, to unite the breath of prayer in private with those who are thus engaged in a more public manner. - The grand object in prayer is to be, that the Holy Spirit may be poured down on our ministers and churchs, that sinners may be converted, the saints edified, the interest of religion revived, and the Name of God glorified. And at the same time remember, we trust you will not confine your requests to your own societies, or to your own immediate connection; let the whole interest of the Redeemer be affectionately remembered, and the spread of the Gospel to the most distant parts of the habitable globe be the object of your most fervent requests. We shall rejoice if any other Christian societies of our own and other denominations will unite with us, and do now invite them most cordially to join heart and hand in the attempt.
Who can tell what the consequences of such an united effort in prayer may be! Let us plead with God the many gracious promises of His Word, which relate to the future success of His Gospel.
He has said "I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of isreal, to do it for them, I will increase them with men like a flock" Ezek 36:37.
Surely we have love enough to Zion to set apart one hour at a time, twelve times in a year, to seek her welfare.