It All Began With a Prayer Meeting
It All Began With a Prayer Meeting
"All these were devoting themselves to prayer." Acts 1:14
On this day, July 1, in the Year of our Lord 1857, the North Dutch Reform Church in New York City appointed Jeremiah Lanphier to do outreach because they were in spiritual decline. Lanphier was forty years old and a single businessman. The church thought that as a layman, he might be able to connect with other businesspeople. When he presented the idea of having a prayer meeting for business leaders, the church board was less than enthusiastic, but they gave their half-hearted approval.
A journalist described Lanphier as “tall, with a pleasant face, an affectionate manner, and indomitable energy and perseverance; a good singer, gifted in prayer and exhortation, a welcome guest in any house, shrewd and endowed with much tact and common sense.”
Lanphier distributed a flyer to businesspeople in New York City which read, “A Day Prayer Meeting is held every Wednesday from twelve to one o’clock in the Consistory Building in the rear of the North Dutch Reform Church, corner of Fulton and Williams Streets. This meeting is intended to give merchants, mechanics, clerks, strangers, and businessmen generally an opportunity to stop and call on God amid the perplexities incident to their respective avocations. It will continue for one hour but it is also designed for those who find it inconvenient to remain more than five or ten minutes, as well as for those who can spare a whole hour.”
Three months later, the prayer meeting would begin, and six months after it began, more than a hundred thousand business leaders would be praying every noon in New York City alone. Within two years, a million converts were added to American churches. It all began with a prayer meeting.
Father God, teach me to pray and gather others with me in prayer, for Jesus Christ’s sake.
YEAR ON FIRE
© Fred A. Hartley, III
All rights reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, the English Standard Bible (ESV) is used.
This daily Christ-encountering, fire-starter is not intended to replace your daily Bible reading and prayer time, but rather to motivate you to spend extended time in His presence.
"All these were devoting themselves to prayer." Acts 1:14
On this day, July 1, in the Year of our Lord 1857, the North Dutch Reform Church in New York City appointed Jeremiah Lanphier to do outreach because they were in spiritual decline. Lanphier was forty years old and a single businessman. The church thought that as a layman, he might be able to connect with other businesspeople. When he presented the idea of having a prayer meeting for business leaders, the church board was less than enthusiastic, but they gave their half-hearted approval.
A journalist described Lanphier as “tall, with a pleasant face, an affectionate manner, and indomitable energy and perseverance; a good singer, gifted in prayer and exhortation, a welcome guest in any house, shrewd and endowed with much tact and common sense.”
Lanphier distributed a flyer to businesspeople in New York City which read, “A Day Prayer Meeting is held every Wednesday from twelve to one o’clock in the Consistory Building in the rear of the North Dutch Reform Church, corner of Fulton and Williams Streets. This meeting is intended to give merchants, mechanics, clerks, strangers, and businessmen generally an opportunity to stop and call on God amid the perplexities incident to their respective avocations. It will continue for one hour but it is also designed for those who find it inconvenient to remain more than five or ten minutes, as well as for those who can spare a whole hour.”
Three months later, the prayer meeting would begin, and six months after it began, more than a hundred thousand business leaders would be praying every noon in New York City alone. Within two years, a million converts were added to American churches. It all began with a prayer meeting.
Father God, teach me to pray and gather others with me in prayer, for Jesus Christ’s sake.
YEAR ON FIRE
© Fred A. Hartley, III
All rights reserved
Unless otherwise indicated, the English Standard Bible (ESV) is used.
This daily Christ-encountering, fire-starter is not intended to replace your daily Bible reading and prayer time, but rather to motivate you to spend extended time in His presence.
No Comments