EDWARD PAYSON - the POWER of PRAYER!
-by David Smithers.

E. M. Bounds in his classic little book "Power Through Prayer",
wrote, "What the Church needs today is not more or better
machinery, not new organizations or more and novel methods,
but men whom the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men
mighty in prayer."

Edward Payson was just such a man; a man mighty in prayer.
"He prayed without ceasing and felt safe nowhere but at the
throne of grace. He may be said to have studied theology on his
knees. Much of his time he spent literally prostrated with his
Bible open before him pleading the promise; "I will send the
comforter and when He, The Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide
you into all truth." Payson's advice to his fellow ministers was,
"prayer is the first thing, the second thing and the third thing
necessary to a minister
. Pray then my dear brother, pray, pray."
It has been well said that the secret of Edward Payson's ministry
was that he prayed much in secret. The scars on his bedroom
floor testify to this fact. Next to Payson's bed wh ere deep
grooves in the hardwood floor were his knees had pressed
repeatedly in times of travail.

To read "Praying Payson's" diary is to be touched by his heart
longings and tender love for Jesus and the lost. On January 4,
1807, he wrote, "I was favored with a spirit of prayer beyond all
my former experience. I was in great agony and wrestled both
for myself and others with great power. God seemed to bow the
heavens and come down and open all His treasures, bidding me,
take what I would."

January 29th, "I never felt such longings after God or such a
desire to depart to be with Christ. My soul thirsted for more full
communion with my God and Savior. I do not now feel satisfied
as I used to with the manifestations of the divine presence, but
still feel hungry and craving." February 18, "I was enabled to lie
at Jesus' feet and to wash them with the tears of contrition. No
pleasure I have ever found in the Christian life is superior to this."
February 28, "I was favored with great enlargement in prayer. I
seemed to be carried out of myself into the presence of God."

Like all true men of prayer, Payson understood the need for true
humility.
"It was the burden of his secret prayers that he might be
delivered from pride, from self-seeking, from preaching himself
instead of Christ Jesus the Lord." Through humility and fervent
prayer he was always in hopes of seeing a fresh wave of revival.
"The revivals which took place under his labors where numerous
and where characterized by a depth and power seldom seen."
Often Payson congregation was overwhelmed with a sense of
Christ's presence and power and irresistibly brought to tears. Mr.
Payson's diary testifies of the power and necessity of prayer for
revival. September 27th, "In the evening I was favored with great
faith and fervency in prayer. It seemed as if God would deny me
nothing, and I wrestled for multitudes of souls, and could not help
hoping there would be revival here." September 28, "I was favored
with the greatest degree of freedom and fervency in interceding
for others. I seemed to travail in birth with poor sinners and could
not help hoping the God is about to do something for His glory
and the good of souls." Within days, "Praying Payson" saw his
prayers answered through a fresh work of revival power.


On April 23, 1808, Edward Payson wrote, "My heart seemed
ready to break with its longings after holiness." Such longings for
heart purity, revival power and the person of Jesus are the marks
of a healthy and normal Christian life. The lack of these precious
things in the modern Church reveal a nominal Christian life. Too
much of what is called the Church today is not fit to live or die.
The nominal Christian is unfit to deal with our demon possessed
age or the coming judgment seat of Christ. Truly the Church's
greatest need is for men and women, mighty in prayer. We need
men and women who will pray and yearn for revival.
Lord make us a praying people!