Jonathan Edwards on Revival

The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live. Psalm 69.32

An Humble Attempt
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“If the expression in the text [Ps. 69.32] be understood agreeably to this sense, then by seeking the Lord of hosts, we must understand a seeking, that God who had withdrawn, or as it were hid himself for a long time, would return to his church, and grant the tokens and fruits of his gracious presence, and those blessed communications of his Spirit to his people, and to mankind on earth, which he had often promised, and which his church had long waited for.”

It seems strange to suggest that God has “withdrawn, or as it were hid himself” from His Church today. But the measure of God’s presence with His people is that, in many ways, they turn their world rightside-up for King Jesus. They gather as one body for joyous worship; show the beauty of the Lord to their community in service to the needy; shine like lights before their neighbors by faithful and exuberant witness; and affect all aspects of life and culture with the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Spirit. Yeah. Where’s that happening? Upon a little reflection, it becomes clearer why we might suggest that God may have withdrawn and hidden Himself from His churches in our day. For while we are very busy, active, and in many ways “successful,” where is the evidence of Christ ruling in the hearts of the people around us, and in our culture and its priorities and morality? We need God to return to us, and for this to happen, we must seek Him in prayer.

Is it reasonable to suppose that the Church should have a more pronounced impact on culture and society than we see in our day? Why or why not?

Learn to Pray for Revival – and Pray!
We currently conduct three meetings to pray for revival, enlisting participants from around the country to come together in our online prayer room once a month – or once a week – to seek the Lord for revival. We use selected psalms to guide our time together, and spend around 30 minutes in prayer together. Join us. We’d like to begin a second weekly group, convening at 4:00 Eastern time each week, to seek the Lord for revival. If you’d like to be part of this group, or if you would like to join an existing revival prayer group, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ready for Revival?
Are you praying for revival? Are you gathering others to pray with you? Are you preparing your church for the coming harvest? You can, and you should. Two resources from our bookstore can help. The book, Restore Us!, can provide the rationale, resources, and encouragement you need to take up this calling as an ongoing aspect of your walk with and work for the Lord. Order your copy by clicking here. And our book, Preparing Your Church for Revival, shows you how to ready the hearts of church members and leaders for the work we look to God to do in our community. Order your copy by clicking here.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations are from Jonathan Edwards, An Humble Attempt, &c. in Edward Hickman, ed. The Works of Jonathan Edwards(Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1834, 1995), Vol. Two, pp. 278ff.