United Prayer
Jonathan Edwards’ United Prayer: “Concerts of Prayer”
“A Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union Among God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth, According to Scriptural Promises and Prophecies of the Last Time” (1748, original title)
This book urges extraordinary prayer, not ordinary prayer, for the two most urgent and glorious petitions: revival of the Church and global evangelization. It is both a challenge and plea for churches to unite across regions, cultures, denominations, and doctrines.
This is not a prayer to escape present crises. It is the most essential and urgent prayer the Church must unite in. The fulfillment of world missions lies in God’s sovereign will, but we are called to humbly plead. That’s why Edwards called it “a humble attempt.”
The key pattern in this book is “prayer – revival – mission”, or more specifically, “intercession – spiritual awakening – world evangelization.” Revival is when God sovereignly visits His Church and renews its awareness of His presence.
The Biblical Basis of the Concerts of Prayer
(Zechariah 8:20–23,NIV) 20 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, 21 and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ 22 And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.” 23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”
Zechariah 8 contains a prophecy about the glorious advancement the Church of God will experience. It foretells that people from many nations will come into the Church, and that worshipers of God will increase to at least ten times the number of the Jews. From the time of Zechariah to the coming of Christ, no event fully corresponded to this prophecy. Though it was partially fulfilled in the calling of the Gentiles during the apostolic age, it will ultimately be accomplished through the glorious expansion of the Church in the end times. The Holy Spirit is clearly concerned with the greatest and final advancement of God’s Church on earth. Some prophecies were historically fulfilled in Israel’s past, but even those were mere shadows pointing to their perfect achievement in the future.
Zechariah 8 speaks of God gathering His people from the East and the West and leading them to Jerusalem. It also prophesies that ten people from every nation will grasp the robe of one Jew. These events did not occur during the Jews’ return from Babylon. This clearly points to a future time when multitudes will be drawn into the embrace of Christ, to be fulfilled when the Jews receive the blessings of His kingdom after the fall of Babylon and the defeat of the Antichrist.
》Prayer Points
1. The Church must unite with others globally to pray for the fulfillment of this promised glory—this is its sacred duty. Let us ask the Lord to pour out a “spirit of grace and supplication” upon all churches, so that a fire of united prayer rises up for the revival of God’s kingdom and the completion of global missions.
“I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication; they will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”(Zechariah 12:10,NIV)
2. The one we should seek most deeply through prayer is God Himself. Let us pray that those who intercede will long for God alone, enjoying the blessing of union with Christ through the Cross. And pray that God would visit His Church sovereignly, bringing revival and filling it with the glory of His kingdom.
12 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” 13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”(Jeremiah 29:12–13,NIV)
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy; when the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.(Isaiah 52:8,NIV)
3. United prayer must be global. Pray that the Church, which hopes for revival of the kingdom of God and completion of missions, will be filled with a deeper longing for prayer and unity. May the stream of this life flow into every congregation, awakening them to rise and participate together.
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night; you who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.(Isaiah 62:6–7,NIV)
4. Joint prayer for the Lord’s return and completion of missions must be urgent and unceasing. Let us pray that those who pray will be grounded not in feelings but in truth, and that the Holy Spirit would grant them unwavering hope and a spirit of ceaseless intercession.
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was very old and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four; she never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.(Luke 2:36–38,NIV)
》 Urgent prayer requests around the world need your prayer!
