Hello, thanks for opening this newsletter. Today’s article is from Johnathan Edwards (1703-1758) a prominent Puritan theologian and pastor in the United States, known for his significant contributions to American philosophy and religion.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; [It shall] yet [come to pass], that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities:
And the inhabitants of one [city] shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.
Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
- Zechariah 8:20-22 KJV
The good which shall be brought by prayer: God Himself
In Zechariah 8:20-22 we have an account of how the future advancement of the Church should occur. It would come to fruition as multitudes from different towns resolve to unite in extraordinary prayer, seeking God until He manifests Himself and grants the fruits of his presence.
Editors Note: This is exactly how we believe a similar revival can happen in our day. That in every town and neighborhood, we are gathered in small groups in prayers for it.
Scripture says, 'They shall go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts.' The good that they seek for is 'The Lord of Hosts,' Himself. If 'seeking God' means no more than seeking the favor or mercy of God then 'praying before the Lord,' and 'seeking the Lord of Hosts' must be looked upon as synonymous.
However, 'seeking the Lord' is commonly used to mean something far more than seeking something from God.
Surely it implies that God Himself is what is desired and sought after!
Thus, the Psalmist desired God, thirsted after Him and sought after Him: 'O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My flesh longs for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary ... My soul follows hard after thee ... Whom have I in heaven by thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.'
The Psalmist earnestly pursued after God; his soul thirsted after Him, he stretched forth his hands unto Him. All of God's saints have this in common: they are those that seek God. 'This is the generation of them that seek Him.' 'Your heart shall live that seek God,' etc.
If this be the true sense of this phrase 'seeking the Lord of Hosts,' then we must understand that God who had withdrawn Himself, or, as it were, hid Himself, would return to His Church, granting the fruits of His presence and communion with His people, which He so often promised, and for which His Church had so long waited.
In short, it seems reasonable to understand the phrase, 'seeking the Lord of Hosts' means not merely praying to God, but seeking the promised restoration of the Church of God after the Babylonian captivity and the great apostasy occasioning it is called their 'seeking God, and searching for Him;' and God's granting this promised revival and restoration called His being 'found of them.' (See Jer. 29:10-14)
The prophets occasionally represent God as being withdrawn and hiding Himself: 'Verily thou art a God that hides thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. I hid me, and was wroth.' The prophets then go on to represent God's people seeking Him, searching and waiting for and calling after Him.
When God answers their prayers and restores and advances His people, according to His promise, then He is said to come and say, 'Here am I' and to show Himself, and they are said to find Him and see Him plainly. 'Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I ...'
'But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation ... I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.' 'The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.' We wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.' (Isa. 58:9; Isa. 45:17,19; Isa. 25:8-9)
Our Intercessors Prayer
O, Lord God, full of mercy and loving-kindness, so patient with us. May we today have an earnestness to seek You, to search out where You are, and wait upon Your holy presence, calling out for You alone. Make the one thing we desire be You, not for what You would give to satisfy our temporal cravings, but just You. That is enough, indeed, more than enough! To have near—in heart, soul, and mind, the peace of the Spirit, the love of Jesus, the sure comfort of the Father. Today, we go and pray before You Lord, seeking the Lord of Hosts.
Amen
On Corporate Prayer For Revival by Johnathan Edwards.
Edwards preached in various places throughout his career, including a small Presbyterian church on William Street in New York City, his own congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts, and in Enfield, Connecticut.
He is well-known for his role in the First Great Awakening, a spiritual revival that swept through the American colonies in the 18th century. His sermons, like "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," were known for their passionate and emotive delivery, which contributed to the religious fervor of the time. His writings also extensively documented the revival.
Until next time, grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…
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