Charles Finney was an evangelist whom God brought significant reformation and revival throughout the USA in the early to mid 1800’s. He was a man whose ministry was characterized by holiness, the Holy Spirit, strong preaching and prayer.

Before Charles traveled to preach and teach he would send his intercessor, Daniel Nash into a community with a handful of other believers to covenant to pray. They would arrive at the community weeks before Charles and break up the “fallow ground” in the spiritual environment by prayer. Their practice was to pray so when Charles arrived the city or community was ready to receive the seeds of the Kingdom. With such an emphasis on prayer and sharing the Gospel there is an estimated five hundred thousand people who responded to Christ under Finney’s ministry.

Prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel yields an incredible impact.

Here are some (possibly challenging) questions for you this week:

• How are you breaking up the “fallow ground” in prayer before you share the Gospel with others?
• How are you mobilizing others to break up the “fallow ground” by prayer before your ministry impacts others with the Gospel?
• Do you have an intercessor or intercessory team who partners with God and your ministry in prayer?

 
(This story comes from Finney’s Memoirs that he began when in Rochester the first time around 1830)