2 Chron 7:14    “…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  NKJV

             Nearly 50 years earlier, a similar movement of prayer took place, bringing our country to its knees.  It all started in 1857, in New York’s Manhattan area, with an individual named Jeremiah Lanphier, who had a burden from the Lord to start a noon prayer meeting.  He had advertised and promoted it, but when the day arrived, only six people attended.  He was faithful to continue pressing forward each week, and that soon brought a steady increase in attendance.  Before long, prayer meetings began to spring up in almost all of the public buildings downtown.  The well-known newspaper editor Horace Greeley sent one of his reporters in horse and buggy to count how many people were in attendance at the noon prayer meeting.  Time was against him, limiting him to making it to 12 meetings in the one,  hour prayer time, yet he counted 6,100 persons praying.  The publicity thrust a landslide of prayer, beginning a movement  that spread throughout New England.  Reports indicate that in one year more than a million people were converted.[i]

The revival had no boundaries at that point, going out in every direction.  Some say that people were converted at the rate of 10,000 per week in New York City.  Quickly moving in every direction, the Revival continued to have a great effect upon whatever stood in its path. Lives were affected and changed for the glory of God.  Shortly after the revival had begun, the country found itself in the middle of the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil.  Think of all the young men who lost their lives in this war.  Yet due to the moving of God, many of their souls were saved! God’s grace and mercy truly does endure forever!

•  A city, a region and ultimately a nation was impacted for the Kingdom of God.
•  Today will you be that one person who will stand in Prayer?
•  It might be your discipline for prayer that stirs your family, community or city to turn towards God.

Choose to find a time and place to spend some of your day with the Lord.  It doesn’t have to be some great amount of time, just give the Lord what you can.   Many times we set ourselves up for failure because we put to great of commitment on ourselves.  Start small and grow each day.

  It starts with You!