Is United Prayer for Revival Just Religious Showmanship? | Jonathan Edwards

Deep Dive into Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom on Earth by Jonathan Edwards -That Such Agreement is Whimsical and Pharisaical, AnsweredIn his defense of extraordinary, united prayer, Jonathan Edwards addresses arguments that coordinating prayer at the exact same time across different locations is whimsical or Pharisaical. He clarifies that simultaneous prayer is not proposed because it inherently forces God to act simply by virtue of timing, but rather because it is highly expedient for organizing and encouraging believers.First, setting specific times for prayer promotes and maintains unity among Christians. Edwards warns that a vague commitment to pray more frequently is easily neglected and forgotten over time. By establishing particular seasons for prayer, distant churches can confidently rely on each other to faithfully uphold the shared practice.Second, agreeing on a specific time makes the spiritual union of believers visible. Since believers in distant places cannot gather in the same physical location, synchronizing the time of their worship is the most practical way to manifest their shared agreement, similar to the scheduling of public fasts and thanksgiving days. Without an agreed-upon schedule, believers would never know if or when others were actually joining them in prayer.Third, Edwards argues that knowing others are praying concurrently provides immense psychological and spiritual encouragement. Because human nature is naturally more affected by present events than by past or future ones, the awareness that fellow believers are actively engaged in the same worship at the exact same moment naturally animates a person's faith.Finally, Edwards refutes the claim that this organized prayer is Pharisaical or an attempt to boastfully distinguish a small group from others. He notes that the explicit goal of the proposal is to invite all Christians to participate, making the practice universal rather than exclusive.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerWorship Music: https://suno.com/playlist/3a498d0f-c90e-4981-8aa7-59834e7239f7https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730