The Impact of Prayer on the Ministries of DL Moody, CH
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Guillermin Library liberty University Lynchburg, VA 24502 THE IMP ACT OF PRAYER ON THE MINISTRIES OF D. L. MOODY, C. H. SPURGEON, AND BILLY GRAHAM: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Lynchburg, Virginia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Rodney Baker December 1999 © 1999 Rodney Baker This Thesis was prepared and presented to the faculty as a part of the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, Virginia. All rights and privileges normally reserved by the author and copyright holder are waived for the Seminary. The Seminary library may catalog, display, and use this Thesis in all normal ways such materials are used, for reference and for other purposes, including electronic and other means of preservation and circulation, including on-line computer access and other means by which library materials in the future may be made available to researchers and library users. LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET IV To Our 24-Hour Intercessor--Jesus Hebrews 7:25 TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL PAGE ..................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................. vi ABSTRACT ........................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ....................................................... 1 Chapter 1 PRAYER IN THE EARLY LIFE, CONVERSION, AND CALL OF D.L.MOODY .............................................. 4 The Influence of Prayer in Moody's Early Life .............. 4 Prayer and the Conversion ofD. L. Moody ................. 10 Prayer and Moody's Call to the Ministry .................. 16 Young Men's Christian Association ................ 19 Moody Meets Sankey ........................... 22 2 EVANGELIST-REVIVALIST, D. L. MOODY'S ANOINTED MINISTRY ............................................... 26 Prayer and the Preaching ofD. L. Moody .................. 26 Thy Undergirding Power of Prayer in the Ministry ofD. L. Moody ................................ 31 Personal Prayer Life ofD. L. Moody ..................... 33 Praying for the Power of the Holy Spirit ................... 36 Prayer and Soulwinning ................................ 39 Prayer and Sunday School Work ......................... 45 VI Prayer Revival of 1857-8 and Its Impact on D. L. Moody's Ministry ...................................... 47 Prayer in His Meetings ................................ 50 Prayer in His School .................................. 56 Prayer in His Family Life .............................. 59 3 PRAYER IN THE EARLY LIFE, CONVERSION, AND CALL OF C. H. SPURGEON .......................................... 65 The Influence of Prayer in Spurgeon's Early Life ............ 65 Prayer and the Conversion of C. H. Spurgeon ............... 71 Prayer and Spurgeon's Call to the Ministry ................. 74 4 PASTOR-EVANGELIST, CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON'S ANOINTED MINISTRY ..................................... 80 Prayer and the Preaching of Charles Spurgeon .............. 80 Prayer and the Metropolitan Tabernacle ................... 86 Prayer Revival of 1857-8 and Its Impact on Spurgeon's Ministry ...................................... 93 Personal Prayer Life of C. H. Spurgeon ................... 96 Manner of Prayer ..................................... 98 Naturalness of Prayer ................................. 100 Prayer and Soulwinning . 101 Prayer and Soulwinning at the Metropolitan Tabernacle ..... 106 Praying for the Power ofthe Holy Spirit .................. 107 Prayer and Power in Preaching ......................... 109 Prayer in the Midst of Trials ........................... 111 Prayer and the Pastor's College ......................... 114 Vll Prayer and His Family ................................ 118 5 COMPARING SPURGEON'S AND MOODY'S PRAYER LIVES .. 123 6 PRAYER IN THE EARLY LIFE, CONVERSION, AND CALL OF BILLY GRAHAM ......................................... 130 The Influence of Prayer in Graham's Early Life ............ 130 Prayer and the Conversion of Billy Graham ............... 133 Prayer and Graham's Call to the Ministry ................. 136 7 EVANGELIST BILLY GRAHAM'S ANOINTED MINISTRY ..... 142 Prayer and Soulwinning ............................... 142 Prayer and Powerful Preaching ......................... 147 Prayer and the Bible .................................. 152 Prayer and the Power of the Holy Spirit .................. 157 Personal Prayer Life of Billy Graham .................... 165 Prayer and Crusades .................................. 170 Prayer and the Invitation ........................ 177 Impact of Crusades ............................ 178 Prayer and the Immediate Family ....................... 179 CONCLUSION ....................................................... 186 Implications for Contemporary Preachers ............................. 186 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................... 190 viii ABSTRACT This study describes the significance of prayer in the nineteenth century ministries of evangelist-revivalist D. L. Moody, pastor-evangelist C. H. Spurgeon, and the twentieth-century ministry of evangelist Billy Graham. Furthermore, a description of the three most successful evangelical ministries of the last two centuries will demonstrate the vital role of prayer in their effective Christian ministries. After extensively researching the lives ofD. L. Moody, C. H. Spurgeon, and Billy Graham, it is clear that prayer played a major role in their lives and, according to personal statements, was a key to their success. While various facets of their ministry have been examined, this proposed work will be narrow as it solely examines the spiritual discipline of prayer in the lives of Moody, Spurgeon, and Graham. This thesis has been written by using primary sources, which included Moody's, Spurgeon's, and Graham's own words and recordings of their lives. The paper also used biographers and other secondary source's evaluations of these men's ministries, especially in regard to their prayer lives. ix INTRODUCTION There are servants of Christ who seem to possess greater power and effectiveness than their contemporaries. In fact, the ministries of these giants of the faith surpass what most have experienced, resulting in the positing of various explanations of success. Three such men credited with spearheading the growth of evangelical Christianity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are C. H. Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, and Billy Graham. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born of the flesh on June 19, 1834, in Kelvedon, England. He was born of the Spirit on January 6, 1850, in Colchester. Dwight Lyman Moody was born of the flesh on February 5, 1837, in Northfield, Massachusetts. He was born of the Spirit on April 21, 1855, in Boston. Billy Graham was born of the flesh on November 7, 1918 just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born of the Spirit in 1934 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Many reasons have been offered for the success of these men's ministries. Some people have concluded that Moody, Spurgeon, and Graham experienced success because of their preaching, some say it was their spirituality, some say their earnestness, and others say it was their prayer life. No doubt, their success was due to a combination of all the above. However, Spurgeon affirmed that one ofthe primary reasons souls were won at the Tabernacle was because of the spirit of prayer. I Spurgeon clearly understood IWilliam B. Riley, The Perennial Revival: A Pleafor Evangelism (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1916),51. 1 2 that proclamation power came from God as he asserted, "Oh! To think this: that you a puny man may stand here and speak to God and through God may move all the worlds.,,2 "I would rather have a Master of Prayer than a M.A. from both universities [Oxford and Cambridge]. He who knows how to pray has his hand on the leverage which moves the universe. ,,3 A contemporary of the English C. H. Spurgeon was the powerfully anointed American, evangelist-revivalist D. L. Moody. Mr. Moody was a man of prayer. Here, we also touch the inner source of his matchless power. 4 Moving from the nineteenth century into the mid-twentieth century, students in the history of revivals began predicting that mass evangelistic meetings like those held by D. L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and others had possibly come to an end.5 Then God raised Christianity's greatest evangelist in history, Billy Graham. Like Spurgeon and Moody, Graham believes "more can be done by prayer than anything else. Prayer is our greatest weapon.,,6 2c. H. Spurgeon, "True Prayer--True Power," New Park Street Pulpit, vol. 6 (Pasadena: Pilgrim Publications, 1981),336. 3c. H. Spurgeon, "The Best Strengthening Medicine," The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit 37 (Pasadena, Tex.: Pilgrim Publications, 1971): 328. 4A. T. Rowe, D. L. Moody: The Soul-Winner (Anderson, Ind.: Gospel Trumpet Co., 1927), 82. 5David Lockard, The Unheard Billy Graham (Waco: Word Books, 1971),23. 6Cort R. Flint and the Staff of Quote, compo and ed., The Quotable Billy Graham (Anderson, S.C.: Doke Housse, 1966), 153. 3 The following research will be a significant contribution to the field of Church GrowthlEvangelism. After a thesis/dissertation search, the writer discovered that no similar study has been undertaken. Therefore, this will be original research. This study describes the significance of prayer in the nineteenth century ministries of evangelist-revivalist