In Acts 1, the church is praying. In Acts 2, she is preaching. In Acts 3, Peter and John are preaching. In Acts 4, the church is praying. We find this pattern throughout the book of Acts. The awakened church is continually blending the ministry of evangelism and intercession.

Charles Finney was perhaps the greatest revivalist in American history. He saw entire communities transformed by the power of Christ. Billy Graham has said of him, "Few men have had such a profound impact on their generation as Charles Grandison Finney. Through his Spirit-filled evangelistic ministry, uncounted thousands came to know Christ in the nineteenth century, resulting in one of the greatest revivals in the history of America."

On October 5, 1824, Finney met Rev. Daniel Nash. Nash had experienced a deep work of God in his life, and he devoted himself to a ministry of prayer. Later, God blended the ministry of Reverend Nash and evangelist Finney in a marvelous manner in a western New York community, Evan Mills. The following describes the power of the evangelist and intercessor working together:

There were a number of Deists in town who seemed determined to thwart the touch of God. The youth evangelist met them forthrightly. He preached a direct and convincing sermon against their views. The result: practically ever Deist in Evans Mills was converted.

Not far from Evans Mills was a German community…. The Germans turned out to virtually the last person to hear the young evangelist.

Finney, throughout his ministry, relied heavily on intercessors. The ministry on the cutting edge of evangelism will always, always, be knit together with the intercessors.

It was intercessors who brought D.L. Moody to Europe. As a result, Mr. Moody would put one foot in America and one in Europe and shake both continents for God's glory. Mr. Moody went to England to hear the great preacher Charles Spurgeon and meet the man of extraordinary faith George Mueller. While in London he was asked to preach at the Congregational church in the north of London. He had come not to speak but to listen. Therefore, he reluctantly accepted the invitation. On Sunday morning he preached with little power and few visible results. He preached again Sunday evening and 500 responded to the invitation to receive Christ.

That evening resulted in the beginning of a great revival in that church. And D.L. Moody was thrust into a ministry that would stir the world.

When Mr. Moody told R.A. Torrey what happened, Torrey said, "Someone must have been praying."

"Oh," he said, "did I not tell you that? That is the point of the whole story. There were two sisters in that church, one of whom was bedridden. The other heard me that Sunday morning. She went home and said to her sister, 'Who do you suppose preached for us this morning? Mr. Moody of Chicago.' No sooner had she said it, than her sister turned pale as death and said, 'What! Mr. Moody of Chicago! I have read of him. I have been praying God to send him to London, and to send him to our church. If I had known he preached this morning I would have eaten no breakfast. I would have spent the whole morning in fasting and prayer. Now, sister, go out lock the door, do not let anyone come to see me, do not let them send me any dinner: I am going to spend the whole afternoon and evening in fasting and prayer.' And pray she did, and God heard and answered."

Many have heard of D.L. Moody, but few have heard of the lady in London who prayed. It is that type of person who can have a great impact on our world. Perhaps her peers would have thought that she had nothing to offer the church. Yet she had the most to offer.

Many have thought that they can do little in reaching the world for Christ. Yet God is ready to do so much in and through the person willing to trust him. There is a great harvest awaiting us. Jesus tells us that the first order of business for the church is prayer.

"But when He saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

"Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore…(Matthew 9:36-38,emphasis added)."

Prayer and reaping the harvest go hand in hand. Evangelism and personal witnessing are the vehicles through which the harvest is reaped. Prayer is the fuel that gives the vehicles power. When we fully understand this principle, we will be awakened to our responsibility of reaching the multitudes with the gospel. Some will go to reach them. But all believers must pray.

Andrew Murray, who wrote so splendidly concerning prayer, stated, "There is a Church, with its wondrous calling and its sure promises, waiting to be roused to a sense of its wondrous responsibility and power. There is a Church, with its wondrous calling and its sure promises, waiting to be roused to a sense of its wondrous responsibility and power. There is a world with its perishing millions with intercession its only hope."

Every believer must see the multitudes as Jesus saw them. Our hearts then will break. We will pray with the compassion of Christ. And God will raise up an army of laborers that will bring God's kingdom to the hearts of men.

It is to this end that we must pray. We must pray that His kingdom come and be established in the hearts of people throughout the earth.

Perhaps few have understood this principle as did David Brainerd in the mid-1700s. Brainerd was used mightily to reach the Indians with the gospel. Many times he would be found in the snow praying for hours for them. He loved them with the love of Jesus.

In his diary he wrote, "I poured out my soul for all the world, friends, and enemies. My soul was concerned, not so much for souls as such, but rather for Christ's kingdom, that it might appear in the world, that God might be known to be God, in the whole earth."

It is that kind of praying that will shake the nations. That kind of prayer will awaken the church. It will raise up a host of workers in God's kingdom and prepare hearts to receive His love.