The History of Christian Revival: How United Prayer Changed America
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A Nation in Moral and Spiritual Decline
Revivals in history often began when moral decline met sustained, united prayer. In our daily meditations on the Scriptures, we reflect on how revivals have begun throughout history. Despite the awakening before the American Revolution, a moral decline followed in the early 1800s. Drawing on the historical notes of J. Edwin Orr, this period was marked by widespread drunkenness, profanity, public disorder, and fear in daily life.
The Spiritual Decline in American Churches and Colleges
Across America, many churches were also weakening. Orr summarized the period by noting that the Methodists were losing more members than they were gaining, the Baptists described it as their coldest season, and the Presbyterians lamented the nation's ungodliness at their general assembly. Voltaire alleged, and Tom Paine echoed, "Christianity will be forgotten in thirty years."
The same spiritual weakness appeared in the liberal arts colleges of the era. Orr reported that a poll at Harvard found not a single believer among the entire student body. A survey at Princeton, a much more evangelical place, reportedly found only two believers and only five students who did not belong to the filthy speech movement of that day.
Campus hostility also became visible in public actions, including riots, a mock communion at Williams College, and the burning of a Bible taken from a local Presbyterian church in New Jersey.
Christians were so scarce on campus in the 1790s that they met in secret, keeping their minutes in code. Church historian Kenneth Scott Latourette later wrote, "It seemed as if Christianity was about to be ushered out of the affairs of men."
Into that atmosphere of decline and discouragement, the response that changed the nation began quietly: believers gathered to pray.
The Power of United Prayer: The Turning Point
The turning point was not a program, personality, or public campaign, but a concert of prayer that began in September 1857. Jeremiah Lanphier, a praying Christian businessman, initiated a noon prayer meeting in Manhattan, New York City. Only six people came at first, but the gathering soon became daily prayer, spread across the city, and drew thousands. Soon, a wave of prayer spread, spilling into churches in the evenings. Many people began to convert, with some reports of ten thousand conversions a week in New York City alone.
The movement spread throughout New England, with church bells calling people to prayer at 8:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. When the revival reached Chicago, a young shoe salesman named Dwight Lyman Moody began teaching boys from the street, marking the start of his forty-year ministry.
The Global Impact of the Second Great Awakening
The impact was widespread. Over a million people were converted to God in one year out of a population of thirty million. That same revival crossed the Atlantic, appearing in Ulster, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, parts of Europe, South Africa, and South India. Its effects were sustained for a generation by a movement of prayer.
The lesson is clear: when God's people turn from despair to united prayer, revival can move from a single room to nations.
Primary source note: J. Edwin Orr, Personal Notes. By Keith Thomas
How to Apply This Today: Moving from Despair to Prayer
It is easy to look at the world around us today and feel discouraged by moral decline, much like the believers did in the early 1800s. However, this history teaches us that despair is the wrong response—prayer is the right one.
Here is how you can practically apply this meditation to your life this week:
Shift Your Focus from the News to the Secret Place: When you feel overwhelmed by public disorder or shifting cultural values, let that anxiety serve as a trigger to pray. Instead of worrying, spend 5 minutes interceding for your community.
Start Small, Just Like Lanphier: Jeremiah Lanphier started a prayer meeting with just six people. You don't need a massive crowd to start a movement. Find one or two like-minded friends, neighbors, or coworkers and commit to praying together regularly—even if it's just once a week for 15 minutes during lunch.
Be Persistent in the Routine: The churches in New England used their daily rhythms (8:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m.) to anchor their prayers. Set a daily alarm on your phone to pause for 60 seconds at noon just to pray for spiritual awakening in your nation, your local church, and your family.
Continue Your Spiritual Journey…
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Read: Dive deeper with the full study online: [Revival Changes Nations].
Series: This excerpt is taken from the series called: On Fire With the Holy Spirit.