Prayer Warriors

Charles Finney, a 19th century preacher, is a prominent name in the history of what is called The Second Great Awakening.  Though he had no seminary degree, he became an evangelist, college President, and a pastor of a large New York City church.  It is his revival preaching that is most remembered when his name appears.  There was a little known partner in the ministry of Finney.  He never preached any sermons at the revival meetings and was not really known to many who came to hear Finney preach.   

His name was Daniel Nash.  He started out as a pastor, but ended his ministry as one of the great prayer warriors in church history.  When a revival was planned in a particular community, Nash would go long before the beginning of the meeting, find two or three like minded spirits, and start praying.  For seven years he prayed for Finney and the revival meetings he held.  When Nash died, it was only a few months until Finney ceased preaching revivals and took a church in New York City.  Finney may have been the preacher every one heard and saw, but it was Nash who stayed in the shadows and prayed.    

Would that our churches and their preachers had some prayer warriors like Daniel Nash asking God for the power of the Spirit to come alive again in the life of the church.  Would that there were people like Nash, who when he died, departed this life on his knees praying for the world by holding a map in his hands.  Would that the spirit of Daniel Nash could fall upon folks like you and me.  What a difference one man's prayers had for the Kingdom of God.  What a difference our praying could make if we but prayed.