Discovering the Words of Samuel Chadwick
"Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray." — Samuel Chadwick
Samuel Chadwick was a Wesleyan minister, theologian and professor who lived from 1860 to 1932. He was immersed in the awakening of the Christian movement of Methodism in England during the turn of the century. He became a renowned authority on the matter of spirit-filled prayer. His ideas, theology and instruction are just as potent and germane to believers today. I hope to discover more about Samuel Chadwick and to read his works. Here is a website that offers many of his writings: http://www.raptureready.com/resource/chadwick/chadwick.html
I stumbled on to the saying of Chadwick above as I read about the growing persecution of Christian minorities in places like Sudan and Ethiopia. Those of us who worship in peace and societal acceptance each week find it hard to believe that extreme levels of persecution occur in dozens of nations against Christians. In places like Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and China as well as throughout parts of the Middle East and Asia - Christians are being arrested, raped, killed with homes and churches burned. Social and economic ostracism is practiced against Christians around the globe.
The issue of Christian persecution is aptly described by the organization Voice of the Martyrs http://www.persecution.com/ In a recent post, this organization called for renewed prayer for Christians and churches in troubled places like Ethiopia. In their request, they invoked the saying of Samuel Chadwick above.
We often fail in life because we fail to pray with the aid of the Holy Spirit. We don’t pray often enough or intensely enough. We don’t truly appreciate the awesome power of prayer to change the human and spiritual condition and circumstances of each day. I will be today’s first confessor that I don’t adhere to the rigors and quality of fervent prayer and adequately use its power. I need to claim it, use it and unleash its full potential. I will do better, with God’s grace.
Get to know Samuel Chadwick and his writings, and let’s all take his advice. Satan really does not fear our good intensions, our clubs and institutions or our attempts at morality. What he really has to fear is our spirit-filled prayers of intercession and petition that are delivered to the Throne of God by the Holy Spirit of the Trinity. AMEN.