The Secret Prayer Habits of Great Revivalists

1. Sacred, Uninterruptible Time with God

The great revivalists of history treated prayer as holy ground—non-negotiable, protected, and prioritized. E.M. Bounds rose before dawn for hours of intercession, David Yonggi Cho prayed five hours daily on Prayer Mountain, and Susanna Wesley created a sacred space under her apron despite raising nineteen children. Their lives teach us that prayer is not something to fit into life; it is the foundation upon which life is built.

2. Scripture-Saturated Prayer

Revivalists prayed prayers shaped by the Word of God. Charles Finney prayed with an open Bible, turning God’s promises into petitions, while Robert Murray M’Cheyne believed a person’s real identity was revealed on their knees before Scripture. Because the Word filled their minds, faith filled their prayers.

3. Fasting as a Lifestyle of Pursuit

For these men and women, fasting wasn’t punishment—it was spiritual pursuit. Evan Roberts fasted during the Welsh Revival, believing fasting cleared the heart for the Spirit’s flow, while Richard Baxter fasted weekly, calling it nourishment for the soul. To them, fasting was a tool that tuned the heart to God’s voice.

4. Praying Until Something Breaks

Revivalists embraced the old concept of travailing prayer—intercession that continues until spiritual breakthrough comes. Father Daniel Nash groaned in prayer for souls days before revival meetings, shaking spiritual strongholds, and Praying Hyde interceded with such intensity that his heart was physically affected. They did not settle for shallow, rushed prayers; they prayed until heaven moved.

5. Winning Battles in Private Prayer

Public power came from private warfare. Smith Wigglesworth prayed continually in short intervals, maintaining constant communion, and Maria Woodworth-Etter fought spiritual battles on her knees long before her meetings began. Revivalists knew that victory must be secured in secret before it is seen in public.

6. Praying with Others, Not Just Alone

While they valued solitude, revivalists understood the explosive power of united prayer. The Haystack Prayer Meeting of 1806, started by five students seeking shelter from a storm, launched the American missionary movement; the Moravian Revival of 1727 birthed a 24/7 prayer chain that lasted 100 years; and the prayer groups preceding Azusa Street ignited global Pentecost. Revival is rarely the flame of one person—it is the fire of many hearts bowed together.

7. Expectant, Faith-Filled Prayer

Revivalists prayed with bold expectation, not wishful thinking. Charles Spurgeon expected conversions every time he preached, and Finney often remained in his prayer closet until he sensed God had granted the answer. David Yonggi Cho’s ministry grew through mountain-moving faith that believed God would do what He promised.

8. A Life of Repentance, Humility, and Holiness

Revivalists understood that prayer without holiness is empty, and holiness without prayer is powerless. Evan Roberts urged believers to remove every doubtful thing, and Jonathan Edwards wrote seventy resolutions to discipline his life toward holiness. They sought purity because they knew revival could not flow through a compromised vessel.

Final Word: Revival Prayer Is Within Your Reach

These secret habits of the great revivalists are not reserved for spiritual giants—they are open to every believer who hungers for God. As you cultivate these rhythms, you step into the same current of fire that shaped generations before you. You too can become a Prayer Champion, and God may use your prayers to transform families, churches, cities, and even nations.