Blog Entries

The United Prayer Meeting of 1865

Geoff Chang January 31, 2025

One of the hallmarks of C. H. Spurgeon’s ministry was his Monday night congregational prayer meeting. Each week, thousands of members of the Metropolitan Tabernacle gathered to pray for the ministries of the church and preaching of the Word. This was one of the pieces of evidence that a genuine revival was taking place: the people prayed. But Spurgeon was not satisfied with this. He wanted to gather Christians throughout London to pray.  

Spurgeon regularly met with like-minded pastors throughout London for fellowship and encouragement. And to begin the year 1865, they agreed to have a week of united prayer meetings for their churches. On January 2, they gathered for their first meeting.

A WEEK of prayer. The best possible beginning for a new year. So thought the ministers associated for prayer and mutual edification, and therefore they agreed to call their people together for united prayer. The Central Meeting of the Churches was held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, on Monday, January 2nd.[1]

These days, churches get together for conferences, workshops, retreats, events… But when was the last time churches gathered together to pray? As you read this, consider: How might the Lord use you to bring churches together to pray for God’s blessing upon the work of the gospel in your city and around the world?

Pre-Meeting Prayer

The pastors met at three for prayer and consultation; and they were joined, at five, by about one hundred elders and deacons, who continued in prayer to God until the hour for the public meeting. The spirit pervading these devotions gave promise of a blessed gathering in the evening.

Welcome and Opening Prayers

At seven about six thousand persons were assembled in the Tabernacle probably the largest number of believers ever found together under one roof for prayer. Fully to characterize this meeting would be impossible. No pen could express the deep-thrilling power which pervaded the assembly. We can only present a brief outline of the proceedings.

The meeting was conducted by C. H. Spurgeon. The guiding hand of the Holy Ghost was manifest in the wisdom shown in the brief and suggestive remarks made in reference to the subjects and manner of the prayers. This must have been evident to all. The brethren, Varley and F. White, pleaded with deep and fervent earnestness for blessings to be then and there vouchsafed by the God of all grace to his people; and for a genuine revival of all the Churches of God in the land. Simple, direct, earnest, reiterated, were the desires of these servants of Jesus; and most fervent was the response of the thousands of Christian hearts, which united, as the heart of one man, to bear up those desires to the throne of grace.

Prayer for Pastors and Future Pastors

Two elders (W. Olney and Bridge) then pleaded with God on behalf of the pastors and students; the lowly, loving, touching breathings of these brethren, moved and bowed down the hearts of all the pastors around them. Old and young alike felt that blessing must descend upon them in answer to such heartfelt Spirit-wrought desires as those which were being poured forth on their behalf. Would to God that all elders and deacons might thus ever deeply feel, and earnestly plead, for the pastors of the churches that the full power of the Holy Ghost may rest upon them. Those brethren who were present can testify that they never, felt more solemnly the need and the value of such intercession. The responsibility, the trials, the necessities of God’s servants, were made the subjects of most sincere supplication.

Confession of Sin

Next came a confession of sin, through Brother Offord, the oldest minister on the platform. For this solemn act the whole assembly was prepared by the blessing already granted and felt; for all hearts and spirits were bowed down in deep repentance.

On behalf of the pastors

Many details of the failures and sins of ministers were spread before the face of God in the most solemn manner. Sins of omission and commission, neglect, and shortcomings, were acknowledged Solemn, simple, earnest appeal was made to the eye of the heart-searching God, that his servants might wish to hide nothing from that all the evil in them might in his sight. And when the it is I! it is I!” were uttered, many broke forth saying, “It is I! it is I” The beloved pastor of the Tabernacle Church wept like a child, and sobbed aloud, while the brethren around could not restrain their weeping and groaning before God.

On behalf of elders

Nor were the assembled elders less moved when their sins and shortcomings were solemnly and affectionately confessed unto the Lord, and when they, as men of like passions with their brethren, and of like necessities too, were borne into the presence of God, before the mercy seat, Jesus.

One behalf of all the people

But it was when the people, the worldliness, the deadness, the lack of love to brethren and to souls, and especially the want of love to Jesus and the consequent grieving of the Holy Ghost; it was when these were in lowly, broken sentences, named before the great Father of All, that hearts seemed to be melted into one universal feeling of grief, and to bow in the dust in one solemn act of self-abasement.

It was wont to be said of old time, that he had never seen sorrow who had not beheld the sorrow of Israel on the great day of atonement; and, verily, many who were present on that night, felt that they had never before seen such real, awful, general grief as that which rolled over the spirits of that vast assembly. God, the Holy God, was there, and his people had a sight of themselves, and of their ways, in the very light of his holiness; and each took the place of the patriarch, saying, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” It was a solemn moment when the voice ceased, and all bowed in the silence of their souls’ agony before the holy God.

Hymn of Assurance

Great, indeed, was the relief and calm the peace which followed the sweet words uttered by Mr. Spurgeon: —

“There is a fountain filled with blood.”[2]

Never were the first two verses of this sung with more genuine and blessed feeling, or by more grateful hearts. Never were the words,

“I do believe, I will believe,
That Jesus died for me”

more sincerely and earnestly spoken by a multitude of mortal men, than on that occasion.

Address to the Churches

The time was now come for a few solemn words to the host of believers present; and the spirit of the pastor of the Tabernacle Church could no longer restrain its pent-up feelings. An earnest, loving, impassioned appeal broke from his lips. He led the hearts of the people into the depths of God’s everlasting love, and appealed to them as to what sort of persons men so loved ought to be. He gave forth a few burning words on the precious redeeming blood of Jesus, inquiring what manner of men they ought to be who knew themselves to be so redeemed? He pressed upon every conscience the great truth, that each loved and blood-bought saint is a temple of the Holy Ghost — the in-dwelling Spirit of God; and earnestly showed how holiness became the dwelling-place of the Lord; and he directed the hearts and hopes of God’s children to the home in the Father’s house, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and asked what manner of men its denizens ought to be? And then came the searching, thrilling, humbling question, have we, have I, have any of us, ever lived as it becometh those to live who have been loved of God with a sovereign and gracious love from eternity? Have any of us ever lived as it becomes men to live, who have been in very deed redeemed from wrath by the blood of God’s own Son, as it becomes men to live, in whom the Holy Ghost doth in very deed dwell, and who are destined to dwell with God and his Christ for ever? Many hearts will never forget these questions; strong men could not restrain the audible “Never! never! have we so lived;” while the deeply-moved heart of the great congregation gave forth the sit response that each and all were verily guilty before God. The power of the Almighty Spirit carried home those questions to the inner life of that great Christian gathering; and the grace of that same Holy One stirred the heavenly affections of that life with feelings of deepest humiliation before its great author.

Prayer of Dedication

A humble, fervent prayer, by Pastor Cole, for the up-lifting and revival of all believers, followed this appeal, the Spirit leading the speaker to dwell upon the precious truths which had been laid upon the hearts of the meeting, and to supplicate that God would enable his people thenceforth to realize them in the fullness of their power. The universal response which followed these pleadings with God told how deeply the blessings sought were desired by all.

Silent Prayer and Evangelistic Address

The time had now arrived for an address to the unconverted. At the suggestion of Mr. Spurgeon, three minutes were spent in silence by believers in pleadings for their fellow sinners, and that Mr. Offord might be aided to bear God’s message to them, as directly as he had been enabled to lay their confessions before God. In answer to prayer, our beloved brother was enabled to set forth the glories of heaven in a most delightful manner, so that many who had been hitherto careless, felt a desire after that goodly land; then came the warning that no defiling thing can enter there, and the simple, earnest, instructive, and touching story of the way by which the sinner may be cleansed from all defilement and made to stand accepted in the Beloved. Every word was clothed with power, we all felt that the speaker’s lips had been touched with a living altar-coal, and we sat wondering at the power of God, and expecting great results.

Hymn of Response

All the Christians present expressed their hearty desire that their fellowmen might receive God’s mercy in Christ, by singing certain verses each ending with the words,

“Come and welcome sinner come.”[3]

These words could not but fall with thrilling power upon many hearts.

Concluding Prayers

The earnest work of supplication was ended by Pastors Stott and C. H. Spurgeon pleading with God for anxious and careless souls present. Each plea seemed to go straight to the throne of grace, while numbers felt that such prayer must be and was accepted. These prayers, like all the others, as well as the confession, were evidently the result of a resistless power, moving the hearts of speakers and hearers, animating them with deep and earnest desire, and working in them a simple and mighty faith, that must surely prevail with him who said. “According to thy faith be it unto thee,” and, “all things are possible to him that believeth.” This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes Who shall tell what blessing may grow out of this wonderful display of the grace of our God! May he grant us to see yet greater things than these!

Dismissal and Follow-Up

After an announcement that another central meeting will be held on the first Monday in February, a number of Christians retired into a room below with many anxious ones, several of whom received peace with God through faith in the precious Savior. Many of these have since been seen by Mr. Spurgeon, who tells us that he conversed personally with no less than seventy-five inquirers, in one day subsequent to the meeting. We hope “The Sword and Trowel” will chronicle many blessed items of saving results.


[1] This account is taken from The Sword and the Trowel, 1865, 67-70. Thanks to Paul Martin for highlighting this event for me.

[2] There is a Fountain, William Cowper, 1771.

[3] From the Cross Uplifted High, Thomas Haweis, 1792.