A Peep-of-day Meeting

A Peep-of-day Meeting

It all began with people praying.

IN 1860 Christians in Jamaica heard about the prayer revival that was sweeping the world. Wanting to become a part of it, they began “peep of day” (dawn) prayer meetings. Most were held on plantations so that people could meet for prayer before they went to work in the fields.

Their prayers for revival were first answered in a Moravian chapel. The Moravians were the spiritual descendants of Jan Hus, the Czech Reformer martyred in 1415. They had settled at Herrnhut, Germany, and had become a major missionary-sending movement. A Moravian missionary from Germany, Theodor Sonderman, regularly visited the town of Clifton, Jamaica, as part of his ministry.

On September 28, 1860, Sonderman began what he expected to be a regular Moravian service. A hymn was sung, followed by an opening prayer. Then someone else prayed, and another and another. Even children led in prayer. One boy poured out his soul to God, and Sonderman saw tears streaming down everyone’s cheeks as they cried to God for mercy. Even notorious sinners groaned to God in prayer. So many people were weeping that Sonderman became concerned about maintaining order. The meeting finally broke up after three hours so that Sonderman could deal with those who were in greatest distress. But many others went to a nearby schoolhouse to continue praying.

More prayer meetings sprang up in adjacent communities. Many genuinely put their faith in Jesus Christ while others were just frightened into temporary conformity to Christian living. One believer confessed, “Minister, we been praying for revival of religion. And now God poured out his Spirit, we all ’fraid for it.”

After four weeks Theodor Sonderman was dealing with more than three hundred inquirers, and the revival was spilling into other denominations, the Anglicans, Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, and Presbyterians.

In early November when a minister from Clifton went to Montego Bay to preach, he found the whole city talking about the revival. The minister dealt with many inquirers even before he had a chance to preach.

In Bethel Town a missionary proposed a dawn prayer meeting the following morning, and five hundred came to pray. The missionary had to leave during the day, so the local pastor called for another meeting in the evening. At the conclusion of the service, the people felt the Spirit being poured out upon them so intently that they refused to leave the chapel. The missionary returned two days later for a service in which a hundred hardened sinners fell to their knees and a dozen unwed couples who were living together asked to be married.

The Mount Carey Chapel had no pastor, so the local justice of the peace presided over the Sunday morning service with twelve hundred crowded into the chapel. In three smaller communities, three thousand were awakened to faith in Christ with no pastor preaching.

Among the Methodists of Montego Bay, the chapel of 800 members saw 547 people come to Christ. The eighty Baptist churches of Jamaica reported 12,000 conversions during the revival. The Congregational churches grew so much that the missionary board was able to withdraw all its missionaries, leaving the church in able local hands. The Presbyterian churches of Jamaica saw more than 3,000 conversions in 1860 and another 1,700 the following year.

A Congregational minister summarized the results of the revival: “It closed the rum shop and the gambling houses, reconciled long-separated husbands and wives, restored prodigal children, produced scores of bans to be read for marriage, crowded every place of worship, quickened the zeal of ministers, purified the churches, and brought many sinners to repentance. It also excited the rage of those ungodly people whom it had not humbled.”

And it all began with prayer.

Reflection

Have you ever had the privilege of being part of a revival? Whether you have or are still waiting for the experience, it is important to remember that they begin through prayer.

I have heard all about you, Lord, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember your mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2