“Andrew Bonar was just one of many Scottish ministers used of God during the Kilsyth Revival of 1839-1840.

“I have learned by experience that it is not much labor but much prayerthat is the only means to success.”

Mr. Bonar was able to accomplish much with men in public because he spent much time with Jesus Christ in private. The daily entries of Bonar's diary testify of this fact. He wrote on January 3rd, 1856, "I have been endeavoring to keep up prayer at this season every hour of the day, stopping my occupation, whatever it is, to pray a little. I seek to keep my soul within the shadow of the throne of grace and Him that sits thereon." Sabbath, March 8th - "I feel afraid of myself on the ground that I am less prayerful than I used to be, although often more helped in preaching then ever . . ." Wednesday, 24th, "Oh my God, never let me walk even in the green pastures, without thee! I feel glad to live as a pilgrim and stranger, and more, far more than before, I seek by prayer and strong crying in secret to see God glorified in the salvation of souls."

In a letter to a close friend Andrew Bonar wrote, "Oh brother pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer, rather neglect friends than not pray, rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, supper and sleep too - than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer - we must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgins slumber."

Pray that God will raise up men and women of prayer. Pray there would be more like Bonar’ rather than Beyounce or Bon Jovi ~

Andrew Bonar was a man who was intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ. As a result he saw what Jesus saw and therefore cared, wept and prayed like Jesus. Far too often our own eyes are dry because our eyes are blind to the needs around us. Many of us have become blinded by the temporal, till we can no longer see the eternal reality of the holiness of heaven and horrors of hell. Lord draw us back to the prayer closet where blind eyes see and hardened hearts are broken.

Lord, have mercy and bring us to brokenness!”

Written by David Smithers