Prayer Day

Venerable brothers in our

Lord Jesus Christ,

We have found ourselves inclined to stir each other up for a general Fasting and Prayer Day on the coming 18th of June which is being disregarded by the people and the king of the Netherlands. May the Lord move us to repentance and a humble confession of guilt before the Lord. We feel ourselves prompted to call on the various preachers that are separated from the Reformed Denomination, to observe that day unto the Lord, and unitedly to implore Him to give a true confession of sin and repentance.

There are many bans in the army of those that have withdrawn themselves. May the Lord Himself point them out and graciously remove them. With respect to that we also realize the necessity of uniting with Cod’s people. May the Lord Himself direct our heart unto His will and grant us one choice and one mind.

May we request your cooperation in these matters. We also desire to forward an exhortation to the other preachers. May the Lord do what pleases Him and seems good in His sight.

It is an unspeakable benefit that we may still draw near to the Lord with all our guilt and that the Lord has not yet cast us off from before Him, but graciously wants to look down upon us in Christ Jesus, His own and only begotten Son. Only in Him do we have the bold access to the throne and for His Name’s sake the Father can and will hear His children. In Him only we take refuge; in Him is our strength. May He bless this His own exhortation, and grant us together a praying heart and a contrite spirit; and at His own time may He remove all bans out of our heart, home and congregation. May He grant His people confession of guilt and a returning to the old and tried doctrine according to His Word.

May He remove all high places and demolish whatever opposes His coming. May He bless His Church, entire and undivided, and remove what displeases Him and grant grace to that which pleases Him. May He grant faithfulness to His servants and faithfulness in the affairs of the church according to the Lord’s will and way; and according to His will, unite all His willing faithful children and servants. May everything fall that opposes Him. May He raise up what He wants to raise up and break down what He wants to break down. May He grant true meekness, humility, wisdom, gentleness, zeal, thoughtfulness and all that is profitable and necessary for the upbuilding of His Church and for the casting down of the height of Satan.

The Lord is faithful and is the same yesterday and today and to all eternity (Heb. 13:8). Our unfaithfulness never destroys the Lord’s faithfulness. May He grant sincerity and a sense of guilt (Jer. 4). Pray for the king and his family, but especially for His church and the observance of the Lord’s day, and for all who still deny Christ as Head and King of His Church which has been bought with a price.

May He Himself bless these words to the hearts of His children. May He use the most wretched of all the wretched to awaken His people, if it please Him, who uses clay on His holy fingers and blesses the little strength to the glorification of His Name. May He make us debtors at His throne (Dan. 9) and beggars at His feet. May His name receive all honor and glory, who does not need the creature but who does with the creature according to His sovereign good pleasure.

He has mercy upon whom He will and whom He will, He hardens; he that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still (Rev. 22:11).

May Ephraim not envy Judah, and may Judah not vex Ephraim. May Babylon fall, the fulness of the Gentiles enter, and then all Israel shall be saved.

May He prepare His people for the day of evil; gird them with His power; teach them to contend, to watch, and to pray, to put away all abominations from before His holy countenance. May He bless what He would bless and curse what He would curse. May He be a help and a buckler unto His people, a wall around them and a defenced city. May His will be done and not ours. His grace is sufficient. May His strength be made perfect in weakness. Only in Him, through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be all honor, glory, wisdom, praise and unlimited trust of the entire heart of His people. Amen.

On behalf of the meeting at Leiden, June 18, 1841.

President:

L.G.C. Ledeboer

Delegates:

John P. Hemerich, H.K. v.d. Mei,

G.B. v.d. Derk, Nicholas Haarvoot,

Jacob W. Pronk, Klaas V. Wyk,

William Brak, P.V Ewoud Manheer,

Cornelis van Gent.

This open letter by Rev. L.G.C. Ledeboer (1808–1863) was written to stir interest in a day of humiliation and prayer which was to be observed June 18, 1841. Rev. Ledeboer’s teachings and followers (Ledeboerians) represent one of the two major historical strands that merged in the founding of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations.

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