This sermon reflects on the powerful impact of prayer during times of revival, focusing on individuals like John Smith who prayed diligently at the anvil, and the community that came together in prayer, leading to great expectations and the presence of God being felt deeply. The sermon emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer, conviction of sin, and the overwhelming sense of God's presence that characterized the revival period.

So, we have a picture there of the anvil at which John Smith, the blacksmith, prayed. We went to see his son, Donald John, friendly with him. We went into the smithy and there was the anvil, and there he took a picture of his anvil. He used to pray at that anvil, John Smith. And Donald John told us that as he came in one morning, the first time he came in, he said, I came into the smithy to light the fire early in the morning, and there I saw my father at the anvil. And he said, I stopped, turned six, there waiting for him to finish his prayer. What a picture, the old man praying at the anvil, and the young man waiting, waiting, waiting. God, hallowed places. He prayed. And John Smith says, they were watchmen in the walls of Zion who resorted to prayer and would not accept things as they were. Prayer meetings were revival held in various Christian homes. The cry went up from many hearts, oh, that thou would read the heavens, thou would come down. Those who engaged in prayer and believed that God would answer, continued to pray until the power of God came. We know the two old ladies who prayed. Duncan has highlighted those two old ladies. But more people than those two old ladies were constantly praying. I met them, says John Smith. I saw them, I heard them, I know how diligently they prayed that revival would come. Margaret MacLeod, wife of William MacLeod, she said, Christians often met and would pray and sing in the halls. That is my abiding memory of that time. In fact, I do not remember the children of the Lord behaving in any other way. I came to a revived church. It was a community at prayer. When she said that, I looked at her and I said, what did you say? I have never heard that in my life. Say that again. Yes, she said. It was. It was a community at prayer. Imagine. A community at prayer. People were praying everywhere. There was great expectancy, she says, and much prayer. After a visit to a home on the road, where the conversation would invariably be on the things of God, they would drop naturally into prayer. In April 1949, Reverend James Murray Mackay accepted the call to pass. I had just been converted, she says, Margaret, before he came. People had great expectations and prayer intensified in the community. Everybody was looking forward to his ministry, looking to the Lord who worked mightily in great revival. People were praying, singing, praising. Much prayer was made. Great supplications ascended from home after home in the district. Much is made for the two old ladies and fathers who prayed. Well, there were many old ladies and young ones too, as well as the men who poured out their souls to God and visited us again. We prayed mightily. And we believed that the Lord would work. And he did. The atmosphere was full of joy and expectancy. But we were praying, praying, praying all the time. Praying. This is Margaret. Sometimes we were praying for specific individuals. Sometimes it was prayer for the community. So these people were praying all the time. I've been critical of Kirsten Mackay from Arnold's. And the prayers. So many of the elders who prayed were so inspired of God that we were overwhelmed with the consciousness of the presence of God as they prayed. I remember Rory Allen. He was powerful in prayer. Sometimes we prayed just enough to ease the conscience, but to win no decided future. But these men were praying. These people were praying. Donald McPhail, of course. It must be said that the people who were saved in the 39th Revival spearheaded the 49th Revival. And who were the prayer workers? It was these people who followed Mr. Campbell around the island and whom he depended upon to pray through. People were supporting him in prayer all the time. Donald McPhail tells of how Donald Campbell involved seasoned intercessors and young converts in his meetings. On one occasion he took a team of us to Burberry, he says. Donald McPhail was 16 years of age. He was a schoolboy. And he would call upon us to pray at 4 p.m. And we would pray through for the meeting in the church building. And also for the after meeting. After the church. And also possibly another meeting after that. Or another meeting after that. We'd be able to see him in the morning. So there was prayer. There was expectancy. William MacLeod says that the conversion of several folks caused great anticipation. Interest in the things of God quickened. That around us, folk were expecting great things for God. Jack MacArthur, who was here a little while ago, remember? He said, those who were praying were looking around and thinking, tonight, who's it going to be tonight? Donald Trump said, the presence of God was so powerful that you were constantly living in the expectation that something was about to happen. You would feel a sort of excitement within yourself. What's that? Expectancy. So, there's prayer. There's the influence of the Bible and the Scriptures. The use of the Scriptures. There's prayer. There's expectancy. There's conviction. This was no easy believability. They knew where they stood. There was plain speaking. Mary, my wife, wandered for three months after having a form of godliness without His power and being convicted of her need. She heard her father in his bedroom, weeping and crying repeatedly, Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. He went down to the hall and wept behind the books. Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Donald MacPhail wandered amongst the sheep, this young school boy, and he talked to the sheep. And he said, you are more fortunate than me, because you don't have the thought that I am desperate, wanting to be God. So here, we were, William MacLeod, Reverend William MacLeod said, I began ticking off the things that were keeping me from the Lord. I was now under deep conviction. Catherine Campbell says, the meeting was mighty. I was overwhelmed with conviction. I came out of the church. I just fell on my knees outside the door. I didn't care who was around. That night, I'll tell you, concerning a meeting, a house meeting, Mary remembers, my wife, every room was full, she says. Downstairs, upstairs, the stairs were seats for pills. Every room was full. I was sitting beside the kitchen, but I could not hear the preacher. For the strange noise was coming from the kitchen, which was crowded with teenagers. They were not hearing the preacher. Well, they were sobbing. They were gripped with the impression of the presence of God and the fact of sin. Duncan Campbell walked past a crowd of girls who were there in the room. They just bent together, and they were just weeping. And he just looked and said, what a beautiful mess. Mr. Campbell said, we had men and women seeking the Savior every night. Some were so distressed under the conviction of sin that it was impossible to deal with it. And again, he says, conviction and distress of soul is very evident. And one meeting for dealing with the ashes went on until three o'clock in the morning. Of meetings in barbers, he says, the crowds attending the services are as large as ever, and a deep conviction. Meetings, he says, of burglary were crowded and full of divine power. And conviction and distress of soul is deep as ever. Men have been found walking the roads at night in distress of soul. Others have been found during the day praying among the rocks. And again, he said, as the spirit of God swept through the meeting, a cry of the unsaved could be heard as strong men went their way to the Savior. Conviction. The consciousness of the presence of God. Without question, this was the outstanding characteristic of the revival. Everybody spoke of that. Norman Campbell says the outstanding feature of the 49th revival was the presence of God. This was the place of the 39th revival. You could sense and feel the presence of God everywhere. Even the children sensed it. It was the power of God let loose. People went on their knees anyway. Reverend William MacLeod says, I shall never forget the intensity and blessing of those days. They made a mark upon me that shall never be erased, for which I shall thank God forever.