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Collection of William P. Nicholson's Prayers - Volume 1
William P. Nicholson

William Patteson Nicholson (1876–1959). Born on April 3, 1876, in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, to a ship-owning family, William P. Nicholson, nicknamed “the Tornado of the Pulpit,” was a Presbyterian evangelist whose fiery preaching sparked revivals in Ulster during the 1920s. Raised on his father’s cargo ship, he rebelled against faith until his mother’s prayers led to his conversion in 1899 at age 23. Beginning with “men-only” meetings, he used blunt, straightforward language to reach workers, famously prompting Belfast shipyard workers at Harland & Wolff to return stolen tools, filling a shed dubbed “the Nicholson shed.” His campaigns, marked by deep prayer—often rising at 6 a.m. to pray until noon—ignited revivals amidst Ireland’s civil strife, notably in Belfast and Carrickfergus, converting thousands. Nicholson’s sermons, like those on “God’s love” and “God’s hell,” stirred conviction, with listeners reportedly shredding hymnals under his vivid warnings. He preached globally, joining Wilbur Chapman in Australia and collaborating with Peter Connolly, leading tens of thousands to Christ. Author of On Towards the Goal (1924) and Goodbye God (1923), he emphasized intimacy with Jesus. Married with a family, though details are sparse, he died on October 29, 1959, in Northern Ireland, saying, “I know the Lord better than my wife or mother; we walk together in fellowship.”
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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the preacher begins by expressing a desire for their ministry to end with joy and the smile of God upon them. They pray for deliverance from becoming weary and dry, and for the burden of salvation to be so strong that it becomes difficult for anyone to reject Jesus. The preacher emphasizes the importance of salvation and the joy, peace, and eternal life that it brings. They pray for those who are still without God and hope, hoping that this night will be the night of their decision and that many will go home knowing their sins are forgiven. The preacher also encourages believers to live a life in the center of God's will and not allow pride or preconceived notions to hinder their blessings. They pray for young people to surrender their lives to God and become missionaries, and for the salvation of lost souls. The sermon concludes with a prayer for the ministry to finish with joy and for the blessings of God to be upon all.
Sermon Transcription
Blessed Lord, we are gathered here in thy name tonight, and especially in the interest of those who are not saved. They do not know that to the joy and blessing of sins forgiven, know nothing of eternal life, peace with God, and joy unspeakable and full of glory that thy salvation brings. They are still without God and without hope in this world. O Lord, we pray that this may be the night of their decision, and there may be joy in the presence of the angels of God over sinners many repenting, many here are kind and generous and affable and religious and all the rest of it, but still in their sin and still without salvation. O God, let this be the night when many will go home saying, Thank God, I know my sins forgiven. Jesus Christ is my Savior and saved by His grace. Bless thy people with a spirit of believing prayer. Stamp eternity upon our eyeballs, we pray thee. O God, make eternity be a reality, and grant, Lord, that there may be that burden on the heart of thine own for these who are still unsaved, that it will make them well nigh impossible to reject the Lord Jesus Christ, but make it very easy as far as possible of accepting Him as their Savior. We look to thee for this, and in Jesus' name we offer our prayer. And everybody say, Amen. Shall we have a wee word of prayer together? Blessed Lord, if thou would save us and took us to heaven the moment we got saved, we couldn't have growled one bit or complained one bit. Glory to God, we're saved and we'll never be in hell and there's no condemnation and there's no guilt and all that's done away with. But thou hast made provision that we might have victory over sin, that we might live a life lived in the center of thy will, and the blessing of God upon our lives and upon other lives through us. O Lord, forbid that any here tonight should low their pride or preconceived notions unscriptural to rob them of their birthright blessing. We pray that tonight here in the secret of their heart, maybe on the road home in the car, in the bus, and especially as they kneel at their bedside, Lord, grant that many of these young especially may say, Lord, here I am, thine alone. O God, grant it, we pray thee, so that there may be as a result in the days to come young men and women out yonder in the foreign field, multitudes of them in all kinds of service here and there, men and women on fire for God and for the salvation of lost men and women. Lord, bless a whole lot of us old fellows. O God, we want to finish our ministry with joy and they know that we've got the smile of God upon us right up to the end. Keep us from backsliding and drying up like an old wart. Lord, deliver us and keep us on fire right to the very end. You're able to do it. We trust it in Jesus' name. And everybody said, Amen. Oh, that's like a squaker's been. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.
Collection of William P. Nicholson's Prayers - Volume 1
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William Patteson Nicholson (1876–1959). Born on April 3, 1876, in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, to a ship-owning family, William P. Nicholson, nicknamed “the Tornado of the Pulpit,” was a Presbyterian evangelist whose fiery preaching sparked revivals in Ulster during the 1920s. Raised on his father’s cargo ship, he rebelled against faith until his mother’s prayers led to his conversion in 1899 at age 23. Beginning with “men-only” meetings, he used blunt, straightforward language to reach workers, famously prompting Belfast shipyard workers at Harland & Wolff to return stolen tools, filling a shed dubbed “the Nicholson shed.” His campaigns, marked by deep prayer—often rising at 6 a.m. to pray until noon—ignited revivals amidst Ireland’s civil strife, notably in Belfast and Carrickfergus, converting thousands. Nicholson’s sermons, like those on “God’s love” and “God’s hell,” stirred conviction, with listeners reportedly shredding hymnals under his vivid warnings. He preached globally, joining Wilbur Chapman in Australia and collaborating with Peter Connolly, leading tens of thousands to Christ. Author of On Towards the Goal (1924) and Goodbye God (1923), he emphasized intimacy with Jesus. Married with a family, though details are sparse, he died on October 29, 1959, in Northern Ireland, saying, “I know the Lord better than my wife or mother; we walk together in fellowship.”