Francis Asbury’s Searching Prayer (May 29, 1774)

On May 29, 1774, Francis Asbury—an English-born itinerant preacher laboring in the American colonies—recorded a prayer that exposed the twin dangers of outward vanity and inward emptiness: “Lord, keep me from all the superfluity of dress, and from preaching empty stuff to please the ear, instead of changing the heart.” In a society where reputation and refinement could quietly rule the soul, Asbury asked for plainness, humility, and Spirit-given power that reaches deeper than appearances.

A Preacher Between Worlds

Asbury had crossed the Atlantic to serve scattered believers in a land moving toward revolution. Roads were rough, travel was costly, and public life was tense. Yet the greater battlefield, as his prayer reveals, was the heart—his own first. He desired integrity in private (“dress,” the closet) and substance in public (“preaching,” the pulpit). His concern echoes: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Holiness in the Closet and the Pulpit

The “superfluity of dress” was not merely clothing but the craving to be noticed. Asbury’s prayer calls believers to a life where devotion is not decoration. Scripture warns against performative religion and self-display: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30) The principle reaches beyond gender: reverent fear of God outweighs every curated image.

Preaching That Changes the Heart

Asbury feared “empty stuff”—words crafted for applause but lacking conviction and new birth. He sought preaching that comforts the weary, confronts sin, and magnifies Christ. The gospel does not aim at entertained listeners but transformed disciples: “For the word of God is living and active… it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Courage, Faith, and Lasting Witness

In choosing plainness over status and truth over popularity, Asbury modeled quiet heroism: obedience when it costs, humility when praise beckons, and perseverance when results are slow. His prayer still summons believers to resist vanity, refuse religious show, and labor for holiness that shines most when no one is watching.