HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN ARTICLE I READ TODAY ABOUT REVIVAL AND PRAYER. IN IT THERE ARE SEVERAL QUOTES FROM SOME FATHERS OF THE FAITH. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO HEED THEIR TIMELESS TRUTHS.
THE ARTICLE IS FROM A PUBLICATION CALLED “HERALD OF HIS COMING” AND WRITTEN BY DAVID BUTTS.
One of the definitions of revival I want to give you is from Arthur Wallis. He wrote,
“Revival is such a display of God’s holiness and power that often human personalities are overshadowed and human programs abandoned. It is God breaking into the consciousness of men in majesty and glory.”
Vance Havner said, “Revival is the Church falling in love with Jesus all over again.”
Duncan Campbell stated, “Revival is a community saturated with God.”
The South African revivalist, Andrew Murray, said,
“A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out a spirit of worldliness and selfishness and making God in His love triumph in the heart and life.”
My favorite from Stephen Olford is:
“Revival is ultimately Christ Himself seen, felt, heard, living, active, moving in and through His body on earth.”
The whole idea of revival is a Christ awakening. The true Church believes that Jesus is in their midst, but is somehow failing to experience it. There is a great divide between our intellectual, theological, biblical belief and what we actually experience. Revival crosses that divide.
Without thoughtful definitions in mind, we find ourselves praying for revival amiss. So in praying for revival, don’t discount the time you spend at the beginning of a prayer meeting or even in your own personal prayer life on understanding,
“What is it we are praying toward?
What are we asking God to do?”
You might be asking something you want but something He does not desire.
So what we are going to talk about in relation to revival praying is in regard to opening God’s Word and learning to pray Scripture, learning to pray what God desires to have happen. I prefer the term “revival praying” rather than “praying for revival.” If I am praying for revival, I become revival focused sometimes rather than focused on Christ. I get more interested in something that happens with meetings. For some this is a small distinction, but for me, revival praying is the type of praying that prepares the ground, that prepares the way for revival. Sometimes we ask God for something for which we are not ready.
I like to think of revival praying in terms of preparing ourselves for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament talks about plowing up hard ground, fallow ground, so that if the rain were to fall on it, it would not just run off. If nothing has been done to the ground, it will not be prepared to receive anything from heaven.
I think the same thing has happened when we persist in praying to God, “Give us revival! Give us revival!” What happens will be short-lived if the ground has not been prepared, if we have not prepared ourselves for the Holy Sprit to be poured upon us and to stay and to make some significant changes in our lives.
THIS BIT WAS INTENDED TO STIR YOURSELVES TO A DEEP TIME OF PRAYER IN THIS SEASON THAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO.
CAIO!
