Factoring in Revival

This week I have to write six essays (yes six!) for my Revivalism course. It is a take home exam so I really should not complain and given I like to write, I am actually looking forward to the assignment.

One of the essay questions asks what seven factors must be present before a revival. I am betting you did not know there are seven factors, did you? Admittedly, I didn’t either. But as you read through this list, contemplate the present state of our churches and decide for yourself if any of these factors are present today:

a.) Dissatisfied Christians
b.) Disturbing trends in churches
c.) Developing spiritual convictions
d.) Devoted prayer
e.) Dedicated servants
f.) Diligent Bible study
g.) Determined seekers

When analyzing this list it is clear that revival does not occur spontaneously out of thin air or happen in a vacuum. Christians must be prepared to receive revival and these factors showcase a life that is earnestly seeking God.

I would venture to say that in terms of the first two factors, we definitely have dissatisfied Christians today who are earnestly yearning for a display of God’s power in their own lives and within their churches and homes. We also have disturbing trends in the churches, perhaps the most alarming trends since the apostles founded the early church. The Emergent church (sometimes referred to as the Emergent movement) which propagates “conversation” theology is on the rise and seeks to deconstruct modern Christian worship, evangelism, and the nature of the modern Christian community. It is one of many cults that have hit the scene in the 21st century. Even the traditional Christian denominations of our day have denounced the Word of God as the final authority in an effort to appear more hip and in sync with today’s culture.

While we can all agree there are major problems in the churches and a large number of dissatisfied Christians as a result, what about the last five factors? All of them have to do with believers turning toward God and away from sin to know the Living God and experience His power in a profound manner. I have to confess that as I looked at these characteristics, I was convicted about my own life. I have often prayed for revival, especially recently, but have not held up my end of the equation.

If we want to experience revival again in this country, we have to not only immerse ourselves in the Word and in prayer, but also diligently seek and serve the Lord. This really is not too much for God to ask, is it? After all, why would He be interested in reviving people who are spiritually lethargic, indifferent to sin, and apathetic towards things of spiritual consequence?

Basically, God is looking to see if we are as committed to him in our life as we claim we are in our prayers. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tell us, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” This is quite a promise to consider. The Bible also tells us that God is not slack concerning His promises (2 Peter 3:9).

I firmly believe this nation can experience revival again, we just need to put 2 Chronicles 7:14 into action, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

How to Pray

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been discussing prayer and how it has been the primary catalyst that has spawned every revival throughout history. I have also touched on the power of prayer in the life of the believer.

This week, I wanted to spend some time discussing how to pray or what we should be saying to God when we are alone in our prayer closet. Do not feel embarrassed or ashamed if you have come to this blog without a good understanding of how to pray. Many have asked this same question, including the apostles in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6. Jesus responded by giving them the Lord’s Prayer, which is also known as the “Our Father.”

This prayer that Jesus shared was not meant to be a ritualistic saying that would be recited verbatim daily to God but was given as the pattern for our prayer life. God Himself has said that He is not interested in the vain repetition of words (Matthew 6:7) but in our heart attitude toward Him when we pray.

John MacArthur has a wonderful series of messages on the Lord’s Prayer in which he breaks down the prayer line by line and explains how to incorporate each wonderful truth into your prayer life. I would highly recommend you spend some time reading these messages so you can better understand how the Lord Himself told us to approach the throne room of God.

I also wanted to mention that prayer by nature is designed to bring us into the presence of the Living God that we may be transformed by Him. Prayer should never be approached with the thought that God is some type of sugar daddy waiting to give us every want and desire as some so called Christian movements would have you to believe.

Even a cursory reading of the Bible will reveal that when God’s people prayed, they most often reminded God of His words and promises to His people. Very rarely do you find a man or woman of God in the Bible praying anything that was not somehow related to God's Word or nature. And this is why the relationship between prayer and God’s Word is so critical. The Word of God enables us to know the mind of God which then transforms our prayers into petitions that are in accordance with His will.

I have often thought of how many prayers God hears on a daily basis from unbelievers asking for protection, healing, finances, etc. While God does answer these requests at times from non-believers, he is not obligated to answer them. He is, however, obligated by His very Word to answer believers when they pray.

It is God Himself who has set up the institution of prayer. It is Him who commands us to pray unceasingly, fervently, and earnestly for all things. E.M. Bounds states in his book, The Weapon of Prayer, “Prayer puts God’s work in His hands, and keeps it there. It looks to Him constantly and depends on Him implicitly to further His own cause. Prayer is but faith resting in, acting with, and leaning on and obeying God. This is why God loves it so well, why He puts all power into its hands, and why He so highly esteems men of prayer.”

I truly believe the way to have a more fruitful prayer life is to immerse yourself in the Word of God. The two just cannot be divorced from each other. If you are trying to figure out where to begin, I would suggest you start with the Book of Psalms which is found in the Old Testament. The Psalms are songs and prayers to God. I often pray them myself to God when I find that I do not have any words of my own. Psalms 23 and 91 are wonderful Psalms that speak of God’s protection and sovereignty.

You could also read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John found at the beginning of the New Testament) if you want to know Jesus’ words so you can remember and recall them when you are praying. The more you know God’s Word, the more you will be able to effectively pray for God’s will in all things.

Please feel free to comment to let me know how your prayer life is progressing. I hope and pray that these last few blogs on prayer have been a blessing.

Prayer: Our Secret Weapon

Last week I had discussed the importance of prayer and its power to transform our lives and bring about revival. Incidentally, no revival ever took place that was not ignited first through persistent and heartfelt prayer. This week I wanted to take a look at what prayer accomplishes in the life of the believer.

As I had mentioned last week, prayer is our opportunity to commune directly with God. This relationship was made by possible by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter six tells us that we war against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places and urges us to put on the whole armor of God daily. The armor has five pieces for defense and the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) as our only offensive weapon but I would also suggest that prayer is our secret weapon.

In his profound but little known work, The Weapon of Prayer, E.M. Bounds says, “The most efficient agents in disseminating the knowledge of God, in prosecuting His work upon the earth, and in standing as a breakwater against the billows of evil, have been praying church leaders. God depends upon them, employs them, and blesses them.”

Leonard Ravenhill argues that even Satan “would rather have us increase in Bible knowledge as long as we keep from prayer, which is the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word. What use is deeper knowledge if we have shallower hearts? What use is greater standing with men if we have less standing with God? … What use is religious piety if we have soul carnality? ... Who can take comfort in social popularity if he is unknown in hell? Prayer takes care of all these spiritual maladjustments.”

I believe that prayer is as vital to the spiritual man as breathing is to the physical man. Prayer is the great divider of those that claim to be spiritual versus those whose hearts beat in unison with the Living God.

Prayer also safeguards us against our two worst enemies – pride and pity. God is always trying to get us to a place where we are balanced right between pride and pity. He wants us to recognize our self worth in Him and boast as the Apostle Paul did in Him alone. But He also wants us to acknowledge our sin before Him with a broken and contrite heart so in our humility He can exalt us.

It is unfeasible to strike this balance without a consistent prayer life. I would also suggest that it is impossible to have a successful prayer life if we are not committed to the Word as it is through God’s Word that we know His mind and are able to have confidence in Him that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

I think for many Christians our prayer life is lacking because we simply do not believe God. We have lost confidence that our prayers are moving angels into action. Perhaps part of the reason is because God does not allow us to see everything He is doing when we pray. I heard a preacher say once that if he had been Daniel praying for God’s revelation, the answer would have been delayed three years instead of three weeks. That is a very depressing statement, but alas, it may be a reality for many of us.

It is within our power to change. If we are dry spiritually than let us pray for the living water that Jesus promised is ours in Him; if we are feeling like we are just going through the motions of our faith than let us pray for renewed passion; if we no longer witness to others because we are fearful of their reaction than let us pray for boldness. God is still faithful. His chief desire is it to revive His people. He is at the door knocking. Prayer is the key.

To make my weak heart strong and brave,
Send the fire.
To live a dying world to save, send the fire.
Oh, see me on thy altar lay
My life, my all, this very day;
To crown the offering now I pray:
Send the fire!

-F. de L. Booth-Tucker

Preparing for Revival

During the past several months the Lord has been teaching me about revival. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am currently taking a Revivalism course at my church on Monday nights. My professor recently mentioned that true, Biblical revival contains four components:

1) It is initiated by God,
2) It creates widespread repentance, including the conversion of unbelievers,
3) It changes society in some significant way, and
4) It averts God’s judgment.

I wanted to spend some time discussing the second point because I think when most people, myself included, think of revival we imagine masses of lost people coming to know Jesus as their personal Savior. While this is true in part, the main thrust of revival is God’s people repenting of their sins and turning in obedience toward God.

I would assume that for many of us who have been Christians for a long time, we struggle with this concept, especially when we look at the state of our nation and witness the lawlessness that abounds everywhere. But God is always concerned first and foremost with His people. In fact, the great revival verse of the Bible deals with this very topic, “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

If we truly want to see the state of our nation changed than we, as God’s people, need to humble ourselves before God and turn from our sin. This is God’s plan for true revival – it begins with the church not the world.

When you really dig down and look at the personal lives of our political leaders during the greatest times of our nation’s glory, you find things that show human nature and not divine inspiration. God is not limited by our leader’s religious views. Even when we had ungodly leaders and men of questionable character, the Lord still blessed the nation. God’s promises are not determined by who are leaders are, but by the holiness of His people.

And this is really the whole key to experiencing the presence of God – holiness. I can look at my own life and realize that the times I have felt the Lord intimately have been the times when I have forsaken sin, and likewise, when He seems distant, it has always been as a result of disobedience or failure to confess and repent of sin.

Many today do not want to hear this because if forces us to look at ourselves first and begin making changes on the inside. It is easy to want to look at our nation, our state, our church and assign blame but that is not what God has told us to do. We must humble ourselves, forsake sin, and pray.

Never underestimate the power of prayer. My professor mentioned this past week that two women prayed earnestly for a very long time for D.L. Moody to be moved to lead revival. They prayed relentlessly and were able to bring down spiritual strongholds that eventually enabled D.L. Moody to spearhead the Great Awakening of the mid-1800’s.

If you desire God to send another revival, won’t you humble yourself before God and pray earnestly with me?

"There is sanctifying power like a sweet, refreshing shower, waiting for each consecrated heart."
- Leila N. Morris, hymnist