We are in trouble. Our culture drifts further and further from God while the church sleeps in indifference. Pagan Nineveh had more of a heart to respond to God's truth than many believers do.
Sin is everywhere including the church. Holiness has become a foreign reality in many homes and under multitudes of church steeples. While church growth experts promote church growth strategies, where are the proponents for holiness and revival?
There are a few prophets in the land doing as Vance Havner used to do. He would often say, " I have come to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable." We need more of that. The prophets have many cashed in profit rather than the hard ministry of thus says the Lord.
I yearn for hard truth spoken by God's prophet unconcerned about the love offering or whom he may offend. I need to be offended out of my comfortable apathetic lifestyle. That happened today through a man of God long ago departed.
I watched a message he preached on the internet and was challenged. I found myself on my knees crying out to God for His burden and repentant of the sins in my life. I want to fully embrace the burden for revival and spiritual awakening in our country, communities, and churches.
I don't know what that means for me personally. Today was the culmination of months of God's work in my heart to call me to the burden for revival. God is gripping my heart for the soul of this nation and today my prayer included asking God to grip me tighter and more firmly not just for this moment but every day for all my days. I asked God to grip my soul hourly so the burden never lessens and the passionate pursuit of Him in revival consumes me.
I don't know what form that passionate pursuit will take me. For now I am confident it is increasing prayer and writing. Perhaps the day will come when God chooses to use me to preach in pursuit of Him in revival.
It is time to wake up church. It is time throw off indifference and apathy and to revive the near extinct prayer meeting. I heard today about a pastor who labored in this pursuit and actually saw the Wednesday night prayer meetings increase in attendance to over 170 persons in a congregation with less than 200 in attendance on Sunday mornings. He told the people miss Sunday morning and Sunday night if you must but do not let anything but death keep you from the Wednesday night prayer meeting.
Preacher would this hurt your ego if they did not come to hear you preach in mass but came to the prayer meeting to seek the face of God in droves? Of course I know if those people are coming to seek the face of God in prayer they will want to seek God on Sundays as well.
After five years of prayer meetings that church saw a move of God that lasted for seven weeks in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. People began going to the police station and confessing crimes they had committed. Broken relationships were reconciled. People were saved. The crowds outgrew church sanctuaries until the revival services had to be moved to a civic auditorium.
Here is the question posed to me. Will I diligently give myself to prayer for revival and leadership in the pursuit of God for five years or ten if that is what it takes for God to answer. I cannot sit idly by going to church services where little is expected of the people or experienced of God while this nation drifts closer and closer toward judgment.
I have tasted small pockets of revival on at least three different occasions. That felt like an appetizer. I hunger for the full revival meal that would draw this nation back to the heart of God. I am asking for a prophet's anointing and mantle to fall on me. Only God can save this sinful age. Here am I Lord, send me. Use me. Choose me to labor in pursuit of you for revival. Please give the spirit of prayer to your people once again.
Sin is everywhere including the church. Holiness has become a foreign reality in many homes and under multitudes of church steeples. While church growth experts promote church growth strategies, where are the proponents for holiness and revival?
There are a few prophets in the land doing as Vance Havner used to do. He would often say, " I have come to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable." We need more of that. The prophets have many cashed in profit rather than the hard ministry of thus says the Lord.
I yearn for hard truth spoken by God's prophet unconcerned about the love offering or whom he may offend. I need to be offended out of my comfortable apathetic lifestyle. That happened today through a man of God long ago departed.
I watched a message he preached on the internet and was challenged. I found myself on my knees crying out to God for His burden and repentant of the sins in my life. I want to fully embrace the burden for revival and spiritual awakening in our country, communities, and churches.
I don't know what that means for me personally. Today was the culmination of months of God's work in my heart to call me to the burden for revival. God is gripping my heart for the soul of this nation and today my prayer included asking God to grip me tighter and more firmly not just for this moment but every day for all my days. I asked God to grip my soul hourly so the burden never lessens and the passionate pursuit of Him in revival consumes me.
I don't know what form that passionate pursuit will take me. For now I am confident it is increasing prayer and writing. Perhaps the day will come when God chooses to use me to preach in pursuit of Him in revival.
It is time to wake up church. It is time throw off indifference and apathy and to revive the near extinct prayer meeting. I heard today about a pastor who labored in this pursuit and actually saw the Wednesday night prayer meetings increase in attendance to over 170 persons in a congregation with less than 200 in attendance on Sunday mornings. He told the people miss Sunday morning and Sunday night if you must but do not let anything but death keep you from the Wednesday night prayer meeting.
Preacher would this hurt your ego if they did not come to hear you preach in mass but came to the prayer meeting to seek the face of God in droves? Of course I know if those people are coming to seek the face of God in prayer they will want to seek God on Sundays as well.
After five years of prayer meetings that church saw a move of God that lasted for seven weeks in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. People began going to the police station and confessing crimes they had committed. Broken relationships were reconciled. People were saved. The crowds outgrew church sanctuaries until the revival services had to be moved to a civic auditorium.
Here is the question posed to me. Will I diligently give myself to prayer for revival and leadership in the pursuit of God for five years or ten if that is what it takes for God to answer. I cannot sit idly by going to church services where little is expected of the people or experienced of God while this nation drifts closer and closer toward judgment.
I have tasted small pockets of revival on at least three different occasions. That felt like an appetizer. I hunger for the full revival meal that would draw this nation back to the heart of God. I am asking for a prophet's anointing and mantle to fall on me. Only God can save this sinful age. Here am I Lord, send me. Use me. Choose me to labor in pursuit of you for revival. Please give the spirit of prayer to your people once again.
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