Just a few examples from history: the first revival of the New Testament era started with a prolonged time of communal prayer of the first followers of Jesus. Before the Holy Spirit was poured out on them in power they spent 10 days waiting in Jerusalem for it, no doubt most of the time they spent together was spent in prayer, waiting on God, seeking his face, preparing themselves to receive the gift he promised. And all throughout the book of the Act of the Apostles prayer plays a crucial part in reaching out to the world in power.
There is a fascinating talk by Dr. J. Edwin Orr (originally from Belfast) entitled, "The Role of Prayer in Spiritual Awakening." He is an expert on American Revivals and in this talk he shows from history how every spiritual awakening in America has started with intense prayer.
Before the Dublin Revival in 1968 that I mentioned earlier in the blog regular prayer meetings across denominational barriers were held every Wednesday for several decades in that city, praying to God for revival.
The revival in Indonesia of the 1960-s and 1970-s - with two German Theologians playing a prominent part in it (Detmar and Volkhard Scheunemann) - started with two month of intense prayer at a bible institute in Batu. The burden for prayer was so strong that many students and teachers prayed through whole nights. They stopped the regular school routine and devoted all their days and many nights to seeking God's face, repenting of lukewarmness and sin, and praying for revival. When God sent it, it strongly resembled the accounts of the Acts of the Apostles in its intensity and spiritual power.
Reuben R. Torey, a preacher who was mightily used by God in spiritual awakenings around the world at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, even went so far as to give a prescription how to start a revival. He writes: First: let a group of Christians get thoroughly right with God. If this isn't done, the rest will come to nothing. Second: Let them bind themselves together to pray for revival until God opens the windows of heaven and comes down. Third: Let them put themselves at the disposal of God for his use as he sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all. I've given this prescription around the world... and in no instance has it failed. It cannot fail.
The promise of Scripture is very clear:
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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7, 14)
Still I am sure revival is the sovereign work of God. It is God who initiates it by his holy Spirit. But he always uses prayer of his children as a means to this end. That's why we have started this year with a week of prayer in our church. That's why we are organizing United Prayer Nights in our church each month. That's why I have often prayed in my individual prayer times to the point of physical and emotional exhaustion. So far this is the weak point here in Greystones. There is no movement in prayer yet. And sometimes the temptation to give up is very strong. And yet, there are signs that God is moving. Yesterday I was at a united prayer and worship event in Hillside Evangelical Church in Greystones - and it was very encouraging and uplifting. So I want to get up, start praying again, with effort, with faith, with intensity, with conviction.
Anybody reading this wants to join in? The United Prayer Nights in our church are happening every first Sunday night of the month at 7 pm. So the next one is on the 5th of February. Let's come together for praise, prayer and intercession. There is no way around it if we want to see revival come to this land.
