We Must Cry Out For Revival

Hi. Ten years ago, Sarah Foulkes Moore urged the American church to pray for spiritual awakening. Her article is worth passing on. Bryan

Pray On For Spiritual Awakening in America
by Sarah Foulkes Moore

It is 24 years ago in July that God took Sarah Foulkes Moore, co-founder of Herald of His Coming, to her rest. In tribute to this saint of God who poured out her life as few others have, in passion and prayer for world evangelization through world revival, we reprint this anointed plea from her pen.

"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Prov. 14:34).

Men of sober thought are persuaded that nothing will solve the grave problems that menace our nation except a spiritual awakening.

A thoughtful study of the effects of religious awakenings on our national history should make prayerful men and women, at this crisis time, feel seriously the grave responsibility of praying frequently and working effectively for a heaven-sent Spirit-given revival of Christian faith - to restore multitudes in backslidden churches and save our civilization.

The old-fashioned revival which began about 1800 in Kentucky spread through seventeen states. Historians writing of those "camp meeting days" declare: "Neighborhoods noted for vicious and profligate life are as much noted now for piety and good order."

The transformation resulting from this spiritual awakening directly opened the way for winning the West and annexing it to the United States.

With the discovery of gold in California, and the extension of the national boundaries in the bold acquisition of Mexican states, and the ensuing prosperity of rich harvests, railway and steamship developments, America once more turned from God to the worship of mammon. In 1855 she found herself in the midst of a terrible panic, underemployment, want and despair. To add to the grim terror of those days were the ominous rumblings of the coming Civil War, national disruption and fearful strife.

The National Peril Was Great!

Again God turned His hand upon America and saved her from ruin. Beginning in a businessmen's noonday prayer meeting, a revival burst into flame which rapidly spread north and south. The cry: "What must I do to be saved?" pierced the air. Thousands turned to God.

The revival continued unabated throughout the conflict of the North and South and was, under God, the means of reconciling the warring interests in the Civil conflict. "Never in the history of mankind," comments one historian, "was a Civil war followed so quickly by a reconciliation so genuine and so perfect."

Today America is facing a crisis! It is a moral collapse, a breakdown of modern civilization consequent upon its failure in meeting the higher, spiritual needs of the race.

One Thing Can Save The Nation!

The one thing that can save the nation is to get back to her spiritual undergirdings and return to the faith of our forefathers. Only a visitation from on high will turn the tide, and save the day.

The responsibility of securing this spiritual revival rests entirely with praying men and women. Prayer groups and companies, whole churches and assemblies should be mobilized to intercede for a national awakening.

In the early years of the present century, Wales faced a crisis. This crisis was met by organizing three hundred extra prayer groups to pray down a heavenly visitation upon the land. All Wales became as one great prayer meeting! What was the result of this organized banding together to seek the face of God for an imperiled nation? Within a short time revival fires began to sweep Wales and in two months over seventy thousand turned to the Lord!

Revival Follows Prayer!

There is no revival where there is no prayer. What America needs today more than able statesmen in politics is men and women to get desperately determined and in earnest to have God work in revival power, and to take hold of the Lord in an agony of importunate prayer!

The responsibility of calling America to prayer and of taking hold of God, of getting down on our faces before Him and staying there until He again visits us from on high, and once more diverts a crisis in our national history - is your responsibility and mine! (Isa. 64:7).

Our one solemn concern in these days of waning national allegiance and threatened revolutions should be to give ourselves to faithful, constant, prevailing prayer for our beloved land.

Hold your hours of prayer with an iron grasp. Let the people of God everywhere in America recognize the tremendous power of prayer, and mobilize and organize their forces at this strategic point, and our country will be swept out of the present crisis and into a great religious revival!

Pray On!

Include the ends of the earth in your prayers. Thank God for His movings, but we need more! Pray God will send a worldwide outpouring of His Spirit "on all flesh" (Joel 2:28) so His people shall be "one" (John 17:11-23) and shall see "eye to eye!" (Isa. 52:8).

"HERALD OF HIS COMING" July 1997 Vol. 56 No. 7 (667) International Edition

"Herald of His Coming" is published monthly by Gospel Revivals Inc.
304 North Main Street, Newton KS 67114. Tel 316 283 7747
Fax: 316 284 2311 Electronic mail: CompuServe 102716,1613

Can We Tell If Revival is Coming?

Brian H. Edwards, in Revival! A People Saturated with God, contends that revival may be around the corner when more people in the church show up for prayer...

"A greatly increased interest in the prayer meeting is not only evidence of revival, it is also evidence that revival may be on the way" (pg. 84).

So how serious do the followers of Jesus see the various prayer gatherings in your local church?

Have a prayerful day

Bryan

Do We Pray Enough?

Do we pray enough as pastors and followers of Jesus? Probably not. Brian H. Edwards, in his book, Revival! A People Saturated with God, writes that even though we are aware of our lack of prayer, we do little to fix the problem...

"Almost every Christian leader today laments a lack of personal prayer, but very few are determined to do anything about it. We are not sufficiently concerned to make a radical alteration in our diaries and get down to the 'unproductive' and unnoticed battle of assaulting heaven" (pg. 77).

Well, now that we know there is a problem--how about we pray more and assault heaven?

Bryan

Is the Church Holy and Alive?

Good Morning. There are many misconceptions about revival today. Brian H. Edwards, in his book: Revival! A People Saturated with God defines as the church being awakened to holiness and life.

"Most people think of revival as a time of phenomenal growth in the numbers attending church. In fact, some would even define revival in just this way: a time when crowds flock to church in order to hear the gospel, a sudden and startling numerical increase in church membership and attendance as a result of many conversions. It should be clear by now that this is not the most significant thing about revival. Revival is not the conversion of thousands of unsaved, but the awakening of the church, making it holy and alive once again" (pg. 175).

Have a great day and keep praying for revival

Bryan

Longing for Revival

I have prayed that God would send revival to his people for over twenty years. I have read numerous books on the subject. I have read about revival coming to places like Alliance, NE. I was a pastor in Dannebrog, NE at that time. I have even experienced moments of personal revival.

But I have never been part of a genuine revival from heaven visiting a local church or community.

But I do know this: WE MUST PRAY for Revival.

Therefore, we keep praying!

Have a great weekend,

Bryan

Wisdom on Prayer From the Sixth Century

Hi. I have never heard of Dorotheus of Gaza until today. He was a monk in the sixth century. May we all be ceaseless in our prayers. Have a great day. Bryan

"A man who prays without ceasing, if he achieves something, knows why he achieved it, and can take no pride in it... for he cannot attribute it to his own powers, but attributes all his achievements to God, always renders thanks to him and constantly calls upon him, trembling lest he be deprived of help."

Back to the Basics of Revival and Prayer

Good Morning. It has been a few days since I have posted anything. Derek Gentle has a helpful article on the subject of prayer and revival. This can be found at: http://www.baptiststart.com/print/revival_what_who.html

Revival: What it is and Who Needs it
by Derek Gentle

Revival is certainly a word in the Baptist vocabulary. In Baptist life, it is usually used to describe a series of worship services in which a visiting preacher, and sometimes a visiting choir director, come to a church to lead special worship services. These services have a special emphasis placed on leading people, who do not yet have a relationship with Him, to Christ. The church members often help out by doing such things as singing in the "revival choir," bringing their friends to "pack a pew night," or serving pizza to teenagers before the service on "youth night." Sometimes the services are preceded by "cottage prayer meetings," where the members go to a member's home to pray together for the services. This is pretty much what the word meant as as we heard it growing up. Because of this tradition, there remains a "terminological inexactitude" (to borrow a phrase from Churchill) among many Baptists concerning the meaning of the term, revival.

Evangelism is not that to which the word revival refers. Revival is what God sends, not to the lost, but to His own people, the church. The dead can not be revived; they require resurrection. In revival, God does a fresh work in those who have life, yet who have grown weak through sin or neglect. It is true that evangelism will inevitably flow out of revival. Evangelism is important! But in terms of methodology, more and more, we are having to learn how to do that work outside the walls of the church. Unbelievers are not going to come and hear as often as they did in earlier generations. We are having to learn to share the faith in natural ways with those with whom we have relationships.

Here are some better definitions of revival; these will be found to be more consistent with biblical teaching:

"Revival is that sovereign work of God in which He visits His own people, restoring and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing." - Robert Coleman

"Revival is a return to spiritual health after a period of decline into sin and broken fellowship with God... Revival is for God's people when they need to be forgiven and restored to life, spiritual health, and vitality" -Blackaby & King (Fresh Encounter, Lifeway, 1993)

"Revival is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results." - Richard Owen Roberts

Look in the Bible. Notice how many times it says, "me" or "us" when speaking of revival. Here are some examples:

Psalm 119:156: "Great are Thy mercies, O Lord; Revive me according to Thine ordinances"

Psalm 119:37: "Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Thy ways."

Psalm 119:88: "Revive me according to Thy lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Thy mouth"

Psalm 85:6: "Wilt Thou not Thyself revive us again, That Thy people may rejoice in Thee?"

Habbakuk 3:2: "Lord, I have heard the report about Thee and I fear. O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy"

Like the old song says, "It's me, it's me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer."

When is revival needed among God's people? When they have their left first love. God's people need to be revived when they find themselves going through the motions, having "a form of godliness but denying its power" (2nd Timothy 3:5). God's people need revival when they are wallowing in sin, perhaps regretting their sins, but unwilling to thoroughly repent of them. God's people need revival when they are neglecting their relationship with Christ. Revival is needed when we are low on zeal and have grown lukewarm.

J. I. Packer lists five Marks of Revival:
(1) Awareness of God's Presence
(2) Responsiveness to God's Word
(3) Sensitiveness to sin
(4) Liveliness in Community - A revived church is full of life, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit
(5) Faithfulness in testimony - an evangelistic and ethical overspill into the world.

We can all agree with Spurgeon as he described the kind of revival he wanted to see:

"We need a work of the Holy Spirit of a supernatural kind, putting power into the preaching of the Word, inspiring all believers with heavenly energy, and solemnly affecting the hearts of the careless, so that they turn to God and live. We would not be drunk with the wine of carnal excitement, but we would be filled with the Spirit. We would behold the fire descending from heaven in answer to the effectual fervent prayers of righteous men. Can we not entreat the Lord our God to make bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the people in this day of declension and vanity?"

Is there a "formula for revival"? Sometimes, you hear 2nd Chronicles 7:14 used as a recipe for revival:

"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."

But that's the whole deal, isn't it? Getting God's people to humble themselves, to pray, to seek God's face, and repent? It would seem that if all that is happening, you have revival! The condition being met in this passage leads to forgiveness and restoration; at least that's what it says after the word, "then".

So, should we pray for revival? Of course! That's what we see the Psalmist doing in the verses above. But can we reduce the work of a sovereign God to a man-dependant formula? No. Revival is the work of God. We pray for it because we are dependant upon Him to send it.

The Burden of Prayer?

Often we consider prayer to be a burden. Yes, it is hard word and it does require discipline. Yet, as we pray, God can bless us with his presence and joy. Consider what the ancient St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153) said...

"Prayer is a wine which makes glad the heart of man."

It may take a few minutes of struggle before the gladness comes to our heart. It may even take longer. Yet, it far worth the work to get to the point where we are filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Let us continue praying for revival.

Bryan

A Baptist Among Pentecostals

Good Morning:

In a few minutes I am departing the church office for a Omaha area pastor's prayer gathering that meets twice a month. I always look forward to praying with this group which is made up of mainly Pentecostals. I believe I am the only Baptist in the group of 15 to 25 people.

But that is okay. We are there for one reason--to PRAY for the city of Omaha and for one another.

So off I go.

Keep praying for Omaha

Bryan

Short and to the Point

Good afternoon. Praise the Lord that it is warming up. I want to golf! John Owen, from long ago, got right to the point about prayer when he said...

"If we would talk less and pray more about them, things would be better than they are in the world: at least, we should be better enabled to bear them."


The conclusion of the matter is to keep praying!

Blessings

Bryan

Why Should We Cry Out For Revival?

There are many reasons to pray that God will send a revival to our churches and communities and nations. I will share a couple.

First, we need to pray since most of us have never experienced a true revival from above, and since prayer always seems to precede true revival.

Second, we need to fervently pray for revival when it does come,we will desire that it will never leave us. One historian put it this way...

"Because of an unusually vivid sense of love, joy, peace and the presence of God, people don't want to leave, and they often remain for incredibly long periods of time, sometimes day and night. Many people describe their experience as heaven upon earth, and time seems to pass exceedingly quickly" (Richard M. Piss; Narratives of Revival in Scotland, Ireland and Wales)

Praying for Revival

Bryan

Prayer First Gathering in Sioux Falls.

Greetings from Sioux Falls. I am on an afternoon break at the Baptist General Conference (BGC) "Prayer First" gathering. It is hosted by Faith Baptist Church. This is the first one I have been at in four years because I was in Boston at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for my D.Min.

The roots of these gatherings actually date back to around 1990 when Dana Olson and others in the Great Plains district had a heart to see a prayer movement among BGC pastors. Dana was the pastor at Trinity Baptist in Lincoln, NE and I was the pastor of First Baptist Church of Dannebrog, NE. The first gathering was at Harvey Oaks Baptist Church (where I am the pastor today). Dana (see his mug shot) is the director of "Prayer First" for he BGC

Last night we arrived for supper at 5:30 and worship began at 6:30. Greg Dirnberger led us in many songs of praise. There was a breakthrough in my own heart when we sang the Keith Green song: "There is a Redeemer". Up to that point, my heart wasn't 100% in it. But as we sang that song, my resistance to being there was over.

We then broke out into prayer. I estimate there are 40 to 50 of us. Many wives are there as well. They are led by Barbara Erickson.

The gathering will end tomorrow at lunch. The prayers and worship and testimonies have been powerful.

Lord make us desperate for you.