Revival! (3)

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1.4, 5

Ministers of Scotland: Lectures on Revival III
The Rev. Alexander Moody Stuart, A. M., Minister of St. Luke’s Parish, Edinburgh
“Pray for the Spirit for yourselves, that he may fill the temple of your hearts; pray for the Spirit for others; pray for saints; pray for sinners; pray for your families; pray for your parishes; pray for your city; pray for your land; pray for the distant heathen; pray for wandering Israel; that the Spirit may be given to all, till ‘the knowledge of the glory of the Lord fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.’”

Here is a call to prayer which, if Christians today were to heed it, would, I’m sure, soon bring the refreshing rains of revival to our churches, our communities, and our world. If we want God to act in a way that is exceedingly abundantly beyond what we’ve ever dared to think or ask, then we must think it, and we must take up the work of prayer without ceasing, as Paul and Jesus taught. There will be no revival without a nearer and more concentrated presence of the Spirit of God, and no such presence will be granted us unless we seek it earnestly in prayer. Jesus commanded His disciples to “wait” for the coming of the Spirit. They understood by that to go back to Jerusalem and join together in a perpetual labor of prayer until the promised Spirit should fall. For ten days they prayed – we do not know the details, just that they somehow sustained an effort of seeking the Spirit in prayer for ten full days. I’m sure they would have stayed in prayer for ten times that many days, if required. The Spirit came in response to their joining together to wait for Him in prayer. When our seeking the Spirit looks like that, we will begin to know revival as well.

This would seem to require a new and extraordinary focus and effort of prayer. How might your church take on this challenge? What are you willing to do to lead your congregation in more consistent and earnest prayer for God’s Spirit?

Preparing for Revival
Perhaps most pastors fall into the category of those who do not expect to see a great revival and worldwide awakening in our lifetime. But just in case God chooses to do what He has done many times throughout the history of the Christian movement, we do well to prepare for it. Join us online once a month to pray for revival. Surely you can spare 30 minutes, once a month, to join with other pastors and church leaders to seek the Lord for revival, according to His Word? We’re looking for men who will commit to seeking the Lord for revival together. If you’re interested, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll give you a list of available times. Or we can discuss beginning a new group to pray for revival at a more suitable time.

To help you in preparing for revival, we have two brief books that won’t take you more than an hour to read. Preparing Your Church for Revival tells you what to expect as the Lord begins to move, and shows you how to get ready even now (click here). Restore Us! provides the rationale and means for praying together for revival. It includes 12 psalms to guide your times of praying together (click here).

All quotations in this series are taken from Ministers of Scotland,Lectures on Revival, Richard Owen Roberts, ed. (Wheaton: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers, 1980). Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.