Revival! (5)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7.7

Ministers of Scotland: Lectures on Revival VI
The Rev. Alexander Cumming, Minister of Dunbarney Parish
“The more we ask, the more successful we shall be; and hence it is easier to obtain the Holy Spirit, who brings in his train the treasures of everlasting ages, than any earthly acquisition. But let us remember, that to usher in the glory of the latter day, we must practice prayer in all its forms – private, family, social, public. Never can the heart be so fully unfolded to God as when, secluded from the society of men, we seek sublime converse with our Creator.”

The Church is called to assault the throne of grace with all kinds of prayer, all the time. The Lord commands us to take no rest, and give Him no rest until He once again revives and renews us (Is. 62.6, 7). Where is the church that encourages and sustains such an ongoing assault? Where is the pastor who teaches his people to pray like this, and leads them in it? Have we become weary of prayer? Or have we concluded either that such prayers as Rev. Cumming commends don’t work, or aren’t necessary, or just take too much of our time? Paul said we do not know how to pray as we should. We must admit more: We do not pray as we should. We need all kinds of prayers, in every setting and situation, pleading with God for revival, renewal, and awakening. Where such prayers go up to God, the tipping point for revival is being approached, and the Spirit of God is preparing to “suit-up” for a new day of awakening.

What would your church look like if it were assaulting the throne of grace with prayer?

Pray for Revival
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).

Join us online once a month to pray for revival. We meet for 30 minutes, once a month, pray a psalm and seek the Lord together for revival. 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.

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.