Revival! (8)

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh… Romans 9.1-3

Ministers of Scotland: Lectures on Revival XIV
Nathaniel Paterson, D. D., Minister of St. Andrew’s Parish, Glasgow
“He is no Christian who cares only for his own soul; he is no ‘fellow-citizen with the saints and of the household of God,’ if the desires of his heart and the energies of his hand be limited to the affairs of his own household; nor can he be regarded as an heir of the heavenly Canaan whose soul breathes not the constant fervent prayer that peace may be within Jerusalem’s walls and glory given to Jerusalem’s King.”

Preparing for revival takes time and effort. Once we recognize that revival is needed, it won’t do merely to wish it could be so. Rather, as we have seen, God calls us to pray and to prepare our hearts and churches for this great work of His Spirit. Especially we should pray for our neighbors and friends who do not know the Lord, that His Spirit would strive with them (Gen. 6.3), and that they might come to sense the emptiness of their lives, and their great need of God (Ps. 49). And we should pray also for our churches, and churches throughout our community, that God would so revive and renew us, that we might realize His vision of us as communities of beauty, joy, and holiness (Ps. 48.1-3). Paul prayed for the lost, and he prayed for all the churches as well. He calls us to imitate him (1 Cor. 11.1). Will we?

What will it require of you and your church to prepare for the Lord’s coming revival?

The work of the Spirit
Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll send you a PDF of Jonathan Edwards’ excellent message, Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God. Edwards, like our Scottish ministers, was also writing during a season of revival, to silence the naysayers and encourage those who were seeking more of God’s presence, promise, and power. His sermon teaches us what to pray and work for in seeking the Spirit of God.

To further 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).

Pray for Revival
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.