Revival! (8)

Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy. Psalm 126.4, 5

Ministers of Scotland: Lectures on Revival XIV
Nathaniel Paterson, D. D., Minister of St. Andrew’s Parish, Glasgow
“It is the highest aim and delight of all who are his that he should be glorified and sinners saved. In a time of revival the eyes of the blind are opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, and the lame leaps as an hart. Waters break out, in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. A highway is there, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, and the way-faring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”

In a very real sense, revival among the people of God begins in the hearts and minds of their shepherds. If, seeing revival and its benefits clearly in our mind’s eye, we begin to desire it earnestly, and to plead for it daily, we might be able to encourage the people we serve to join us. The effect of this would be a compounding of the vision for revival and an accelerating of prayers and intercessions. Pray, brethren, that God will give you a vision of what revival, renewal, and awakening can look like, when once again the Spirit of God moves over the earth with holy, reviving power. And let this vision of revival become one of the great longings of your heart. Surely the Lord would be moved to answer our prayers for such longings, since ultimately what we seek above all else, is that He would be glorified.

Review the quote above. How would you rephrase this in terms relevant to your own church and community? Is this worth pleading with the Lord about in prayer?

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.

Preparing for Revival
To further help you in preparing for revival, we have two brief books that can guide you. 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.