This past week, I was blessed to hear Bill Elliff speak on the subjects of prayer, revival and spiritual awakening. I was touched by his passion for something fresh from God to move in the lives of believers and in our churches.
While he spoke, I began to do a spiritual audit of my life. I began asking questions which convicted me and humbled me. I share these thoughts while praying that they may be of help to you.
I asked myself, “Have I been seriously and passionately praying for something fresh from God in my life? Have I been praying for a spiritual awakening in our time?” These and other questions flowed through my mind and heart.
I must confess with all our cultural challenges and with our seemingly apathetic attitude toward the things of God I felt as though I had abandoned my post in praying earnestly for God to do something fresh among us.
I began rereading a biography of George Whitefield. Here was a man used so mightily by God in his day. He was a contemporary of John and Charles Wesley who influenced his ministry in so many ways.
Whitefield began praying for God to do something fresh in his life. He prayed for his country Great Britain where he seemed to fan the flames of a Great Awakening. Later he crossed the Atlantic, and he had the same effect on the American colonies.
Some believe Whitefield had a huge impact on the thinking of the Founding Fathers. Undeniably, Whitefield traveled the colonies preaching the Word and seeing God at work in the lives of people.
My heart has been warmed, strangely warmed, as John Wesley would say, but this heartwarming experience is a yearning for true revival among our people. This is so refreshing to my soul.
The situation is desperate. Evil is having a field day in our world, in our country and where we live as well. There seems to be a pandemic of evil causing all kinds of predictable problems.
The answer is for us to pray earnestly for a fresh wind of God’s Spirit among us. This is not a call for a new program but a plea for us to have extraordinary hunger and thirst for God to move among us.
Let’s do our part and pray! Let’s make this a priority in our lives. This may be the opportune moment for God to do something fresh in our lives and in the lives of others.
Rick Lance
Psalm 100
