Praying for Revival
Matthew 16, 18
When men in the streets are afraid to open their mouths and utter godless words lest the judgments of God should fall; when sinners, overawed by the Presence of God tremble in the streets and cry for mercy; when, without special meetings and sensational advertising, the Holy Ghost sweeps across cities and towns in Supernatural Power and holds men in the grip of terrifying Conviction; when “every shop becomes a pulpit, every heart an altar, every home a sanctuary” and people walk softly before God – This is Revival.
~Rev. Owen Murphy, When God Stepped Down From Heaven, Revival in the Hebrides
4 Steps to Revival
1. People must pray out of a conviction that Revival is
desperately needed
2. People must believe that because they have prayed, God as
a covenant keeping God will honor is promise to send Revival
2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
3. People must be willing to let God work in His way
Extraordinary affections, tears, trembling, groans, loud cries, agonies of the body, the failing of bodily strength, fits, jerks and convulsions.
~The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol 1
Sat. [July] 7. I had an opportunity to talk with him [George Whitefield] of those outward signs which had so often accompanied the inward work of God. I found his objections were chiefly grounded on gross misinterpretations of matter of fact. But the next day he had an opportunity of informing himself better: For no sooner had he begun to invite all sinners to believe in Christ, than four persons sunk down close to him, almost in the same moment. One of them lay without either sense or motion. A second trembled exceedingly. A third had strong convulsions all over his body, but made no noise, unless by groans. The fourth, equally convulsed, called upon God with strong cries and tears. From this time, I trust, we shall all suffer God to carry on his own work in the way that pleaseth him.
~The Works of John Wesley: Complete and Unabridged, 1:175
The noise was like the roar of Niagara. The vast sea of human beings seemed to be agitated as if by a storm... At one time I saw at least five hundred swept down in a moment, as if a battery of a thousand guns had been opened upon them and then immediately followed by shrieks and shouts that rent the very heavens.
~Lewis Drummond, The Awakening that Must Come
4. A manifestation of God’s presence
Matthew 16:18-19 NIV
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
I solemnly say to you, whatever you forbid on earth must be already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth must already be permitted in heaven.
~Charles B. Williams, The New Testament: A Private Translation in the Language of the People, 1960
To ‘bind’ in rabbinical language is to forbid; to ‘loose’ is to permit.”
~A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament p.134
Matthew 6:10 NIV
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 18:18-20 NIV
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
