When To Stop Praying For Revival

You know when it's time to stop praying for revival?

1) When your actions are not matching up with your words and 2) When you're relying on an event, person, group, church, world event, or anything else to put you in a certain mood so you can turn to God, pray to Him and worship Him. In other words, when you're relying on a "revival" and not God.

At this point, you're just being hypocritical or have been stirred into wishful thinking.

Addressing believers, the question then becomes: When and where does revival happen?

Anytime and anyplace.

If you turn to God in repentance, right now, you will be refreshed! The Bible says so (see the short list of Bible verses at the end of this post).

You may say, But I'm saved, I'm good with God...I don't need to repent. Ok, let's assume that's true. But do you want to get closer to God? To know Him more intimately? Do you want your life to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit in such a way that it overflows into the lives of others around you? That too can happen, right now. So...what are you waiting for?

Growing up, I can recall how waves (for lack of a better term) of fervent prayer and devotion to God would come over the youth of our church and the surrounding churches. Sometimes they were, more or less, planned and announced ahead of time (carried out in the form of prayer nights/vigils), other times, they were more spontaneous. It was wonderful to see young men and women seeking the face of God, being filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit. Some even went on to get baptized in water.

This is the promise of God for us and for future generations and we are to make the most of these opportunities. However...

You know what was not wonderful?

Seeing some of those same people go back to their old ways, shortly after.

They might have been able to pray out loud for a few nights, surrounded by friends and family but what happened when they were alone, just them and God?

Sadly, not all of them were born again and they never developed the spiritual discipline of building a personal altar on which God's fire can be experienced. I say this with a heavy heart and much responsibility. Had it not been for God's grace, none of us would even be here. I am what I am by the grace of God. To the point...

Are waves of refreshing beneficial and needed? Absolutely. But they should serve as a spark to your personal, daily altar.

In the end, everyone, individually will give an account to God (Rom.14:12). Not en masse.

We need a paradigm shift... 

Read More