A Vision of Christ-Followers Calling Out to God

Saints,

Before we get started in our devotion on prayer, I must share a prayer request. Please pray earnestly for our brother “Jose” (name changed for security purposes) from outside the US. He was recently beaten and then jailed for his faith. There is a real possibility that he will be killed.  Please pray with passion that God will intervene and rescue our brother so that he will be able to continue to make disciples. This reminds me of the early church as they prayed for the imprisoned Peter in Acts 12.

It is time to come together to pray, yes, for our brother ”Jose,” but also for God’s name to be glorified, for God’s will to be done here on earth, and for God’s kingdom to move forward. Our God is worthy to be worshipped by every human being on the planet—even that would not be enough to adequately praise our God. 

Can you imagine many Christ-followers coming together for earnest prayer for the church and revival?

Back to the early church, as they gathered and prayed earnestly for the imprisoned Peter in Acts 12:5. 

Acts 12:5 (ESV) ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. 

Those prayer-warriors loved Peter. They loved God. They wanted others to hear Peter teach about the power of the gospel and Jesus Christ. They desired more for God’s kingdom. It is easy to see what “drove” the early church to cry out to God for Peter. But, what caused Daniel to pray for 21 days as described in Daniel chapter nine. Whatever caused Daniel to cry out to God like that is exactly what we need today in the church. We must be driven to pray.

Imagine with me a room filled with hundreds of Christ-followers engaged in prayer. Each one calls out to God at the same time. You hear wailing, moaning, crying, talking, whispering, and even singing. The room is filled with the Holy Spirit. Tears are shed. Some are praying so hard their heads hurt. Some are aching with a desire to see their prayers answered. Some are so consumed with zeal that they cannot even speak. They pray with intensity and fervor as only those who know that prayer is God’s method for engaging and changing lives.  What are they praying for? I envision they hurt, pray, and cry-out to God for His church. They ask God that His name will be glorified in His church—that God will use Her to transform this dark, deceived world one heart at a time. In short, they pray for Holy Spirit-driven revival. I am convinced we need the Holy Spirit more than we realize.

To our minds, this kind of prayer may seem far-fetched. Even so, please agree with me in asking God to see Christ-followers, surrendered, and resolute, engaging in Bible-based, faith-filled, Holy Spirit-driven, kingdom centered, selfless prayer in Jesus name.

If this kind of prayer seems strange to you, ask the Father to grant you a fresh fire and zeal for His kingdom—this God-given fire will drive you to pray. If history proves true, we will see revival as Christ-followers become dissatisfied with the status quo and cry out to God for His power to change His church, to change our communities, and cities. Remember this is in no way for our reputations—this is only for God and His glory. All eternity is about God and His glory. 

Please God! Deepen our walks with you. Awaken your people. Revive your church!  

Desperate for more of God, Steve

Depending On and Desperate for the Holy Spirit

When you look at the church, do you see the glory of Christ?

(Depending on and desperate for the Holy Spirit)

Saints,

I recently was reminded that the church is the bride of Christ—Christ’s glory (Eph 5:27). I found myself wondering how the church seemed to reflect so little of Christ’s glory. Recently, a few inches of snow fell on our city. The white snow reflected the sunlight making the daylight seem even brighter. This reminded me of how the church should reflect the love and power of Jesus. Folks who don’t know God should be squinting because of the glorious bright-white church radiating her savior’s glory. In reality, it seems the church is dusty and doesn’t reflect Christ as well as she should. Why is this so? 

I believe one reason the church seems to lack the glory of her Savior is that those that make up the church aren’t dependent on God to accomplish the church’s God-given mission. Remember Jesus says apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). This is God’s church, God’s kingdom; we cannot do God’s work with man’s strength, plans, or tenacity. If we try to, we end up with man’s results—a dead, or at best, a sleepy church. This short devotional is a plea to pray—a plea to call on the name of the Lord. God is worthy of all our lives—every minute, dollar, and bit of energy. He is worthy to be sought after in prayer. This is not a plea to pray for our nation, although that is a good thing. This is a plea for the bride of Christ to arise and pray for God’s kingdom, for revival, for salvation, for pastors, for a holy church, and for God’s name to be glorified as His church radiates with His power and love.

We have looked at Andrew Murray’s (a Dutch Reform missionary to Africa) writings before. Please read this excerpt from his book, The State of the Church, written over 100 years ago. 

“In the church the question is always coming up: what is the reason that Christianity has so little power and so little fulfills all the wonderful promises that it makes? You will find everywhere that the thoughts and plans of how the church can carry on its work center in what man’s wisdom can devise and his zeal and energy can accomplish. Common thinking is that if men will only keep up their courage and do their work faithfully, everything must come out all right. How seldom this great truth is insisted on: that the Holy Spirit is our only power! An entire and absolute surrender to Him is our only hope. How seldom one hears from the leaders, to whom the church looks for its guidance, the clear and unceasing summons: Brethren, pray.

We must pray more; we must pray without ceasing. Prayer will bring blessing. The measure of our prayer is the measure of our power. Every deeper insight into what Christianity is, and into what our daily life ought to be—and into what ministry is and needs—will all lead us to the one deep conviction: Christianity is nothing unless it is supernatural. Our Christian life and work must fail unless we live deeply rooted in the power of God’s inspired Word, in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and in the importunate prayer to which the promise of the Father will most surely be given.

All this brings us to the last lesson this statement is going to teach us: there is no hope for the restoration of the church, no hope of its being lifted into the abundant life of Christ, unless we return to God. In no other way can we be fitted in holiness and strength for the work that is so urgently calling—the work of making Christ known to every living person.”

Let me interject. If we think the church exists merely to allow our kids to have a nice, positive place to spend Wednesday nights, or, if we think the church exists merely to be our support group—we probably don’t need much of the Holy Spirit. But, brothers and sisters, if the church is called and created to reach the world for Christ, then we are dead in the water without the Holy Spirit.

How much is the church reflecting the glory of Christ? Not nearly enough! We desperately need revival. We need the power and love and conviction of God to pour out into His churches. We must embrace the Christ-given purpose of the church—to be His witness and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). This mission will be done through God’s power.

Let me share one more perspective on the need for prayer and the need for God to accomplish His mission through us as Jim Cymbala describes it in his book, Fresh Wind Fresh Fire (p 49).

“Prayer cannot be truly taught by principles and seminars and symposiums. It has to be born out of a whole environment of felt need. If I say, “I ought to pray,” I will soon run out of motivation and quit; the flesh is too strong. I have to be driven to pray.”

Brothers and sisters, let us remember that God’s mission for His church will only be accomplished as we call out and depend on God’s Spirit.

God, please bring revival that your name will be glorified, your will be done, your kingdom come!

Compelled to pray and desperate for God, Steve