Who Can Tell What He will Do? Posted: 25 Jan 2015 10:00 PM PST “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21). Scholars estimate that two million or more were converted in the revivals of the late 1850s, while hundreds of thousands of professed Christians were deeply affected. In the 1860s, Charles Spurgeon organized prayer meetings at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. People met at 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. every day. More than 3,000 came to the meeting on Monday evenings. One evening a visitor asked Spurgeon what accounted for the success of these meetings. Spurgeon walked his visitor to the sanctuary, opened the door, and let him watch the participants. Nothing more needed to be said. The great revivals of the twentieth century were likewise inspired by prayer. The Welsh revival of 1904-05, the revival in Riga, Latvia, in 1934, and more recent revivals in Romania and Korea were all born and nurtured in prayer. Today, most evangelical churches hold weekly prayer meetings, but there seems to be so much lukewarmness in prayer. We desperately need churches to unite in the kind of prayer that the Spirit may use to produce world-wide revival. Praying together is often the means God uses to initiate or increase revival and renewal in the church. Let us treasure prayer meetings. Let us engage in them with all our heart, remembering that revivals usually begin with prayer meetings. As one divine put it, “The Holy Spirit loves to answer petitions that are appended with many signatures.” Let us keep praying. Let us pray without ceasing. God is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). Who can tell what He will do? Lord, Your people are hungry for a fresh touch from You, and Your world is groaning with the cries of the poor, homeless, marginalized and weak. Prick our hearts to come together as Your corporate body to cry out for Your Presence in our midst so that we will be launched into the work of Your kingdom. –Adapted from Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry (Chapter 45, Prayer Meetings and Revival in the Church by Joel R. Beeke). This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Praise God that he is trustworthy. Give thanks that his unfailing love surrounds all who trust in him (Ps. 32:10). Confess any doubt you find in your heart. Commit yourself to knowing God better. Ask him to reveal himself to you through his Word and Spirit in the midst of life’s circumstances. Pray for laborers to be called into God’s harvest field. Ask that hearts may be prepared to accept the gospel, and that the necessary tools, such as Bibles and Christian literature, may be readily available. Prayer Pointer “Who rises from prayer a better man, his prayer is answered.” —George Meredith –Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend . This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. The Church Prayer Leaders Network is for anyone who desires to see his or her church make prayer foundational to its entire ministry. Click the link to find out the advantages to being a member of the CPLN! **The dollars you spend on our resources help Harvest Prayer Ministries to train churches to become houses of prayer for all nations! Visit our online PrayerShop! You will find over 500 resources on prayer to help you, your family and your church! Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2015 is published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe free by clicking on this link.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:15:49 +0000