IS THIS THE ANSWER ?
You know I meet with a great bunch of Pastors every Friday for a precious time of fellowship. About 2 years ago, one of the guys asked the question “Where will the church be in our town in ten years time “? Naturally speaking it will virtually be non- existent unless we experience a genuine move of the Holy Spirit that ushers many people into the Kingdom of God. This question has challenged my heart from day one.
We have talked much about how this can happen, we have not come up with a clear answer. Yes, we know it must be the product of prayer, but what is it that energises God’s people to pray. I have quoted recently Stephen Olford’s statement “It is my conviction that we are never going to have a revival until GOD has brought the Church to the point of DESPERATION”.
The sinful decaying world we live in has not brought us to the place of desperation has it ? As I read Olford’s statement again it is God that has to bring us to that place of DESPERATION. This must be an act of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
We must of course CO-OPERATE with the Lord if this is going to happen.
At our monthly prayer meeting last night I shared from Hosea 10:12 There are some interesting keys here,I would like to share with you.
SOW TO YOURSELVES RIGHTEOUSNESS, REAP IN MERCY; BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND, FOR IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD, UNTIL HE RAINS RIGHTEOUSNESS ON YOU.
Common sense tells us, it would be stupid to do any sowing until we do some things.
- The PREPARATION of prayer. We must recognise that:
(a) Our hearts are hard
(b) The proof that our hearts are hard is that we are not moved or really care, if we really cared we would be pro-active to so something about it.
(c) We must ask the Lord to search our hearts
(d) Then make the decision to break up the fallow, hard, uncultivated land
- We must recognise the hindrance to effective praying is our hard hearts.
- The URGENCY of prayer, It is time, the prophet says NOW.
- The FOCUS of our prayer TO SEEK THE LORD, ASKING THE Lord to make us desperate.
- The PERSISTENCE of prayer TILL, we must be persistent, until the prayer is answered.
Jesus said, Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, Knock and keep on
Knocking until the door is open is opened to you.
- The DYNAMIC presence of Christ HE COMES. We need the Lord to come and help us
He wants to empower us in our praying.
- The ABUNDANCE answers to prayer RAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS ON US, let us put away our spiritual umbrellas in faith, and let the Lord saturate us in His righteousness. Not to make us feel good, but for us to feel God’s heart fro a lost and dying world.
The write to Hebrews says, “Let us come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in time of need”. We are so needy.
I was reminded just prior to the prayer meeting of John Knox’s prayer
GIVE ME SCOTLAND OR I DIE.
I have never shed a tear for my unsaved loved ones, nor a tear for my town, but I want too, so I am taking to heart the Lord’s words through Hosea, and going to seek the Lord perhaps like I have never sought Him before until He makes me desperate.
We need revival
We need breakthroughs
We need change
We need the blessing of God
We need to see hundreds and thousands coming to faith.
I believe I have found the answer.
Do you agree ??????????????????????????????????????//
