prayer

Monday Meditation: Praying For Revival and Spiritual Awakening

In Daniel 2, Daniel and his three friends prayed together for God to intervene so they would be saved from a certain death. God answered their prayers.

I would like to give you a special invitation to pray together for revival and spiritual awakening in our nation.

A couple of months ago my mentor, Dr. Greg Mathis, invited me to participate in a day of prayer for revival. You can read about about the original plan for the Mountain Top Prayer Meeting here. The pandemic and shutdown orders have changed how this prayer meeting will take place.

Instead of meeting in a specific place for prayer, you are being invited to make time on Tuesday May 5 to pray for revival and awakening in our country.

This prayer time came from the heart of Fred Lunsford, a 95 year old preacher and prayer warrior whose ministry has been built on prayer. On numerous occasions, Fred has asked the Lord to let him go to heaven. God’s response, “Fred, you are still here because I want you to pray.” Fred’s passion for prayer has inspired hundreds of others to pray for God to move in our country. You can read about the invitation from Mud Creek Baptist Church here. You can read the invitation from Milton Hollifield, the Executive Director-Treasurer for the Baptist State Convention of NC here.

During the sermon on April 19, I invited our listeners to commit Tuesday May 5 to prayer and fasting. More than 100 individuals associated with Wilkesboro Baptist have already committed to pray. As of the time I’m writing this, more than 60,000 people across our nation have committed to pray!

Thousands of believers all over our country will be praying at 10 am on Tuesday May 5. If you are able, would you give at least an hour to prayer at 10 am? If your job or responsibilities make the 10 am time untenable, would you commit an hour at another time during the day to prayer? Oftentimes fasting and prayer are connected. By fasting on May 5 you are acknowledging your complete dependence upon God. Would you consider fasting as well and giving even more than an hour in prayer?

You can reply in the comments of this blog or on the social media platform you read this from that you are going to pray with others for revival and awakening in our land. 

Revival is for God’s people. Praying for revival is praying that God will bring his followers to repentance, surrender, and holiness.

Spiritual awakening is for unbelievers. Praying for spiritual awakening is praying that God will open blinded eyes, soften hard hearts, and bring sinners to salvation.

Here are some specific ways you can pray for revival and awakening: 

  • Father, you are holy. Would you help me to bow before you as King and Lord? 
  • Father, I am in need of revival. Would you show me my own sins? Help me confess and repent. 
  • Father, your people need revival. We need to have a renewed vision of your holiness, a renewed pursuit of your glory, and a renewed surrender to your will. Will you bring your followers all across our world to a place of surrender and repentance? Would you send us revival? 
  • Father, our land is hurting from a pandemic. Would you intervene in this pandemic by healing the sick, providing treatments and vaccines, and granting strength to those who are caring for the sick? 
  • Father, would you use the disruption caused by this pandemic to bring us back to you?
  • Father, many millions in our nation and billions in the world are dead in their sins. As bad as this pandemic is physically, our sin is far more terrible spiritually. Would you reveal your holiness and love through Jesus Christ and bring a spiritual awakening to sinners all over the world?
  • Father, would you give wisdom to our government officials (local, state, and national) that they might make the best decisions for the health and prosperity of our communities, states, and nation? 
  • Father, would you continue to bless our churches with wisdom, provision, and spiritual growth through the midst of these trying days? 

You don’t have to wait until May 5 to begin praying. Let’s seek God together for revival and spiritual awakening.

Photo by Amaury Gutierrez on Unsplash

Fear, COVID-19, and the Church

The last few days have been surreal. Reactions to COVID-19 have been multifaceted and swift. Declarations of emergency. School closings. Spring sports suspended (children, high school, college, and professional). I could go on, but unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you already know all this.

I’m quite amazed at what has taken place and how fast it has happened. It is easy to be concerned. To watch or read the news is to immerse yourself in a cloud of concern. COVID-19 is extremely contagious. While not necessarily deadly to all who might catch it, its ease of transmission makes it troubling. What is evidently concerning is that the elderly with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

The speed of reactions is deeply concerning. The decisions to suspend public gatherings, cancel events, and isolate are aimed at mitigating public exposure to the virus. As Christians, we have an opportunity to reflect a confidence in God in the midst of a challenging situation. Here are 5 things we should remember in the days ahead.

  • While we should be prepared, we should not be afraid. Listen to the normal and wise advice about washing hands or avoiding crowds if you are vulnerable, but don’t give in to fear. Over and over again, God says to his people “Do not be afraid.” Of all the people in our world, Christians don’t have to fear. Throughout history God’s people have faced giants, armies, enemies, and persecutions. And God has always been victorious. God’s people overcome because God is sovereign. If you contract COVID-19, you don’t have to be afraid. If you are in isolation, you don’t have to be afraid (or alone, God promises to be with you). You do not have to fear.
  • While the church should react with regard to services and programs, this situation provides a unique opportunity for the church to be the church rather than just attend church. The ramifications of closings, suspensions, and cancellations will have lasting effects. Some churches may choose not to meet. Here’s a link to what Wilkesboro Baptist is doing this weekend. Churches that do meet may have low attendance. Regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen at church buildings, recovery from this situation will require the church to be the church to others. Being the church means that Christians can bring sanity and calmness to those around us by caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, providing for the financially depressed, or any other number of activities. My prayer is that we as Christians will be faithful and reflect the compassion and glory of God to those around us.
  • While we are right to act, we need to remember that humanity is not sovereign. I’m troubled by our human attempts at containment. And it’s not for the reasons you might think. The 21st century west is quite arrogant. We cannot change the weather. We cannot eradicate illnesses and viruses. We cannot cheat death. We are not sovereign. The Christian worldview does not encourage carelessness or negate preparation. However, the Christian worldview does put disease, illness, and death in context. Our reactions may slow down or stall the spread of the virus in the short term. And if so, the reactions may be worth it. But we cannot stop COVID-19. Indeed, we cannot stop every illness, sickness, disease, and death. Only the Great Physician can truly heal, rescue, and protect. The great lesson of this pandemic might actually be the humbling of our nation and the reminder that only God is sovereign.
  • While we might be isolated, we need to pray for the medical professionals. Many of you reading this will be able to isolate yourselves quite comfortably. Please remember in prayer the doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel who will be testing, caring, and ministering to the sick. They are on the front lines of this situation and need our encouragement and prayer support. Remember, this is new for them as well.
  • While we might be concerned about the future, we must have faith. It may seem callous to some to be concerned about the economic ramifications of our nation’s reaction. Whether callous or not, it is real. People are going to lose their jobs. Industries will slow and shut down. The stock markets will struggle. It already is painful economically and is likely to get worse. But we don’t have to lose faith. Remember the words of Habakkuk as he anticipated God’s judgment and its economic affect 2500 years ago.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 God, the Lord, is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the deer’s;
    he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

So, what should we do?

  1. Be wise. Use common sense. Follow the advice of health professionals.
  2. Be calm. There is a lot of fear mongering and misinformation. Seek the truth. Relax. God is in control. We will come through this.
  3. Pray. Any crisis is a reminder that we must depend on God. Take the time afforded you in the coming days to pause, pray, and seek God. I believe wholeheartedly that God will use this situation to bring us closer to him if we will let him.