Conditions Of Prevailing Prayer

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (PSM 51:17). Brokenness is the means by which God conveys maturity and develops character. His discipline in the lives of believers brings each into abandonment of self to God in an attitude of prevailing prayer. 

CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER
From the autobiography of George Mueller

Dependence – Absolute trust in the merits of Christ as our grounds for blessing & our oneness with Him.

Separation – Abandonment of all known sin.

Belief – Faith in the complete veracity of God’s character. He is and is the rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him.

Motive – Ask according to His will; for our good and His glory.

Perseverance – Patient waiting on Him

Where these conditions are not met God’s answer would both dishonor His character and damage the suppliant.

THE LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS

I

 It was December 27. I was sitting quietly in my study reflecting on the day ahead - the year ahead. Our Christmas tree in the living room was standing in the dark. It looked lifeless where only a few days ago it was the centerpiece of much joyful commotion with grandchildren, family, and friends. The ornaments now look somewhat drab and one-dimensional. In a couple of days we would unceremoniously undrape the tree's trappings, put it in a box, and store it in some unseen place in the attic until next year.

On my way to the kitchen to pour myself another cup of hot coffee, I reached behind the Christmas tree and turned on the lights for one more look. Suddenly the tree was once again alive with glitter, sparkle, and glowing warmth. The ornaments that were hanging lifeless and drab popped with color, adding dimension to what I saw. In fact, with the Christmas tree lights on, I could actually see all the way through the tree to ornaments and lights on the other side.

That's when God gave me a vision of what His Church should be. I'm not talking about a building. I am speaking of His people, His Church in a darkened world. "Christmas lights." Followers of Jesus are a reflection of His Light shining through us wherever we go in the world. When we're lit up, every day people see a God who is not one-dimensional but multi-dimensional. The ornaments of our lives are seen as colorful special gifts and acts of love from God. When we're lit up we reflect His Glory, just as the angels did long ago on a dark night in the fields of Bethlehem. "...And the glory of the Lord shown around them...a multitude of the heavenly host praising God..." (Luke 2:9,13). We are His "Christmas lights," His glory.

So, consider this: The celebration of Christmas, as a season, may be packed up in a box in your attic all year long. But the "Christmas lights," Believers in a dark world, must continue to light up the glory of God in Christ. Those lights need to be out all year long.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden" (Mat 5:14). Now, take another closer look at that picture. 

Photo & Story by Roger W Hollar 2010

When Broken Of Sin, Hope Again In God

At times I feel unworthy to pray for revival or some great spiritual awakening because it seems that I have enough trouble having victory over my own sin. I may go for days or weeks when I feel I am experiencing a little sense of victory over sin. Then in one selfish moment I lose it all.

Immediately my soul cries out in failure. Quickly Satan brings condemnation. Look at Psalm 42:3, 4, 5a, 6, & 9-11a. Lots of condemnation. I think of the shame of once again having to go to God for forgiveness; same old stuff. So my soul mourns and I live in defeat.

In the past I have viewed Psalm 42 as one where the writer (or me the reader) has wondered for months or even years from God and then becomes repentant and returns. But I realized today that it might only be a matter of hours or days in which I have been in mourning and living under condemnation. It is then I realize that I desperately need to get back to God where there is hope AGAIN (Psm 42:5b & 11b).

God's outrageous grace and lovingkindness rescues me from that condemnation and defies description or explanation. He is my only hope in my struggle with sin. His grace is always my covering for all my failures of obedience to Him.

God spoke to my heart today and said, "You keep on praying for revival and an outpouring of My Spirit on your nation and on the Church."

It is not time to quit. TODAY you pray for the leaders of our churches and our nation:
    Your pastor, ministerial staff and church leaders
    President Obama
    Vice President Biden
    Speaker of the House Pelosi
    Senate Majority Leader Reid
    Your U.S. House Representative
    Your U. S. Senator

Pray that they walk in humility and brokenness (see The State of Humility post in October) every day before God and before others. Pray the God would root out pride. Show them (all of us) where pride exists in our lives and teach them (us) how to deal with it effectively. Then we may engage God in prayer, seeking His face and turning from our sin. Give them (us) grace to continue a life of humility and brokenness before God.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS POST?   CHECK BELOW.

HOW TO VIEW HISTORY

A well known TV commentator was addressing the state of our Republic and made the following comments on his March 18, 2010 television show:

“Through the course of American history there have been periods and events that were so dramatic, huge, that they were life-altering for the people involved, the people of America. Some of these were so huge they altered the entire world. It changed people. It changed their daily life, and it changed the course for generations.”

He then sighted things like the signing of the Constitution by our founding fathers; the Civil War and the corruption of the reconstruction that followed; the life-changing New Deal and Pearl Harbor. In our lifetime, 9/11 changed the course of America and still affects us today.

He said of Pearl Harbor, “…we started moving forward again. Pearl Harbor was a hugely important day. But that wasn’t the end of the story. It wasn’t just December 7, ‘Wow! That was a bad day’ and everybody went back to having apple pie and watching baseball. America had a choice to make on that day…That deadly December 7th attack radically changed America’s course [the course of the American people]. We went to war, and it changed everything [including the people].

This commentator went on to talk about the passage of a massive health care bill in Congress. He considered this bill “akin” to any one of the events listed above. He emphasized that this bill would go beyond simply politics. He said that is about “the fundamental transformation of our country.”

He said that “[We] have the answer (pointing to three words on the set – Faith, Hope, and Charity)…We have to make sure that we understand the picture is not about politics. It’s much, much, much bigger. It’s bigger than Obama…Republicans or Democrats, Bush or Clinton…So we have to change. Not just in Washington D.C. We [the people] have to change.”

This health care reform bill represented a radical departure from our free-market system. It is the reason I am writing, but not because I think it is good or bad for America. I am writing because this bill as passed will radically change America. Congressional leaders bellowed, “We are making history.”

How am I, as a citizen and a Christian, to deal with such radical change in which I do not believe? What kind of "history" are Congressional leaders really making? And what about the sovereign God of the universe? DOES HE HAVE A POINT OF VIEW?

My answer came as I was reading the Preface in the book The Imitation Of Christ by Thomas a’ Kempis. It stopped me cold. But it also gave me faith and hope because it reminded me that people are changed by history, not the other way around. It is a sovereign God who is behind history. Here is what the Preface said:

“Most of us think of history in broad strokes, in eras that span centuries; people think and act one way, then with no apparent provocation or motivation, everyone is moving in a different direction [sound familiar?]. Why do things change? Why suddenly do people seem to change their values? [Sounds like our TV commentator in my opening remarks].

Is it people who make history, or is it history that makes people, through forces like disease, technology, or environmental catastrophes [May I also add political or governmental excesses, perhaps potentially radical unrestrained behavior]? Or is it possibly the Spirit of God working in history…to effect His will in creation?”

Stay with it here:


"It is only when we pull aside those broad curtains that describe the history of Christianity and western civilization that we discover the human face of God’s work. [Consider] Martin Luther…It was certainly not this humble teaching monk’s goal to ignite a sweeping movement that would divide the church. Luther’s intention was simply a discussion on the theology of indulgences…How could such a small flint light such a great fire? Because people were ready. Before Luther posted his 95 Theses, there were men and women whose faithfulness prepared the way for spiritual reform, just as John [The Baptist] prepared people for the message of Jesus."

So what may we conclude from this? Why would God allow catastrophic disaster? Why would God allow unrestrained governmental excesses? Is there a plan behind His-story? What of the excesses of the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Egyptians (immorality, the worship of hundreds of gods, the enslavement of an entire nation of Hebrews)? Consider also the heavy hand of the Roman government on its citizens (higher taxes, extreme monuments to men, immorality, and enslavement of men, women and children, the subsequent persecution of the early church.) So many other disastrous events could be named here. Could it be that the people of God needed a push to shake their lethargy or apathy?

Events in human history become the pathways for faithful men and women who have been prepared through prayer and ardent devotion to deliver the message of Faith, Hope and Charity; the message of God’s love. Sometimes God has to shake the world to get the attention of the church…the people of God. It is not the sin of the world that causes the tumult. God expects no less from a lost world. It is, no doubt, the sin in the church that is under judgment:

“For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?” - 1 Peter 4:17

Our country, our world is in desperate need of a faith awakening of divine proportions. We are on the cusp of a judging, a sifting. It is the church that must get ready. The faithful, that remnant of God, must prepare for what God is doing in His-story. Are we ready? Are we praying? Are we seeking His face? Are we, the church, even prepared to go face to face with God? We will witness history in the making alright. History is His-story!

Our hope is in the fact that spiritual awakening is not dependent upon us. We must come to God humbly and ask Him to pour out His Spirit on our nation, on the Church, on each of us individually. It is His-story that puts in motion the opportunities for people to change. Would anyone question that change is needed in our nation and its churches?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS POST?   CHECK BELOW.

PRAY FOR PRESIDENTIAL CABINET MEMBERS

The President of the United States looks to counsel from those around him. As you pray for the Cabinet of the President, focus your prayer on PHI 4:4-9: That our leaders fix their thoughts on what is true, honorable and right; on what is pure, lovely and admirable; on what is excellent and worthy of praise. Consider the words of Thomas 'a Kempis who remarks in the Christian classic, The Imitation Of Christ, "He who neither cares to please men nor fears to displease them will enjoy great peace." I would add that those who receive this kind of counsel will be better prepared for any eventuality. 

Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. Biden


Department of State Secretary 
Hillary Rodham Clinton


Department of the Treasury Secretary 
Timothy F. Geithner


Department of Defense Secretary 
Robert M. Gates


Department of Justice Attorney General 
Eric H. Holder, Jr.


Department of the Interior Secretary 
Kenneth L. Salazar


Department of Agriculture Secretary 
Thomas J. Vilsack


Department of Commerce Secretary 
Gary F. Locke


Department of Labor Secretary 
Hilda L. Solis


Department of Health and Human Services Secretary 
Kathleen Sebelius


Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary 
Shaun L.S. Donovan


Department of Transportation Secretary 
Ray LaHood


Department of Energy Secretary 
Steven Chu


Department of Education Secretary 
Arne Duncan


Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary 
Eric K. Shinseki


Department of Homeland Security Secretary 
Janet A. Napolitano

The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:

White House Interim Chief of Staff
Peter M. Rouse


Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson


Office of Management; Budget
Jeffrey Zients, Acting Director


United States Trade Representative
Ambassador Ronald Kirk


United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Susan Rice


Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Austan Goolsbee

Pray Twenty-One

It is imperative and Scripturally mandated that we pray for those in authority over us:

"Pray this way for kings and for all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." 1Ti 2:2

Set aside personal time the next three days to pray for the twenty-one significant people who have major influence in your life and the life of your community. If you do not know who they are, find out.

FOCUS: Pray for seven each day. Intercede for them. Pray for their families and their moral integrity. Pray that God would provide a witness of faith and wisdom for these individuals. Pray for leadership and/or political integrity and transparency.

1. Your Pastor _________________ (Ministers)

2. President Barack Obama

3. Your US Senator _______________________

4. Your US Senator _______________________

5. Your U.S. Representative ___________________

6. Your State Governor ____________________

7. Your State Senator ___________________

8. Your State Representative ___________________

9. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (Bush, GW - '05)

10.      "             "         "    Antonin Scalia (Regan - '86)

11.      "             "         "    Anthony Kennedy (Regan - '88)

12.      "             "         "    Clarence Thomas (Bush, GHW - '91)

13.      "             "         "    Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Clinton - '93)

14.      "             "         "    Stephen Breyer (Clinton - '94)

15.      "             "         "    Samuel Alito (Bush, GW - '06)

16.      "             "         "    Sonia Sotomeyer (Obama - '09)

17.      "             "         "    Elena Kagan (Obama - '10)

18. Your City Mayor __________________

19. Your City Council Representative ___________________________

20. Your Children's School Superintendent _______________________
21. Your Corporate/Company Head _________________________

Humble Yourselves by Richard Owen Roberts

When Thoughts Of Sin Thwart Awakening?

During a Bible study class recently, someone asked, "If you have a thought about sin (temptation to sin) and you don't act on it, but you do keep thinking about it, when does it become a sin?" The short answer is, I believe, that if you continue to dwell on any temptation it will ultimately be harmful. James 1:14, 15 tells us, "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings fourth death".


But how does one know when he/she has dwelt on some sin too long? This is a matter of what is going on in the heart and whether or not there is any sense of conviction.
1 John 3:20, 21 says, "For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God." In other words, if you know in your heart that your thoughts are sinful, though you may not have acted on it, it is sinful to continue to entertain those thoughts.


My questions are these: Why would a believer want to dwell on, entertain, thoughts of sin? Why would he/she want to continue thinking about some sin? At what point do followers of Christ no longer continue in an old way of thinking. Romans 12:1, 2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."


If we are to see an awakening of faith in our time Christians are going to have to get serious about how we live our lives apart from sin; live holy, consecrated lives before God. Will we continue to face temptation? Yes. But we do not have to continue to entertain sin in our hearts. In fact the crowning blow to an awakening in our nation and in our churches is that "If I [we] regard [think continually about] iniquity in my [our] heart, the Lord will not hear [our cries, our prayers]" - Psalm 66:18.

For a further discussion of preparing for awakening see the October 28 & 29, 2010 entry into this blog entitled, What Repentance Looks Like and The State of Humility respectively.

When God's People Prayed Revival Swept India

The year was 1904. A little known man by the name of John Hyde had left America to serve as a missionary to India. Through a series of events where the Spirit of God had been thwarted, a call was sent out for prayer. The call resulted in the Punjab Prayer Union. This union of prayer was the forerunner to the 1905 "Sialkot conventions" where great seasons of prayer and Spirit-filled preaching ignited a revival. John Hyde, "Praying Hyde" as he was called, and his spirit of prayer, was an inspiration to this movement of God's Spirit.

What insight can we glean from the Punjab Prayer Union that might lead our churches and our nation to a place of awakening, a place of repentance and cleansing? 

I quote from the book Praying Hyde: A Man of Prayer by Basil Miller.

Members of the Punjab Prayer Union sought to answer and achieve the following questions:

"1.  Are you praying for quickening in your own life, in the life of your fellow workers, and in the Church?


"2.  Are you longing for greater power of the Holy Spirit in your own life and work, and are you convinced that you cannot go on without this power?


"3.  Will you pray that you may not be ashamed of Jesus?


"4.  Do you believe that prayer is the great means for securing this spiritual awakening?


"5.  Will you set apart one-half hour each day as soon after noon as possible to pray for this awakening, and are you willing to pray till the awakening comes?"


Basil Miller goes on to say, "Revivals have never been the product of the spontaneous combustion of spiritual forces; rather they have been paid for by prayer...So now in Hyde's life as the revival was about to dawn, these men, with others, were paying the purchase price."

The "Sialkot conventions" mentioned above, where revival broke loose, came as a result of this Punjab Prayer Union. Basil Miller continues to explain that Hyde and two other men joined in prayer for thirty-one days and nights leading up to the convention. He says, "...that for [those] days and nights the Throne of God was bombarded by the prayer ammunition of three men, men who had long ago consecrated themselves to the task of bringing spiritual life to sin-deadened souls."

I'll convey this final note from my reading of these passages from Praying Hyde and then conclude. "The record of those thirty-one days and nights of prayer is closed in the Book of Heaven, for no word of them has ever seeped through to the outside. Those sainted prayer warriors were not on dress parade. They went forth to battle with their only weapon with as much earnestness as soldiers in any king's army."

FINAL THOUGHTS: Would it not be appropriate for another question to be added to the five questions of the Prayer Union listed above?

Here is the question:


6.  Are you willing that no man know the record of your prayers offered on behalf of our nation and for the church? Will you be satisfied in all humility that your prayers be offered in your closet, in seclusion, and for the eye of God alone?


Take this list of six questions into your prayer closet with the Lord. Over the next few days converse with Him about them. Answer them carefully and honestly. Then watch and pray for an awakening of faith the likes of which man has not seen in this country and the church in over 100 years.

PAY ATTENTION TO LONG TENURED LEADERS

Ecclesiastes 5:8-10
If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them. Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field. He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

Do we see any oppression of the poor in our nation? Is there any perversion of justice, any perversion of righteousness in our nation? Don't be surprised at this if there are leaders who have been in office too long. Even good men and women tend toward stockpiling their own personal and political capital.

There is a tendency for leaders who hold high office for a long period of time to become oppressive and greedy. They may consider themselves above the law. They may consider themselves above the common man. They may twist and pervert justice and righteousness to suit their own gain.

We have an obligation to hold leaders accountable for their actions. We need to be sure that our leaders are close to the people and represent who we really are.

Pray a spirit of service and humility for those who lead:


Your Pastor and Church Ministerial Staff
Your President & his Cabinet
Your US Senators
Your US Representative
Your Governor
Your State Senator
Your State Representative
Your Mayor
Your City Council Representative
Your School Board
Your Company and Corporate Leaders

What Repentance Looks Like

Nancy DeMoss in her study on personal revival entitled Seeking Him makes these statements about repentance:

The purpose of repentance is not to make us feel better about ourselves but to restore us to a right relationship with God, so that our lives may again bring glory to Him and be used for His purposes. That is what personal revival is all about!


DeMoss continues:

So what does a repenter look like?...

• A repenter renews his/her mind with truth from Scripture consistently. He/she is aware that the battle against temptation is first waged in the mind and that the process of repentance begins there as well.
• A repenter responds to God immediately. At the first sign of conviction, he/she agrees with God about sin, turns from it, and turns toward the Lord.
• A repenter obeys God completely. His/her repentance is thorough, and does not cast a longing look back at sin. He/she forsakes the temporary pleasure of sin for the abiding joy of God's blessing.
• A repenter follows God personally. He/she does not base commitment to God on what others are doing. "Though no one joins me, still I will follow" expresses the attitude of the heart.
• A repenter accepts God's discipline faithfully. Realizing that sin has consequences, he/she accepts the Lord's discipline as an act of love and as a reminder when faced again with sin.

She concludes:

Responding to God is more important than whatever you were planning on doing next. If God is speaking, the time to respond is now. Will you humble yourself and allow Him to begin restoring you?


Think through what DeMoss suggests are signs of one who repents. Consider each point personally. Do these signs represent your heart to be right with God?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.

USELESS RELIGION?

James 1:21-27 says, “21…lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (NKJV)

When I think of the founding fathers of this great Republic of the United States I think of men of great faith and a religion of power; a religion pure and undefiled before the God of the universe. A “useless religion” would have been satisfied to remain in the homeland and accept a life of tepid tolerance and compromise. No. Our founding fathers, the signers of our constitution, considered their God-given right to liberty as a higher calling than subservience to a king, a monarch.

Founder Charles Carroll:
Signer of the Declaration of Independence said, "On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for salvation and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts." From an autographed letter in our possession written by Charles Carroll to Charles W. Wharton, Esq., on September 27, 1825, from Doughoragen, Maryland. (Source: Wallbuilders.com)

Pray for America. Pray for each other. Awakening must come to America! It has been one hundred years since the last great awakening (1905-06). Our one great hope is the intervention of God. Lay aside the sin that does so beset your life and receive the Word of God with meekness which is able to save your souls. It will reflect accurately the condition of your heart…what kind of man or woman you have become.

If you look into the ”perfect law of liberty,” the Word of God, you will see what our forefathers saw. You will see not a “useless religion” but religion of power and strength through a risen Savior. You will see Jesus. You will see a religion born of God for the renewal and awakening of your heart.

TAKE AWAY – PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.

Restoring Youth In America

This is a reprint of an email I recently received:


Whenever I have a serious discussion about the troubling circumstances that this country is facing, inevitably the conversation comes back to Taking Back America's Youth. We all know that our public education system isn't teaching our children about American Exceptionalism. We know that the Entertainment World, the Media, and Higher Learning does everything to tear down the very foundations that our Country was built on.

Today, we are going to start Fighting Back. We are going to start by having a conversation with our Nation's Youth. What better place than a social network? Facebook. We want this to become a place where Youth talk, inform and challenge each other. Eventually, this will be the launching pad for starting Youth-Led and Run Tea Parties in High Schools and Colleges & Universities. That's my Dream.

The group name on Facebook is "Restoring America". Here's the link.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Restoring-America/112115062138936?v=info&ref=ts

I'd like to keep this site available for the Under 30 group. Please help me to keep this focused on Youth so that they can share freely. And, for those of us, that have a little more time to be "seasoned", let's try to just observe and let the conversation and networking occur naturally.

Now, here's what I need your help with....

Please forward this Facebook page to all the young people you know: children, grandchildren, extended family, church youth groups, etc. You can help to encourage young people to try it out.

I know you all are committed to our Youth and not just because they are our Future but because We Love Them! Thank you all in advance for helping.

LOOSING A GENERATION

Scripture Reading: Plea for personal purity— PSALM 143

Personal Prayer & Confession (1John 1:9) Come before God in personal contrition & brokenness

Prayer for our churches, our cities and our nation— JUDGES 2:6-12

USA TODAY, April 27, 2010 article: SURVEY: 72% OF MILLENNIALS ‘MORE SPIRITUAL THAN RELEGIOUS’ (Reported by Lifeway Research and The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life)

This article reported that the research showed that 72% of 18-29 year olds say they are “really more spiritual than religious.” BUT ARE THEY REALLY? The article reported 65% of these people never pray with others and almost never pray by themselves; 65% rarely or never attend worship services; 67% don’t read the Bible or sacred texts; 50% are unsure that Jesus is the only path to heaven. The Pew research says Millennials are ‘less religious.’ Among those who claim to have accepted Christ as Savior, 68% did not mention faith, religion or spirituality when asked ‘what is important in life’; 50% do not attend church at least weekly; 36% rarely or never read the Bible. Only 40 % say they have a responsibility to share the Gospel. At the end of this article Tom Rainer, President of Lifeway Christian Resources says he ‘is encouraged by the roughly 15% who appear to be ‘deeply committed’ Christians in study, prayer, worship and action.’ In another article at christianpost.com, Rainer quotes, ‘For many Millennials, Christianity is a family heirloom rather than a faith commitment’ and that the next generation is slow to embrace a relationship with Christ and even slower to treasure it.’

THE OPINION OF THIS BLOG:
While I join Rainer in his praise of the 15%, I do not take a lot of encouragement from these surveys. It is a pitiful report on the spiritual climate of America among young adults. This is a generation who do not know the Lord. Read Judges 2:6-12 (especially v 10).

In the christianpost.com article Rainer says that research also shows that Millennials are really tuned in to ‘family.’ In addition, they are attracted to groups [is there a hunger here for relationships?]. Rainer states further that, ‘To minister effectively, the church should tap into this priority among Millennials. Certainly churches with a family focus is important. But that is the easy part. The generations coming up DESPERATELY need three things: 1) A spiritual awakening of mammoth proportions, 2) A personal first-hand faith in Christ and, 3) a deepening hunger for God.

It breaks my heart to read current research statistics which show a younger generation that is slipping further from a faith commitment. They avoid, ignore and/or fear personal time alone with God (no prayer life—65%, no worship time—65% and no reading of the sacred Word of God—67%). At the same time they seem hungry for relationships. Pray that your children and grandchildren will develop a hunger for God and a personal faith. Pray for a national AWAKENING OF FAITH.

Focus: That the younger generations will seek to have a genuine hunger for God; that they would strive to make faith in Christ personal; that they see the need to share the Gospel; that they would read their Bible to know God; that they would seek genuine worship; that they would pray to the living God. 
 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.

Marks Of Revival

Scripture Reading: Plea for personal purity—1PE 2:12 (Act honorably, the world is watching)
Personal Prayer & Confession (1John 1:9) Come before God in personal contrition & brokenness.

The Marks of Revival

An intense spirit of conviction will be felt immediately
Pride and self-centered living will no longer be excused
Agony of sin will be so great that the thought of prolonging life in the midst of such wickedness will be intolerable
The cross of Christ becomes truly precious
Long-standing habits of self-indulgence will be broken
Ministers of the Gospel will become [burdened about disobedience to God]
Confession of sin becomes the order of the day
Great interest in the Word of God
Prayer becomes pure delight
Agony for souls becomes the prime object of life
New converts are made without arm twisting

Scripture Reading: Plea for the return of God’s people— Isa 2:1-4:4 (Because God’s people disobey the nation suffers)
Prayer for our church, our cities and our nation
      Focus: Drawn to saving encounter with Christ; believers strengthened and encouraged in their faith; recognize inadequacy without divine guidance

     Praise & Worship Ministers in our churches
    
     Vice President Joe Biden
    
     County Judge Glen Whitley
    
     Cabinet: U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk
 
     Supreme Court Chief Justice John Paul Stevens

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(Contemplate God’s Word to you)

What was the most significant thought you received from this session?

Why do you think God implanted this upon your heart?

What do you think God wants you to do as result of what you have heard?

Is there anything that might keep you from receiving/doing/obeying what you heard?

Ask His help in achieving what He spoke to you.

Thank God for what you have heard; remember and apply it to your life.