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Discussion Forum : General Topics : A Call for Desperation

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laholmes
Member



Joined: 2003/7/8
Posts: 58


 A Call for Desperation

As I was at camp a few weeks ago, the speaker said something that has stuck in my mind. He said that we are a nation, and a generation, that loves to hear of other peoples experiences with God, but never experience it for ourselves. I wondered as this relates to us. Am I content to simply read about revival, study revival, listen to it, talk about it, debate it, and all else, only to be content with that. I only know my heart, and I am guilty of this sometimes. I want to say that we must be desperate for revival, for the outpouring of His spirit. I do want to read of others accounts because it encourages me, but I must not be content with only that. I must devote myself wholly anew to the practice of desperate prayer. In "Why Revival Tarries" Ravenhill speaks of Hannah, and how she basically prayer "Give me children or I die!" Is this our prayer? Or is it simply give me another story.

I do not wish to judge. Simply food for thought.

LA Holmes

 2003/7/13 10:27Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: A Call for Desperation

You are not alone in this thinking. Something that has stuck in my mind is from Jim Cymbala:
"I was tired of the escapist mentality I had witnessed since childhood- always glorifying what God did way back in some revival, or else passionately predicting 'the coming great move of God' just ahead......I despaired at the thought that my life might slip by without seeing God show himself mightily on our behalf........One day I told the Lord that I would rather die than merely tread water throughout my career in the ministry....[u][i]always preaching about the power of the Word and the Spirit, but never seeing it[/i][/u]" (from Fresh Wind, fresh Fire)

I know that is easy to just throw a few good quotes up there and generate a few amens, but that still leaves us where we started. So what to do? Maybe for starters it's in what you said:

Quote:

I must devote myself wholly anew to the practice of desperate prayer.



and from the above quote:

Quote:
I longed and cried out for God to change everything-me, the church, our passion for people, our praying



Maybe we just need to get on with it. Why not right here, right now. We may all be unknown faces in cyberspace, but we are connected to the Head, our savior and Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.


O God our Father. With one accord, we lift up our hearts to you. Lord I have been guilty of the same, being a hearer and not a doer of what I know to do. Forgive me for my complacency, for my ignorance and my rebellion.I am but a sinful man, weak and needy, but my heart longs for You and it was You Yourself who put it in me to seek You. It is You who is exalted, it is You who we worship, it is You alone who can save us.

In the words of Daniel, your servant "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, , we haved sinned and commited iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and judgements.....O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day-

"O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and His supplications, and for the Lords sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

For too long we have attempted to do Your will with out Your Holy Spirit, let us attempt to do nothing but wait until we have been washed, purged of self-will and selfish motives, Make us ready vessels for Your Spirit to fill. Let us never again take on an undertaking that You have not prepared. Let me fade into the background so that only the likeness of You Son shines through. Cause us to know and understand that we will accomplish nothing unless we abide in the vine, Your Son, the Lord Jesus. I cannot think of a greater time than now, that we need to see You stir up the unbelieving world, and the church that has become lulled into a deep sleep, to reap a harvest of souls that belong to You, Jesus.

O Lord strip away our pretense's, our cleverness and our pride. Cause us to remember who we are, that we are but dust and the very breath in us belongs to You. O God, I am praying here for revival and don't even know what that may bring, what it may require of me, of others, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Nontheless, not our will, but Yours be done, as it is in Heaven let it be so on the earth.

May others who's desire is like minded add their prayers, those who are closer to Your heart, who have walked longer and suffered more, who know You better and obey Your word, let them come forth and exhort us all unto desperate prayer.

For Your Glory, O Lord, and in the name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus who poured out Himself to save a wretch like me, I pray. Amen.


_________________
Mike Balog

 2003/7/13 15:27Profile
TaKa
Member



Joined: 2003/4/17
Posts: 124
Louisiana

 Re: A Call for Desperation



"All great soul-winners have been men of much and mighty prayer, and all great revivals have been preceded and carried out by persevering, prevailing knee-work in the closet." ~ Samuel Logan Brengle

I believe that if we want to see revivals like they had in the past, we must pray like they did in the past.

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." ~ E. M. Bounds

Most of what we read about concerning revival is only the outward stuff that is happening, but the invisible cause of all true revival is when God's people are brought back to their knees.

Brother Ravenhill used to say that we love to read about the great men of God of days gone by. We hold them in high honor, yet why do we not imitate them?




_________________
Troy

 2003/7/14 18:01Profile





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