A True Revival

I've been burdened lately with my own inept ability to pray.

I see so many people who want revival, yet how many people are willing to pain through the process of prayer in order to get it? Let's face it: prayer is painful. When you come into the presence of God, the Spirit longs and groans from inside you and it hurts! We have a tendancy to run from pain -- I have a tendency to run from pain -- but the breakthrough comes from leaning into the pain in the place of prayer knowing in faith that the revival is just on the other side.

In fact, no revival has ever come without the pain, sweat, and tears in the process of prayer -- and no revival ever sustained without it. Even Pentecost was a result of a 10-day prayer meeting (Acts 2), and after Holy Spirit came they sustained by "constantly devoting themselves to prayer..." Revival takes work! So many want it, yet so few are willing to sacrifice for it.

And then here I am face to face with it in my own life -- yearning for revival in my family, in my community, even in my church -- and we are on the very brink of revival even as I write this, waiting for the greatest outpouring of the Spirit the world has ever seen! Yet it is difficult for me to make the effort.

The Lord told me once that prayer isn't about time spent praying -- it's about the burning in your heart. Praying fervently or "constantly" for something isn't about praying for six hours a day... it's about the groaning on the inside and the burden that you carry with you. Because prayer isn't meant to change God, it's meant to change you.

So, that's where I am -- face to face with the groaning I can't handle and face to face with the revival waiting to happen. But this isn't a power revival, it's a prayer revival, and I have full confidence that revival will be birthed, and it will be birthed through the place of prayer. Even in my own prayer life, I know that revival is coming.