Pray for Revival

A broken spirit,A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise. — Psalm 51:17

God does not keep it a secret: if we want revival, we need to humble ourselves. We need to recognize our sinfulness and confess it to Him. We need to seek Him and obey Him in all things. We must also confess our spiritual pride and self-centeredness.

True humility involves a broken spirit before the Lord.

Second, if we want revival, we are to pray — and not a mere recitation of prayers, but an earnest calling out to the Lord. Too many Christians can describe their prayer life with four words from Ephesians 6:12 — “we do not wrestle.”

Every true revival in history has resulted from heartfelt, committed prayer. That was, in fact, true from the very beginning. We read of the early church that

when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. — Acts 4:31

Code Word: Broken

Does this word say anything about you today? When the back of pride is broken, you can soar into regions you have never known.

Lord, mold me, make me, and, if necessary, break me today that I might be more conformed to Your image. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? — Psalm 85:6

For too many of us, it has been too long since we have experienced a visitation from Heaven, a personal revival. While revival comes from the hand and heart of a sovereign God, He still invites us to pray to this end:

If My people… will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear… and will forgive their sin. — 2 Chronicles 7:14

When what used to slither down our back alleys now parades proudly down our main streets, is it not time to pray, “Lord, visit us again with Your sovereign power”? When from much of the entertainment industry and social media we hear the raucous cries of a thousand voices calling our children to lifestyles of godlessness, we should be moved to pray for revival. And, when we can imagine hearing the sobs of our Savior, who wept over Jerusalem, weeping over our own sins, is it not time to join Isaiah of old,

Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down. — Isaiah 64:1 NASB

Code Word: Revival

This may be one of the most misunderstood words in the Christian vocabulary. Revival is that strange and supernatural visitation from God restoring us to the fullness of God’s blessing and opening the door to a new beginning for each of us.

Lord, as You have in times past breathed upon our fallen world with a fresh breath of Your power, do it again… and let it begin in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted with permission from The Believer’s Code by O. S. Hawkins, copyright O. S. Hawkins.

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Your Turn

Today, let’s pause and pray for revival — in our own hearts, in our families, our communities, our states, our nations, and the world. Come share your thoughts on revival and your prayers on our blog. We want to hear from you!