Welcome to 21 Days of Prayer for Revival. Below you will find days 1 through 7. For each day there is a passage, an encouragement, and a prayer for each day. This first week we will be focusing inward on a prayer for revival in our own hearts Day One “Revival begins when you draw a circle around yourself and make sure everything in that circle is right with God.” Anne Graham Lotz It is an age-old problem; we like to point out the speck in others while we have a giant beam sticking out of our eye. Some even think it’s fun to point fingers at others and make a fine hobby out of it. But do you know what’s not fun? It’s not fun looking inward and letting the bright light of Truth expose our problem areas. It’s the dreaded magnification mirror with a light attached. I don’t want to see myself that close…really, I don’t. But, in our Christian walk, it is painfully necessary. The God of the Universe will not let us go long without trying to refine us and sanctify us, both of which require that bright light. We are laid under microscope and scalpel. It will happen. But we have a choice to make. We can either lay still allowing the Surgeon to do His work, or we can fight and “kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14) Today, we will start this process. We will tell the Lord we are ready and willing. For change to happen, for revival to come, it must start with me…with you. “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19-20a Pray this with me… Lord Heavenly Father, Today I bow my will to yours. I repent of my sins and every way that I have broken your heart. Lord wipe them out removing the stain they have left behind. Reveal to me any hidden sins I may not even be aware of so that I may repent of those as well. I lay myself before you in humility so that I may be refreshed by your presence. May the refreshing be a spark of revival in my life. Amen Day Two “To desire revival and at the same time to neglect personal prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.” A.W. Tozer We are strangers in a foreign land; this world is not our home and our hearts long for the completion of Christ’s return. However, we try to soothe the aches of this world with the remedies of this world and this simply can not be. This world will never satisfy and the more we taste of it, the emptier we will feel, and the more of it we will need. An ever deepening pit of worldly lusts awaits and the end is destruction. (Philippians 3:19-20). No, this is not for you. Let that bright, blinding light of Truth narrow it’s focus today. Let it dissect your heart and enlighten the darkest recesses. Turn what is found there over to the Lord in full repentance. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 Pray this with me… Precious Lord and Savior, Thank you for your great mercy to me that long to be in full relationship with me. Forgive me for conforming myself to this world. Break the chains that have bound me to my sin and transform me, renewing my mind. And, as my mind is renewed, draw me into your will that I may know what you want from me – all that is good, acceptable, and perfect. My heart’s desire is that, while my mind is being renewed, that the revival you have started in my heart continues to grow. Amen Day Three “There’s one thing we need above everything else; it’s something we don’t talk about these days. We need a mighty avalanche of conviction of sin.” Leonard Ravenhill Repentance and confession go hand in hand. Both are pre-requisites for revival. They are the pushing off point, the catalyst, the point of the spear. Repent, confess, repent, and confess. And these are not one-time events. These are daily, moment-by-moment positions of the Christian life as we allow the Holy Spirit to continue making all things new. “No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 Pray this with me… Heavenly Father, I am calling out to you for mercy. Pour your mercy upon me for all the ways I have broken your heart. I no longer want to live a life that conceals my transgressions. Rather, I want to confess and forsake them. By your mercy and with your help, start a revival here, right here, with me. Amen Day Four “The first step is a deep repentance, a breaking down of heart, a getting down into the dust before God, with deep humility and a forsaking of sin.” Charles Finney All our effort won’t amount to much without the Lord’s intervention and the Lord is waiting for us to invite him to begin his work. This Psalm is a perfect example of this. Many of us have left our first love, we have forgotten the strength and joy we had at our first moment of believing on the Lord. The world and its ways has weakened our spirits and calloused our hearts. Today we are asking the Lord for freshness, for joy, and for all the scar tissue to be scraped away. We want to be clean. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” Psalm 51:10-13 Pray this with me… Heavenly Father, Take my heart and make it yours. Wash it and make it clean. Replace my hard and calloused spirit with a new one that is tender to your touch and inclined to your Word. May your Holy Spirit be alive in me. Forgive me for all the ways I have pushed and grieved the Holy Spirit in the past. Make my salvation like new, reignite the joy I knew at the beginning, and make my heart willing and pliable – fresh clay in your hands. As a result, grant me courage to tell others. Lord, may my joy spill and splash out onto others that they may turn to you too. Amen Day Five “Great people don’t do great things. God does great things through surrendered people.” Jennie Allen Surrender. That’s a tough word. We usually equate it with weakness with giving up or giving in. We call it a white flag. But, it God’s economy, surrender is a result of a heart of flesh, made new in the hands of a loving Father. We can not cry out to God for revival without surrendering our will to His. We can’t make a revival, we can’t plan a revival, we can only pray and be a revival. We can only surrender ourselves under the mighty hand of God and trust Him to do the rest. “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 Pray this with me… Heavenly Father, You are the Creator – the One who made me fearfully and wonderfully. You know my heart and it’s ways. Take what is here and do with it what you will. Give me a new heart and a new spirit that wants only to glorify and honor you. Amen Day Six “If we lived our half of what we know, we would have revival.” Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth Woven in with repentance, confession, and surrender is Thanksgiving. We can’t come to Christ in eager abandon unless we understand who we are surrendering to. He is the Christ, the Messiah, Holy and Righteous One, the Author of Life whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who heals, saves, redeems, shelters, justifies, and loves. Let’s be honest, repentance, confession, and surrender are only worth considering if the person we are surrendering to is worthy. We are not being called to a program, a system, or even a religion; we are called to the person of Jesus Christ. “Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24 Pray this with me… Heavenly Father, I want nothing more than to praise you today. You are I AM. You are the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace. You are Who Was, Who Is, and Who is to Come. Alpha and Omega. Thank you for the breath in my lungs, for the beating of my heart, and for the love that you give. Thank you for looking into time and space, something you are outside of, and seeing fit to call me by name. Thank you for redeeming me and for the hope that you have placed in my heart. It is you I want to serve and only you. Amen Day Seven “Repentance requires greater intimacy with God than with your sin.” Rosaria Butterfield Repentance, confession, surrender, and thanksgiving. These are not things others do for us. These are things we do. In return we are offered rest, strength, joy, salvation, intimacy with God, revival, and so much more. Let’s be sure to not refuse so great an exchange. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you refused.” Isaiah 30:15 Pray this with me…
Heavenly Father, Holy One of Israel, I accept your offer to exchange my mess for your rest. I accept your offer to exchange my surrender with your strength. I accept your offer to exchange my repentance with your revival. Lord may I not forget the revival you have started in my heart this week. As I continue in prayer, Lord, let this new fire carry to those closest to me: my friends, my family, my neighbors, my church, and my community. Amen
1 Comment
7/4/2018 10:26:29 pm
There are so many hypocrites in this world and sad to say, I am one too. It may be hard to swallow, but the truth is that we are all hypocrites who point out other people's flaws when the fact remains that we are all flawed in our own ways. The thing is, pointing out other people's flaws does not make us any better than who they are. In fact, between the two, they are the ones who are better than us because they do not take time to criticize others. Everyone is fighting their own battles. Everyone has scars that we all cannot see. Therefore, we must learn to be kind to one another because as the saying goes, kindness goes a long way.
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