Prayer for Revival
One of the first contemporary worship songs I heard was “Revival” by Robin Mark.
Being a new Christian my heart and soul were stirred by these words and the upbeat music. I could picture revival as a train roaring in the distance.
I started to pray for this ‘revival of spirits and of hearts’. I knew little – I wanted much.
Almost ten years have passed since that moment. I have searched for others who feel as I do. I have met only a few.
Then I read Reborn to be Wild by Ed Underwood. He asks the question, “Why has the Jesus Movement [of the 60s, 70s] stopped moving? He talks about what happened during this time period – a time of passion for Jesus.
Although I was not part of that spiritual movement I remember those years. In this book, Underwood takes me though that time looking through his eyes. I notice a similarity of how I came to know Christ in 2000; how I learned prayer is a conversation with God; how I learned to read and actually understand the Bible; how I wanted to talk about Jesus to everyone I met; and most of all how I feel stifled and choked because I can’t find many with my desire to tell others about Jesus.
So where did those Jesus Freaks go? Why have the spiritual revolutionaries of the 60s, and 70s settled for the political safety and shelter of the suburbs?
In Reborn to Be Wild, Ed offers five simple truths that the Jesus Freaks believed and then also tells us what is missing today.
Underwood challenges Christians to lay down the things that steal their focus from Christ and commit to a revival spirit of the Jesus Movement.
His book is packed full of spirit-filled words. Here are some nuggets on prayer:
“Then they began to talk to God about people, some of the people I knew. I guessed that this must be how they prayed. Didn’t sound like any prayer I had ever heard at Grandma Sister Patrick’s little country church. It was just conversation and they weren’t telling God how bad these people were; they were asking Him to help them show these people how much He loved them. They asked God how they could help these people believe in Jesus, how they could tell them about what a difference Jesus was making in their lives.” [page 35]
“Where does revival begin? History teaches us to view revival as God’s powerful response to the heartfelt prayers of His people. The Jesus Movement was God’s answer to the mighty cry of visionary leaders whose hearts were breaking over what was happening to my generation. While others pointed out our evil, these visionary leaders begged God to deliver us from evil.” [page 82]
“As I bemoaned the sorry state of American culture with all my seminary logic and self-righteousness, she [friend Jo] said, “Eddie, if you spent as much time praying for America as you do griping about it maybe God would change something. How do you think you came to Christ? We prayed for the youth of Bakersfield for years before God began to move.” [page 83]
I challenge you to read this book and rekindle the spark that can make this happen. And pray for revival.
Prayer:
Lord, we pray for our writers. Inspire them to inspire us. Help us to know how and what to pray. We know You want a revival too but we also know that You need us to pray. In Jesus’ name. AMEN
