GUEST POST: Revival Praying in Practice - Enjoying the Journey
We rejoice in the way that God is continuing to use Revival Praying to stir believers in the matter of seeking God. Recently Daniel Jessup conducted a meeting built around the Revival Praying resource at the Solida Baptist Church of South Point Ohio, Pastor Aaron Childers. The following is his personal testimony of what the Lord did and we trust it will be an encouragement to your faith. Dan served as General Director of Master Ministries and Master Clubs and is currently seeking the Lord’s will concerning the next season of ministry. You may communicate with him directly at dan.jessup@masterclubs.org. To order Revival Praying and accompanying resources visit revivalpraying.com. – ETJ Staff
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Revival Praying in Practice
When a pastor friend of mine asked me to preach a revival at his church, I must admit I was at first reluctant. In ministry experience, I had only ever preached a handful of “revivals.” Coming from a devout Christian home, I had many memories of attending revivals from Florida to Michigan. Almost all of these experiences were earmarked by long, extended meetings listening to someone preach, displaying great remorse, and flooding the altars. In the aftermath, I never knew a church to put into practice a return to normal, vibrant, Holy Spirit-filled Christianity. Now, a pastor with a yearning for his people to experience true revival was asking me to hold an extended meeting that emphasized prayer. Thankfully, Pastor Childers had purchased many copies of the book Revival Praying and gave one to any church member that promised to read it. I myself had promised that during the meeting we would highlight the biblical principles of prayer found in Ezra 9 and that we would direct in such a way that believers could put into practice a daily discipline of prayer.
We distributed a simple four-page handout that included a challenge to all who would commit to revival praying. This came with a biblical promise from James 5:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” The prayer guide encouraged people to include four
divisions in prayer: Confession, Worship and Praise, Intercession, and Thanksgiving. Several passages of Scripture were listed at the heading of each division, giving biblical precedent to each facet of revival praying.
The first two nights I only preached for 15 minutes or so and then we split the church up into groups of 5 or 6 people to follow the prayer guide. I must admit that I was surprised to see that the majority participating were teenagers and young married couples! Reports of
parents spending time with their family in devotions began to come in as early as Thursday night. One young married man commented, “I never really thought of the fact that we must include confession when we pray.”
During one of the cottage prayer meetings on Friday night, another young married man followed James 5:16 as he confessed his faults to others and literally quoted from Revival Praying, “Most men spend their time building a home, a career, a life, a retirement, and a reputation. Discerning men understand that the most important thing they will ever build is an altar.” By Sunday evening, we decided to cut my preaching time short and allow the church to publicly testify. After each division that allowed them to declare what God did, what they determined to practice differently each day, and how they planned to hold themselves accountable to each other, a church member led in prayer.
Even weeks after this meeting concluded, Pastor Childers and other church members still report God’s moving as people continue in revival praying. Praise the Lord for His work among us, and among many others, as we seek a life of revival praying before Him!
