Revive the Prayer Meeting!

“This is what the Lord says:

Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls.

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’

But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ “ Jeremiah 6:16, 17

I was scrolling through my news feed and an article caught my eye. The title was “Dear Christians – Revive the Prayer Meeting!”

The article began with this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

“We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general until the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.”

I would add to that – until we see this change in our churches, we will not see the change in our culture we so desperately need.

In the above referenced passage, the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the nation of Israel to warn them of impending judgement. He warned them that the ‘fruit of their thoughts’ would be brought upon them. The fuller definition of thoughts to include devices, plans, purpose and invention. Their thoughts translated into sinful actions and earned the inherent judgement that sin produces. (Jer 6:19)

Sin can produce no other fruit than death. (Romans 6:23)

Israel was steeped in the worship of Baal, all the while feigning worship of the True Living God. They offered sacrifices that God did not accept because of their hypocrisy and divided hearts. They worshipped Him with their lips but denied Him with their actions. They lived dual lives. One life filled with pious religious observance, the other so closely aligned with the culture as to be indistinguishable from it.

They also engaged in the practice of child sacrifice.

Now, to whom are these children today being sacrificed? To the god of self. The god of careers, success, desires, life plans and “choice."

Today, abortion is not called child sacrifice. And the victims are not called children. Different terms are used in an attempt to hide the reality of what is actually happening. Terms like fetal tissue, pro-choice, women’s rights, women’s health care, reproductive rights and other words are used to mask the killing of a human being formed in the image of God!

Idolatry and child sacrifice were as intricately entwined then as they are now. 7 out of 10 women who have abortions self-identify as Christians. Millions who flock to church services on Sunday have abortions or support its practice by the way they vote. In the name of 'tolerance and love,' they affirm 'choice' instead of actually practicing real love and telling women the physical, emotional and spiritual trauma they will experience as the result of their choice. Not to mention the barbaric end of their child's life.

I know this is hard for some to hear. It's hard for me to type these words but it is true.

In Israel, the Lord set watchmen to warn them of the invaders coming from the north, but they would not heed their voices. They continued in their sin and refused to repent. The Lord still sets watchmen.

While Jeremiah was warning of imminent destruction, false prophets were saying Babylon would not conquer Judah. The false prophets pacified the slumbering nation, ensuring they would remain in their sin.

There are a lot of voices speaking to us today. Voices that are loud but their words are empty. I call them the You Tube Prophets. The ones who look to make a name for themselves. The ones who speak and speak and say nothing. The ones who predict but are never held accountable when their words fall to the ground. The ones that make a buck with every click on their videos. The ones who place their name up in lights and say ‘look at me’ and while the world is looking at them they miss Jesus.

The Lord, through Jeremiah, and others like the author of the prayer meeting article I stumbled upon, is imploring us to ‘ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it.’

The path the Lord is longing for us to seek again is a well-worn road. It’s a path well-traveled by those who came before us. It is a track run by those who finished the race. A thoroughfare built upon the Word of God.

The call for Christians to “Revive the Prayer Meeting" is the cry of those desperate for the Church to repent and lead again. Not lead in a political sense, but a moral one. Looking for a man or woman to pull us out of the miry clay we are sinking in, is in and of itself, idolatry as well. Only Jesus can save us.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chron 7:14.

The watchmen peer into the distance to warn of dangers ahead. The watchmen are blowing the trumpet. Are we listening?

"When God desires mercy, He stirs up prayer." (Matthew Henry)

Are you stirred?

Judgement is deferred as an answer to prayer. Are you praying?

Revival is birthed in prayer.

Dear Christian - Revive the Prayer Meeting. Our nation depends on it.

Copyright © Lisa M. Wesley, WPA, All rights reserved.