The Prayer Meeting?

repentcanada wrote:
Sermon Index,

How vital is the prayer meeting to revival?

Well, there seems to be a pattern prayer that precedes a moving of God amidst His people. The well known Hebrides revival was preceded by two elderly ladies spending hours upon hours in prayer, and then some of the men started meeting together, I think six of them. And another story I remember is about two sisters out on the mission field who just were not seeing results amongst the natives, so they decided to make a change and put more into prayer than into programs. God came. The list goes on. Perhaps, brother Ricky, you would be encouraged by reading some books from the Harveys, like the [url=http://home.psknet.com/harveycp/prayer.htm]'How They Prayed' series[/url]. Also, have you listened to [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=310&min=20&orderby=titleA&show=20]Gerhard DuToit[/url]? Specifically 'Why Should I Pray?'

Case in point, a friend of mine in the city has been meeting in his church (500+ members), every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings for prayer at 6am. The average attendance is 4 people.

Praise God that you have 4 people attending!!! Often in God's working of revival it has been small groups of people faithfully praying and seeking God for revival. The revival in New York City began on Fulton Street with one man.

It's not numbers that gets God's attention, it's the hearts of His people and their fervent cries that His ear is open toward. I don't understand how it all works but prayer is a tool that God uses for His glory. How the prayers of a desperate, needy, hungry people claim the ear of our holy and powerful God...is staggering! But it's true! God hears the cries of His people. Consider the promises of those who are humble, contrite and broken.

Another story. I heard this one from Gerhard DuToit. There was a man in South Africa who faithfully, every single day, went to a hill where he could see all of his city, and for twenty-five years he prayed for his city for God to work in revival, and after twenty-years God worked mightily! I find to be amazing. He wouldn't let go, he wouldn't stop praying.

Have these great resources for our edification (Sermon index, other great teachings, etc) led to a revival in our own hearts? Have they led us to much prayer, counting the cost, denying ourselves and following the Christ?

Yes. Personally, yes. Only eternity will reveal the impact this website has had and will have on the lives of those who glean from it's riches. And sometimes the change is so gradual that we don't even realize what God is doing in our own lives. My own life has been greatly impacted by the preaching of godly men like Keith Daniel, Gerhard DuToit, Bill Gothard, and many others.

Don't give up, brother Ricky. Please keep praying and believing God. Don't give up on the corporate prayer meeting. Sometimes it is really discouraging, but that's where we encourage one another, read the testimonies of the past, cling to the promises in God's Word, and press on.

He is faithful Who has promised.

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isaiah 57:15

[image][img]https://www.sermonindex.net/verwer.gif[/img]

Click here to listen to a 3-minute URGENT call to prayer by George. This clip was taken from the end of this message spoken in America in 2005 about the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).

May we all take prayer more seriously have establish prayer meetings in the church again.

Not only have we neglected prayer but we have failed to do what real earnest prayer produces. We say Lord let me make a difference in the world and let me be salt and light.

We have not stood for righteousness for various reasons. Many say our citizenship is in heaven, therefore we won't get involved in worldly things, such as selecting a Godly leader in government, to lead our nations in the ways of the Lord.

What good is prayer with this mindset? We say, we won't stand against the things God in the public square because our citizenship is in heaven. We say, oh Lord, that you would send revival in the hearts people and let it start with me, when if we really were revived, we would stand for his ways in all things that he might have supremacy in everything.

He gives us a chance now to stand for him and his ways. When we reach heaven and we are glorified, there won't be any resistance then, for every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. Maybe that's what the problem is, the resistance. Hasn't it always been that way?

The devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and who he can deceive and who he can tell a lie to and make them ineffective for the glory of God on earth as it is in heaven. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Many of these people who proclaim this excuse in not standing for righteousness, say their citizenship is only in heaven, but you can be assured that they don't relinquish there government entities and our government entitlements that they are given to us by the government. We take advantage of all these priviledges given by the government. The government is a resource, but God is the source, therefore we have not taken care of the resources, given to us, by God and we shirk our responsibility in being the salt and light, as he commands until he calls us home.

I am mainly speaking to Americans and Canadians. We are the most guilty of this I believe. This theology only uses certain passages to get this theology and does not correctly divide the Word of truth.

edited:
And you can bet the preachers of the old paths long ago did not hold to this teaching.