"O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years”
(Habakkuk 3: 2 KJV)
From way back, even before
the time of Habakkuk 26 centuries ago, God’s people have prayed for Revival in
their time. And how we rejoice when this very thing happens by the sovereign
breath of the Holy Spirit! It was my
experience of being born and raised in the East African Revival that lies
behind my writing of UNDER THE THORN
TREE (Christian Focus Publications,
2017).
It is not that great
awakenings can ever be prayed, preached or organised into being. No amount of
conferences – or committees - can achieve them!
The most that can be done is
the preparing of the soil a little. Even then, no prominent ‘leader-types’ were
raised up in the bringing of revival to a tired church or apathetic society. The
‘professionals’ were not in the picture! The reason seems to be that - in any
sweeping Christ-centred movement of the Spirit, the Lord God simply will not
share His glory with another.
Again and again, it has – on
the human level – been the quiet, prayerful and dedicated ‘awaiting’ on the
part of one or two lay people – frequently women of God – that has won heaven’s
response. This has been true in Africa,
America, Wales, the Hebrides, Ireland and the Pacific.
It is not that all-night
prayer meetings should be discouraged! Thousands are united in a holy desire
that across the whole world -as our
African friends would say - “The rains
have come!”
‘Under the Thorn Tree’ – published by Christian Focus
in the UK in November 2017 – is due out in the USA and elsewhere from January
of 2018. (UK email; sales@christianfocus.com)
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--ooOoo--