Spiritual Awakening

When I led prayer meeting most of the prayer requests in every church I pastored were for the healing of someone close to those attending. We want our loved ones to be well, free of pain, and we don't want them to die. We especially don't want them to die. Other requests were for jobs, safe traveling, rain, stop raining, and just a lot of physical, personal things.

Seldom were requests for things of a spiritual nature. Not many requests for the lost to be saved, spiritual healing, the revival of the many spiritually dead in the church. Never, “Pastor, church,  pray that I will become the most effective, powerful prayer warrior I can be.” Never, ever, “Pray for me that I will have a closer relationship with God.” Never, “I want to know God better, and know his perfect will for my life. Pray this for me, please.” At prayer meetings I didn't  hear many requests for those things that would change the church, make it grow, or that people would witness to the lost, and that the lost would be saved.

I am convinced until there is a personal desire within the heart of each follower of Jesus to let God have the relationship that he wants to have with them we will not see this spiritual awakening that so many are praying for. I am afraid that when people pray for a spiritual awakening they imagine some kind of magical, mystical event that all of a sudden comes upon America like a hurricane or great storm. People are praying and waiting for it to happen somewhere out there when in actuality it has to begin for each of us personally in our own hearts, our own lives. An awakening will happen as one by one, in a home, in a church, in a community, on and on until is does sweep across the country with the power of the Holy Spirit convicting and empowering individuals to allow God to “do greater things than these” as Jesus told the disciples that they would do after the Holy Spirit came upon them.

Prayer is the one essential act that is necessary for a close, power enabling relationship with God. We must spend a significant amount of time asking for the right things, and listening as God speaks to us. Only then will we receive forgiveness, and cleansing, and personal revival. That is where this awakening will begin.

Forget about political wrongs, and statues, and wars and threats of wars, and economic issues, and racial problems. Concentrate on your own relationship with God, know him, seek him, love him, and be burdened for those who are perishing. Pray, “Lord, how can I become the most effective follower of Jesus that I can be? Use me God.” Dr. Gregory Frizzell prayed a similar prayer and his message from God was, “If you will spend much time with me in close relationship and prayer, you  will  never lack for my mighty presence and miraculous power.” God has kept his promise to this man as he has remained faithful to God.