Learning to Call on the Lord
Every revival and awakening in history began in prayer—and there is a reason for this. The pattern of past revivals shows that it is when people found themselves in situations for which there was no human remedy or solution, that it was then that they began to pray and call on the Lord and ask for his help. Whether it is the children of Israel in the slavery of Egypt or the bondage of exile in Babylon, the Bible illustrates that people get serious about calling on God for His help when they hit the wall and realize the hopelessness of their situation. Every revival begins when people, for various reasons, recognize their need for God’s help and begin to call on Him in prayer.
Lord let it begin with me!
Miracles of grace begin when God’s people recognize their need and begin to cry out to the Lord—that is when they get real and begin to do business with God. Someone asked the English evangelist, Gypsy Smith (1860-1947) how to experience revival. He said— “Go home, lock yourself in a closet. Kneel down in the middle of the floor and draw a chalk circle around yourself. Ask God to send revival inside that chalk circle. When God answers your prayers, then revival will come!”
My advice to anyone who yearns for revival at present is to begin by calling on the Lord and asking for His help. If you feel that you are a lone voice crying in the wilderness, consider asking the Lord to lead you to a prayer partner of like mind. You will find there are people all over who share the same burden for the Lord to step down to intervene and help.
There is a biblical principle that when just two people meet together in Jesus’ name, He has promised to honor their faith by being in their midst and meeting with them. He has also promised that when just two believers agree on anything in prayer, that their request will be granted. (Matthew 18:19-20). After the Lord answers your request for a prayer partner, then you can pray together for a third member and initiate a prayer triplet. Prayer triplets are a time-honored platform for prayer and calling on the Lord for His help.
When a believer prays, they invite God into their situation and provide an opportunity for the Lord can work. This effect is, however, multiplied when believers pray together. When just one believer prays, God always hears and answers their prayers. When believers join together in prayer, God steps in and history is changed.
Here is the Biblical answer to the prevalent feelings of disempowerment that are a feature of our age. Our political masters may not care enough to listen to the cries of our hearts but our Father in heaven does. Here is where revival is ignited. This was where the Welsh and other revivals began when one or two faithful believers agreed together in prayer and the Lord was true to His Word and answered.
Hark! The story of the “home prayer circles” around Melbourne is being told. Hearts of workers are burdened and sad. Weary of organisation and effort, no fresh “Prayer Union” would appeal to them, but quickly the spark from the fire in Australia falls into many hearts. “Home prayer circles!” The “twos and threes” of those who are truly burdened for “worldwide revival!” Ah, this is the call of God! If a city may be thus girdled with prayer, why not the world?
Jesse Penn-Lewis, eyewitness to the Welsh revival.
