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Seeking God’s face for revival
by Brian Jones, Major –
As we prepare ourselves for the Prayer and Revival Summit in May, we want to remember two parts in the equation to bring a revival to the land. The first is prayer. Dr. A. T. Pierson once said, “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.” Prayer is a crucial catalyst that makes revival possible for the church and the individual.
Our founder, William Booth, found fervent prayer to be an effective weapon as he prayed for personal and community revival. It was not unusual for Booth to hold an “all night of prayer” when he came to preach the Word of God. People would flock to the altars everywhere he went. The power of God was overwhelmingly manifest in the meetings where people were frequently struck down with his presence and power.
The example of Booth testifies to the fact that we, too, need to pray for the reviving power of God in our lives if we are to see a revival of the Holy Spirit sweep across the land. This kind of prayer comes from the deep recesses of a heart that recognizes its own need for God, that carries an enduring and faithful love for God, that is humble before him, and that is convicted and committed to bringing the light of salvation to a suffering world.
Just as William Booth had access to the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer, so do we as 21st century believers. As we recognize our own spiritual need, as we profess and express our love for our Savior, as we humble ourselves and commit ourselves to the saving of souls, we are able to come to the Lord with a prayer of faith that moves mountains. As our Savior said in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” God is waiting for our prayers for revival and spiritual renewal and, if we “call upon his name,” he will give us the same fervency and power as he did Booth and other heroes of the faith.
The second part of the equation to bring revival is seeking God’s face. Seeking God’s face is the believer’s part in establishing an intimate relationship with God. We purposefully keep God at the center of our lives, daily disclose our needs and concerns, and allow God access to our hearts as he reveals himself to us. We establish two-way communication as we listen for his voice. This pathway that leads into a more intimate relationship with God becomes straight. As we spend quality time alone with God, are persistent in our passion and desire for God, and surrender absolutely to his will in our lives, we are renewed and spiritually revived.
In his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala writes, “God will manifest himself in direct proportion to our passion for him.” When we pray fervently, when we seek his face, we can be assured that God will “hear from heaven” and “heal our land,” bringing us a revival.