Ps.65:2 – You who hear prayer,
To You all mankind comes.
Earnest , corporate prayer appears to be at the heart of all true moves of the Spirit of God. I think of the corporate prayer meeting in the Upper Room that led to the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the earnest prayer at Bonnie Brae Street that led to the Azusa Street outpouring, and I also am reminded of an amazing season of prayer often with hundreds of people in our church as well as many other churches seeking the Lord before the outpouring of the Spirit in the 1990’s. Jonathan Edwards wrote a book called ‘A Humble Attempt…’ when he was asking the Lord for a move of God in the nations in the 1700’s. He had seen an amazing outpouring in his church that ultimately resulted in what is known as the Great Awakening but he knew the nations were still lying in darkness. Here is a quote from his book ‘A Humble Attempt’.
“From the representation made in the prophecy (Zech.8:20-22), it appears rational to suppose, that it will be fulfilled something after this manner; first, that there shall be given much of a spirit of prayer to God’s people, in many places, disposing them to come into an express agreement, unitedly to pray to God in an extraordinary manner, that he would appear for the help of his church, and in mercy to mankind, and pour out his Spirit, revive his work, and advance his spiritual kingdom in the world, as he has promised; and that this disposition to such prayer, and union in it, will gradually spread more and more, and increase to greater degrees; with which at length will gradually be introduced a revival of religion, and a disposition to greater engagedness in the worship and service of God, amongst his professing people; that this being observed, will be the means of awakening others, making them sensible of the wants of their souls, and exciting in them a great concern for their spiritual and everlasting good, and putting them upon earnestly crying to God for spiritual mercies, and disposing them to join with God’s people in that extraordinary seeking and serving of God…..till whole nations be awakened, and there be at length an accession of many of the chief nations of the world to the church of God.”
So here we are at the apparent end of the age before the return of our Lord. All of us have an expectancy in our heart that something amazing and something terrible is breaking in on our world before the end of this age. The hearts of God’s people are longing for a greater outpouring of the Spirit that will result in an unprecedented harvest of souls marked by true repentance and a passion for the Lord. Could it be that we are feeling a call to call upon the Lord before the return of the Lord? I believe that is exactly what we are all feeling, its time to seek the Lord that He may pour out His Spirit upon this generation.
