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WHEN should I pray for Revival?

Mark 4:35–41 ESV

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

When we know something must be done.

For the disciples, the storm was a wake-up call. Before that moment they were going through their daily lives. They were doing something that was second nature to them. Riding the sea was nothing new.

But that day, these fishermen found themselves faced with something all their experience, all their days at sea could not prepare them for: The Storm.

When we realize we can’t do anything about it.

Desperation is the key to revival. We noted this last week.

When we cry out to God in worship and prayer, our desperation can draw us closer to Him. The gift of desperation is God’s presence.

When I’m Desperate, I cry out for help.

When we believe God is the only one who can.

HOW should I pray for Revival?

Be INTENSE

The disciples were intent in their praying. There was not time for niceties or rambling speech. They were desperate and they came to him

“TEACHER! Do you not care we are perishing?”

That’s not a lackadaisical question. It’s not a prayer of apathy. Like Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1, it’s a prayer of intensity.

Be TRANSPARENT

Often in the psalms and in the prayer of the disciples here, we find this questioning. An entreating.

Psalm 10 ESV

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.” Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Over and over we see the questioning.

Why do you stand far away?

Why do you hide yourself when evil abounds?

Why do the wicked renounce you?

Do you not care that we’re perishing?

Yes the disciples were rebuked and encouraged by Christ to have faith, but our faith if grown as we question God, and we see in the Psalm, prove himself in the midst of the questions.

So pray in your weakness. Pray in the midst of your doubts like the man who said, “I believe, forgive my unbelief.”

Be GOD-GLORIFYING

We should not only pray with intensity and transparency, we must pray scripture based, God-glorifying prayers. All prayer is agreeing with the glorious will of God the Father. When we pray, we are agreeing with God.

That’s why we say Amen. Amen is a Hebrew word that means, As You Say, or So Be what you say.

When we say Amen we are saying, “God, What you have said, you do.”

That’s why the model prayer say, “YOUR kingdom come, and YOUR will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

John 14:13 ESV

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 15:7 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Be PERSISTENT

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.