Revival! (5)

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18.20

Ministers of Scotland: Lectures on Revival VI
The Rev. Alexander Cumming, Minister of Dunbarney Parish
“There is a special blessing associated with social prayer…the ten days intervening between the triumphant entrance of Christ into heaven and Pentecost were almost wholly absorbed by the duty of prayer: after such exclusive and engrossing dedication to that exercise, the Spirit’s operations were bestowed with an amplitude that was intended to show how far the blessings of the New Testament dispensation outstripped those of the old.”

I’m often asked what it means to “wait” on the Lord. Jesus commanded the disciples to go back to Jerusalem and to wait for the promise of the Father, that is, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1.4, 5). They interpreted this to mean they should gather the believers in a single place and pray. They persisted in this effort for ten days, with people undoubtedly coming and going as they needed to take care of personal matters. But the prayer meeting continued, and there is some evidence – suggested by Peter’s mentioning the need to replace Judas – that they were using psalms to guide their prayers (cf. Ps. 109.6-8; Acts 4.23-26). They prayed, and God led and responded. If the book of Acts is normative for how God works through His people to bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, then this is certainly one example we need to emulate. Do we expect to realize revival by some means other than united, extraordinary, specific prayer (Edwards)?

Can you think of some ways you might improve your congregation’s practice of praying together as one body?

Pray for Revival
Join us online once a month to pray for revival. We meet for 30 minutes, once a month, pray a psalm and seek the Lord together for revival. We’re looking for men who will commit to seeking the Lord for revival together. If you’re interested, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll give you a list of available times. Or we can discuss beginning a new group to pray for revival at a more suitable time.

To help you in preparing for revival, we have two brief books that won’t take you more than an hour to read. Preparing Your Church for Revival tells you what to expect as the Lord begins to move, and shows you how to get ready even now (click here). Restore Us! provides the rationale and means for praying together for revival. It includes 12 psalms to guide your times of praying together (click here).

All quotations in this series are taken from Ministers of Scotland, Lectures on Revival, Richard Owen Roberts, ed. (Wheaton: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers, 1980). Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.