A few minutes ago I read a blog posted by my friend Dennis Munn that revolved around the topic of “sensationalism.”  Dennis is a thought provoking writer and teacher.  What I gathered from his article was that angels, demons, and shock and awe stories is not the primary issue.  The gospel is the primary issue.  Jesus Christ and his saving power is what the Bible puts forth, more than anything else.  He extracted some amazing, Bible based conclusions from Acts 10, asserting that the angel and the vision was alluded to slightly, and the preaching of the gospel was front and center.  Mood lighting, ambiance, sound, and the latest, greatest, tear jerker story are secondary – I mean, way down the list.  A genuine experience and relationship with the Almighty God is what saves us and changes our lives in every way.

So what about a prayer revolution?  What is Prayer?  Defined:  Take your pick.  I’ve heard hundreds of slogans, catch phrases, and analogies used to describe prayer.  Scripture teaches us that there are different levels and/or dimensions, if you will, of prayer, such as memorial prayers (Acts 10), Intercessory prayer (Genesis 18), Praying in the spirit ( I Corinthians 14), praying with understanding (I Corinthians 14), and very closely associated with the Corinthian references are singing in the spirit ( I Corinthians 14) singing with the understanding (I Corinthians 14).   So what is prayer?  Talking to God and listening to God.  In prayer, God will lead you into the areas that need to be addressed.

What is a revolution?  One definition from Dictionary.com is a sudden, complete or marked change in something.

And so a prayer revolution, to me, is a radical, obvious, on-purpose change, and revision involving our approach to prayer, what we do when we pray, with whom we pray, and sheer determination to simply make prayer our major priority.  Prayer does more than change things; prayer changes you.  When we begin to understand that private prayer, corporate prayer, Saturday night prayer, Monday morning prayer, all-night prayer, are opportunities, and not rigid obligations, everything changes.  When you begin to understand that every time you go to prayer that you are accepting a royal invitation to “come boldly before the throne of grace”, everything changes.  When you begin to realize that this prayer meeting is making a difference, eternally, for my church, my soul, the souls of others, everything changes.  Is that a fact?  Yes, a fact.  And how can we be so sure of that?  Here it is:  ”If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and PRAY – couple of things here:  one, you need to be in covenant relationship with him; and two, prayer is prefaced with humility.  Proud, arrogant, self-centered people probably will not, and do not pray!  The age-old promise of God is this:  If you will pray, I will hear, heal, and forgive.  What happens if we don’t pray.  Simple.  We forfeit the promises of God.

Here’s a worn, tattered, torn, and yet true cliche for you:  Prayer is not part of the battle, prayer IS the battle.  And I receive this from at least two angles:  First, we win or lose, spiritually, based on whether or not we prayer.  Secondly, it IS a battle to pray.  Why?  Because the human mind, the flesh, our “larger-than-life, progressive, you-can-do-it, successful society” has convinced people that “success” is up to you.  Sorry, but not in God’s economy.  Success, in God’s economy is total reliance on Him.  Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Praying churches and praying people have fully adopted the truth of this statement.  We firmly understand that “I can…and it’s…through Christ.”    And this, my friends, constitutes the beginnings as well as the endurance (staying power) that’s necessary in a prayer revolution.  Let’s keep praying till He comes.