We might not be ready to pray for revival, but there are steps that can help us move TOWARDS prayer for revival.

Asking God for a revival can be unsettling. There’s an element of ‘holy fear’ in the thought of God unpacking levels of his power among us we haven’t encountered before. And yet, it’s impossible not to be stirred by the stories of his great moves in the past.

The big question is: Do we long for a story of our own, for a powerful move of God in OUR day?

The prophet Habakkuk prayed: I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat then in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. (Hab 3:2). Our view of God’s past deeds is much bigger than the one Habakkuk had. We have even more reason to stand in awe of what God has done as we pick up the prophet’s prayer: Lord, repeat them in OUR day!

Prayer for revival can’t be a quick request squeezed into a list of prayer points. Praying for revival is a journey.

Praying TOWARDS revival prepares us for the journey of praying FOR it. Think of the steps leading towards prayer for revival as a pathway of five paving stones. Each represents an important truth about revival, a truth that will grow in us as we pray it. With each step we move closer to the start of a journey of praying for revival.

Stone #1: God desires to do MORE

It’s encouraging to hear stories of God at work. But while we celebrate what he is doing, we know he desires to do much more. His plans are bigger than what we are currently seeing, plans of great mercy waiting to be unpacked in our day. Being satisfied with simply tweaking, improving or adding to what WE are doing can keep us from reaching for the great things only HE can do.

We believe God desires to do much more in our day. This truth will grow in us as we pray it.

Stone #2: A fresh move of God is NEEDED

There are pockets of gospel advances – signs of fresh evangelism activity, new church plants, prayer initiatives, and a stirring of spiritual interest among the young generation. But these are dwarfed by the huge spiritual need and strong resistance to the gospel in many places. We need a fresh move of God in our day, a powerful breakthrough that carries the clear signature of the Lord, a work too big for any individual or agency to produce or take credit for.

We believe a fresh move of God is needed. This truth will grow in us as we pray it.

Stone #3: PRAYER is the urgent priority

The first Great Awakening in Britain and the British American Colonies happened in the slipstream of an 18^th century prayer movement. Not long after that, a fresh prayer movement in Britain and America birthed another powerful move of God, the second Great Awakening. In the mid-nineteenth century, a prayer revival began in New York City and spread to the UK and other nations. Less than fifty years later, the Welsh Revival began in prayer. In the revival in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, prayer was central to the move; new converts were immediately drawn into the ongoing prayer meetings. A revival historian has noted: There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.

We believe prayer is the urgent priority. This truth will grow in us as we pray it.

Stone #4: Revival draws attention to GOD’S GLORY

By reaching for revival, we show our longing for God to draw attention to his glory. In a revival, God has centre-stage; the spotlight is fully on what he is doing and what he is like.

God wants the knowledge of his glory to fill the earth (Hab 2:14). When he moves to revive and awaken, he does so for his honour.

We believe revival draws attention to God’s glory. This truth will grow in us as we pray it.

Stone #5: It STARTS WITH US

Prayer for revival is not just about asking God for widespread transformation and extraordinary harvest. We are giving him the green light to change us. Not just being willing to have a personal revival, but desiring it. The Lord’s reviving work will reshape our lifestyle, ministries and our doctrinal boxes.

It will be uncomfortable, even painful. But the reshaping will take us to new levels of freedom in Christ. We will lose the desire to go back to the way things were.

We believe revival must start with us. This truth will grow in us as we pray it.

Pray through the above five stones, one step at a time. Talk to others about these truths. Invite them to join you in the steps towards prayer for revival. Re-walk this prayer pathway until you are ready to start your journey of praying for revival.