R A
TORREY ‘How to Pray’
THE
NEED OF A GENERAL REVIVAL
"Wilt
Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?" (Ps. 85:6)
If we are to pray aright in such a time as this, much of our
prayer should be for a general revival.
The man who believes in God and believes in the Bible can never be
discouraged; but it is a time for Jehovah Himself to step in and work. The intelligent Christian, the wide-awake
watchman on the walls of Zion, may well cry with the Psalmist of old, "It is time for Jehovah to work, for
they have made void Thy law." (Ps. 119:126, Am.R.V.)
The great need of the day is a general revival. NEW LIFE FROM GOD--that is a revival.
·
A general revival is a time when this new life from God is not
confined to scattered localities, but is general throughout Christendom and the
earth.
·
We have had local revivals.
The life-giving Spirit of God has breathed upon this minister and that,
this church and that, this community and that; but we need, we sorely need, a
revival that shall be widespread and general.
The RESULTS OF A REVIVAL are apparent in ministers, in the church
and in the unsaved.
1.
The results of a revival in a minister are:
(1) The minister has a new love for souls.
(2) When true revivals come ministers get a new love for God's
Word and a new faith in God's Word.
(3) Revivals bring to ministers new liberty and power in preaching
2.
The results of a revival on Christians generally are as marked as
its results upon the ministry.
(1) In times of revival Christians come out from the world and
live separated lives.
(2) In times of revival Christians get a new spirit of
prayer.
(3) In times of revival Christians go to work for lost souls.
(4) In times of revival Christians have new joy in Christ.
(5) In times of revival Christians get a new love for the Word of
God.
3.
But revivals also have a decided influence on the unsaved world.
(1) First of all, they bring deep conviction of sin. (John. 16:7,8).
(2) Revivals bring also conversion and regeneration. The first result of Pentecost was new life
and power to the one hundred and twenty disciples in the upper room; the second
result was three thousand conversions in a single day. It is always so.
WHY A GENERAL REVIVAL IS NEEDED
1.
Look first at the ministry.
(1) Many of us who are professedly orthodox ministers are
practically infidels.
(2) Even when our ministers are orthodox--as thank God so very
many are!--they are oftentimes not men of prayer. How many modern ministers know what it is to
wrestle in prayer, to spend a good share of a night in prayer? I do not know how many, but I do know that
many do not.
(3) Many of us who are ministers have no love for souls. How many preach because they MUST preach,
because they feel that men every where are perishing, and by preaching they
hope to save some? And how many follow
up their preaching as Paul did, by beseeching men everywhere to be reconciled
to God?
2.
Look now at the church:
(1) Look at the doctrinal state of the church.
(2) Look at the spiritual state of the church.
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Worldliness is rampant among church members.
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Prayerlessness abounds among church members on every hand.
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Neglect of the Word of God goes hand in hand with neglect of
prayer to God. How many Christians
average an hour a day spent in Bible study?
·
A lack of generosity. The
churches are rapidly increasing in wealth, but the treasuries of the missionary
societies are empty.
·
Then there is the increasing disregard to meet together on Sunday. It is fast becoming a day of worldly
pleasure, instead of a day of holy service.
·
Christians mingle with the world in all forms of questionable
amusements.
·
Then how small a proportion of our membership has really entered
into fellowship with Jesus Christ in His burden for souls!
3.
Now look at the state of the world.
(1) Note how few conversions there are.
(2) There is lack of conviction of sin.
(3) Unbelief is rampant.
(4) Hand in hand with this widespread infidelity goes gross
immorality, as has always been the case.
·
Look at the legalized adultery that we call divorce.
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Immorality found in the theater.
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Much of our literature is rotten.
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Art is oftentimes a mere covering for shameless indecency.
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Greed for money has become a mania with rich and poor.
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The moral condition of the world in our day is disgusting,
sickening, appalling.
THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN REVIVALS.
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The first great revival of Christian history had its origin on the
human side in a ten-days' prayer-meeting.
(Acts 1:14.)
·
The result of that prayer-meeting we read of in the 2nd chapter of
the Acts of the Apostles, (2:4)
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Further on in the chapter we read that three thousand were added (
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This revival proved genuine and permanent. (2:42, 47)
The great need of to-day is a general revival. What then shall we do? Take up the Psalmist's
prayer, "Revive
us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee."
Take up Ezekiel's prayer, "Come from the four winds, O
breath (breath of God), and breathe upon
these slain that they may live."