Words blazed in my soul this morning with such force that I had to scramble to my feet to find paper. I’d prayed a few minutes earlier out on my front porch for true revival: for such a groundswell of souls saved that we’d have no earthly explanation, and for believers to be flooded by the Holy Spirit in such a way that our souls would be purified with a holy, selfless, unstoppable fervor. I have prayed those kinds of things before but this time I called upon the Lord with my whole heart to rip away this ceiling that seems to be over our heads. The Holy Spirit is moving with breathtaking force in parts of the world and in segments of the church. Why not among all of us?? And why not now? We love Him, too!
So many of our pastors, leaders, evangelists, and teachers are crying out for it. We see glimpses of it. We feel it pressing on the walls of many of our churches. The paint is beginning to crack. We sense a change coming. The roof shifting. We know the sun of righteousness is rising on a different kind of day and the horizon beaming with a new shade of color on young and old, on rich and poor. On all who would let Him lift their chins despite their sins, for our redemption draws near. I feel the stirring of a fresh work of the Holy Spirit in my own congregation and sense that He’s ushering us step-by-step and person-by-person and Sunday-by-Sunday to a place of open-armed willingness for whatever He would give us. For many of us who have felt the breezes of revival stirring, we can’t often define how the Holy Spirit is working or explain the difference between one gathering and the next. All we know is that there are times when we are left to say, “Only God could do that.” We taste it. It’s on the tip of our tongues but our throats are still parched. Our voices may be hoarse and our volume weak but, at the sound of His yes, the mute would find speech.
I cried out this morning for Him to remove the obstacles that hold us at bay on the damp edges of a mighty torrent of revival when, before us, is the deep. We have seen drops of rain but, if we’re willing to be honest, most of us know that we have not yet seen what the living Lord Jesus Christ is capable of doing when He has a mind to pour His Spirit out on millions and wreak the holy havoc of true revival with innumerable souls. We have blamed our government and every secular institution possible when revival has ever remained a matter between God and His own people in the pages of Scripture. They are not our problem. We point fingers at our pastors when many of them have nearly broken their backs trying to drag us to revival. We hold worship leaders responsible for our own small worship and say that it must be the songs.
My heart burns with a sense that part of this ceiling over our heads is our demand that God must bring awakening and revival within our means, keep our rules, and respect our boundaries. If Christ is to do what He longs to do, we must relinquish all our expectations and formulas for revival. Lest we think we can’t leash a work He’s willing to perform, the words of Matthew 13:58 and Mark 6:5-6 won’t peel off the gospel page. We keep getting together and rehearsing for a revival He’s not yet fully attending. Why?? Why does He wait?
I think one reason is that we are afraid for Him to do whatever it would take. We are scared of the uncertainty of revival. We don’t trust God with the work of His own Spirit. He might embarrass us. Or make us change our minds. God won’t work contrary to His Word but many of us must admit that it is not His Word we are worried about Him working contrary to. We are worried about Him working contrary to our tastes. We are worried that He will not use our methods. I said we. I have done the same thing. I want Him to work in a way that makes me feel comfortable. But maybe a true outbreak of revival is not comfortable. I don’t know. I can’t say I’ve ever seen what I believe God may want to do in our day. Meanwhile, numerous gatherings of believers dwindle and die or rust for the sake of routine. Generations are falling away as revival clings to our doorposts. It’s there. It’s close. But why won’t it come on in? We feel it. We hunger for it. Why does it delay? Perhaps there are many reasons why revival waits and we could write more blog articles and list the possible hindrances and deliberate over them and mull over them and debate them and exert more and more energy while we have less and less time.
Or maybe we could say today,
Lord, if Your time is now – and it’s the only time countless millions have – remove the obstacles, whatever they are. Shove them out of the way and COME, Lord Jesus, with a torrential downpour of Your Holy Spirit.
I’m just looking for anyone out there who would be willing to echo a prayer something like this one. I bring it to you in humility, lacking much, wanting much. I do not wish to put words on any tongue detached from a heart. Vocabulary is meaningless without volition. If this is not you and if these sins are not yours and these aches find no place in your soul, you are not who I’m talking to. But this is me and I wondered if it might be anyone else, for where two or three are gathered in His Name, crying out for a cracked-open heaven, that ceiling that we feel shifting over our heads could shatter to our feet. I’m tired of giving God an inch and expecting a mile. I want to go with Him wherever He’s going.
Most glorious all-powerful, merciful God,
Your Son died for more than these. We thank You for what You’ve already done but we beg You to do infinitely more. Look upon this ailing planet, pulsing with the hopeless, helpless, the hiding and the dying. You have willed that people would not die in their sins but be saved and redeemed through Your Son, Jesus Christ. You promised that the Cross was big enough for us all, with stakes pointed northward, southward, eastward, westward, reaching everlasting arms to the ends of the earth. We know what Your Word says You can do and we confess to You that many of us have not yet seen it with our eyes but we feel it stirring in our souls. Hosanna, Lord! Save now!
We who are willing confess to you our sinful arrogance. We have prescribed to You by what means You, the solitary Healer, should heal souls and You have refused to sign Your Name to our prescriptions. We say to You this day, write Your Name across our sky and bring revival! Save by whatever means brings You glory. Bring it any way You like but bring it, Lord. We free You from using our methods. We free You from using our denominational names. We free You from using our buildings though we welcome You to them. We free You even from using us, though we cast ourselves before You at Your complete disposal and beg that You would. Use none of us. Use all of us. Use whatever people and whatever means honors You most but do it, Lord. Please do it!
We confess to You our appalling narcissism in asking You to mirror us. We confess to You our over-sophistication and snobbery. We confess to You that we are terrified of Your Holy Spirit. We confess our pathetic arrogance for having forbidden signs and wonders when there could be no greater sign and wonder than a tidal wave of salvation rolling on our dry banks. Oh, Jesus, that we would not leave You to marvel that You could do so few miracles among us because of our unbelief.
We repent this day for not trusting You with what revival should look like. We repent this day from prioritizing our dignity over Your downpour. We confess to You that we have torn pages from our Bibles and handed them back to You and demanded that You work through what was left. We confess to You this day that the tent pegs of Scripture are vastly wider than our imaginations and our expectations.
Lord, if souls are saved by the thousands of thousands and millions of millions, we pledge to You this day that we will not, in our sectarianism, pick apart the process and reason how it was not legitimate. We are ready even if it’s messy. Even if, atop the beautiful feet carrying the good news, are bruised and broken bodies of willing evangelists.
Open Heaven. Rain down, Holy Spirit. We repent for having asked You to respect our boundaries. We bow now to Your boundless Spirit and make room over our lowered heads for You to fall upon us with power and might and a firestorm of Your great affection. You have loved us so. You have loved us well. Scar our hearts with Your Cross and love through us, Lord. Oh, Holy Spirit of the Living Christ, come without limit. We have known You were able but begged You to be willing. All the while, we have been disabled because we have been unwilling.
To what conceivable degree we could have held them in our hands, we turn the reins of revival back over to the Rider who is Faithful and True and we plead that You would not let them rest on the neck of that great horse but that You’d bid him run.
Whatever, Lord. Do what You want but do it now. Do it here. You have no peer. Make Your name glorious. Save now. We avail ourselves.
O God, I avail myself.
In the holy name of Christ our King. Amen.
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by.
I’ve sensed for a while now that there would be an unleasing of the Holy Spirit, that we were experiencing tricklings of his presence and power but it was being held back as if by a dam so that when the dam breaks it will release a surging flood and pouring out.
Powerful! In agreement.
Father God, I echo with Momma Beth and all my siestas… that You would indeed rain down Your Holy Spirit on the lost and EMPOWER the Holy Spirit within us!!! May Your glory fall fresh upon us and may Your Words be heard. May a Holy REVIVAL take place to prepare US, Your BRIDE for our Wedding. Then I would ask that You send Your Son, our Precious Lord Jesus to take us home!! We love you Lord and we NEED You now more than ever. Through the precious blood of Jesus and the power of the Indwelling Spirit I pray. Amen and Hallelujah
Redemption draws.
Relinquish your formulas.
Remove all these obstacles.
Repent appalling narcissism over-sophistication.
Revive us. We are ready even if it is messy.
Rain down, O Holy Spirit.
Love your rhetoric.
Love your heart.
Love the Beautiful God in you pouring out-Psalm 50:2.
Yesterday. I woke up and read Psalm 102 and prayed verse 13.
Arise! Have compassion on us, on our country like you write in this chapter.
Then a call came. Diagnosed with another cancer. Stage 0 was great news.
But I don’t want to suffer—who does? Hate the pain but love the hope that I hold.
May I be more concerned about the cancer in my soul and in this country.
Joining in prayer this fourth and forever for God to rain down His life. Deut 32:2
Amen and Amen! Do it, Father, to the praise and glory of Your great Name! As the dark gets darker, may Your light shine brighter in each one of us.
Thank you for sharing your heart and prayer! For the last 10 years several of us have met every Tuesday night, praying for Spiritual Awakening. Just like you mentioned we have seen some movements of the Holy Spirit. We have seen lines fall between denominations here in our city. Yet, we have not seen the great movement of the Holy Spirit we have prayed for.
Yes, I agree with every word you prayed. I join with you crying out to the Lord for HIS mercy and for Revival to come! For your glory LORD!
This is the cry of my heart as well, O Lord! Rend the heavens and come down. In Your great mercy, do whatever it takes to have us, the Church, bend our knee and abandon all to follow You.
Let it begin in me, today.
Oh, this is so the echo of my heart’s cry. Sensing His stirring, praying for a repentant heart, listening to hear His voice. Psalm 123
Praise you Jesus for articulating these words of truth for me, that my heart has only felt but was unable to express.
What a timely prayer.I have been feeling the same, though I couldn’t put it in words. Feeling stuck or rather as though I was hitting some strong resistance even as my heart cried out for more of GOD in my life and around me.
Open the heavens, LORD, and pour out Your Holy Spirit on us.
Thank you,Beth Moore and joining you as well in prayer!
My heart is just BURNING reading this. Yes! I will echo these prayers, standing in agreement, praying on my knees, humbly asking my Father to help me with my unbelief! I’ve sent this post to my kindle and printed a copy so I can re-read it and pray this prayer in agreement. Also posted on my facebook.
P.S. I lead worship with Erin Campbell Ministries and had the pleasure of hearing your brother’s testimony this past weekend. So excited about what God is doing!!
Lord, from hearts that break for those who suffer, truly suffer, Lord, we ask for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit across all creation. Open our eyes and hearts to see and receive and express Your love in this world at this time and forevermore. Stadiums are full of cheering crowds cheering for what is worthless in the kingdom economy…scoring points instead of loving souls. we really need Your Majestic Presence.
I must speak aloud Beth’s prayer and add my voice to the inspired words of this prayer.
We are grateful beyond mere words for the knowledge of You and the way you inspire Beth to teach millions of women.
God Bless her and all your people!
Amen
Oh, I echo the cry and ache of my heart to see and taste a fresh falling of His Spirit upon us. (In His way and His timing!!) Amen. Thank-you for putting it into words so we can express it to God. Come Lord Jesus.
Thank you, Beth, for putting into words what I have been feeling. Come, Lord Jesus! Pour Your Holy Spirit out on and over us. WOW us only if it brings glory to Yourself.
Thank You, Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer.
Rain down your Glory, my gracious Father! Let revival start with me.
A loud and resounding amen I echo this prayer – even now Lord I wait and watch with eager expectation! Do it Lord! In the awesome and mighty name of my Lord, Jesus Christ -Amen
Yes!! So well communicated!
I have heard the same in my spirit. Why do I hold back? What am I afraid of? Has He not always been faithful?
No one else, no other institution, group of people or any other excuse can stand in His way! Father, bring revival & let it start in my heart!
Amen and amen. May it be so. May I be willing. Lord, hear these words of confession and requests.
When I read your post Beth, this is what I thought of. The title of our message a couple of weeks ago was “Jesus, I need You.” Our pastor shared that many times we create our lives in such a way that we really don’t need Jesus. We have enough, we have excess and we don’t really need Jesus. I am doing the study of James and have come across this idea twice so far and it is that we need to need Jesus. Make us a people who need Jesus. Let us see our need for Jesus.
Oh so well said! Me too, Father. Purify MY heart, please make steadfast MY spirit. Help me to allow you full access, that those watching or even just seeing, may know You. In your life-saving, life-giving name I pray! Amen!
I managed to see all the donut chatter before reading this! The puns were getting cheaper by the dozen.:-)
In ALL seriousness… I am wholeheartedly in on this prayer. Totally, completely, with fear and trembling, I pray COME.
Cute little bit of sweetness: as I read your prayer and spoke it out loud, my little princess was watching parts of Narnia – Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. (We skip stuff that would mess with her four-year-old sensitivities.) She is obsessed with “Asland” and, as I was praying, she burst out in full voice, “YAY, ASLAND!”
The innocence of her cheer seemed perfect.
I’ve had the same longing for revival…such a wonderful prayer! Bring it, Lord, bring it! We’re ready!
On my knees with you echoing every word of this prayer my face flooded with tears, my heart about to burts with the urgency and the desperationof it. A flood of repentance coursed through me for where I have sought for my own glory and not His in the falling of His powerful Spirit. Thank you for leading us to His throne with such a bold and pleading resquest. May it reap an answer such that we are unprepared for but will change the landscape of our faith and the eternal destiny of many so that the halls of heaven will burst with joy.
All I can say is amen and amen. Lord whatever it takes whatever I need to change , be it so.
Praying for revival !
Amen!!Preach it sister! I am with you in this cry!
Pondering…praying…
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, Who Was, Who Is and Who Is to Come!”
Thank you Beth, for challenging us to seek Him for this great reward – Revival!
Stir up Your Church O GOD!!! Release Your Holy Spirit!!!
Consume us Lord, bring Your Fire afresh! Make Your NAME & GLORY Renowned!!!
so cries my heart and others I know. Jesus we need you so.
Amen and Amen. Come Holy Spirit Come. I renounce what controls my mind that isn’t of you. I acknowledge my self-deceipt. I submit to your authority and the authority you have placed over me. I forgive and release everyone that I may be harboring unforgiveness for – I choose to forgive. I take responsibility for the areas in my life where I am letting sinful influences slip in.. In your Son’s name and through the power of the Holy Spirit in me – rain down. pour out. We are desperate. We humbly and boldy cry out for you. We shall keep asking until we feel first your gentle rain, then your thundering rain and finally your awesome cooling and drenching down pour.
Living Proof Ministries,
This post speaks to my heart more than I can explain. This summer I am interning at a church in Fort Worth, and the Lord has put it on my heart to speak truth to leaders in the church regarding the heart and culture of the church as a whole-especially regarding the Holy Spirit. I think the Lord is preparing this church for a revival movement, and I’m so incredibly excited for it. He has moved many hearts of individuals in the church, and as an intern at the church I have felt a calling similar to Esther in the Old Testament-put where I am for such a time as this-to speak truth and love about experiencing God so that we as a church are able to love each other and others in the name of Jesus. It’s beautiful, but I am sometimes intimidated by the task I hear the Lord calling me to. I’d love prayer for this-for a meeting I am having with the leaders soon, for unity in the church, for soft hearts to receive this message, and for hearts to yearn for a movement of the Holy Spirit. This post was incredibly encouraging to me this week and I had to let you know. There are people hungering for the Holy Spirit. There are hearts broken and ready for the Lord to move. We long for it.
In Him,
Lauren
Father God – We are desperate for You…..hear the cries of Your sheep – – – take us to the still waters, so we can hear You…
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic” (Psalm 29:3-4.
You are God! Your promises are trustworthy!
May you find us faithful as we stand together, lifting up our praises & prayers ~
Yes, I am in agreement! Examining my own ways of unbelief! Forgive me, Lord!
“Unbelief is the great obstruction to Christs favours.”
~ Matthew Henry
“It’s living water we desire to flood our hearts with Holy Fire. Rain down, all around the world we’re singing…” and praying!
I am so guilty. Oh, let it be as Beth prayed. Lord, we need you; more than we know.
With tears in my eyes, I pray this with all of you. Please Lord, Please, Lord…hear our prayers!
That was so POWERFUL and BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Thank you my dear sister Beth for humbling me and I truly echo your prayers, ask for forgiveness and pray for WHATEVER IT TAKES! AMEN!!
I’m all in! Forgive me, Lord. Do your work the way you want to do it.
Come, Father God! Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Holy Spirit! Bring the downpour of your revival!
Passing this on and praying that many are moved.
Bless you, Beth!
Amen, Amen & Amen!!! Whatever it takes, whatever it takes, break us, break our hearts, LORD, open our eyes, remove the veil of pride & idolatry among your people. “Til I love like you love, like you love me, I love you…OH JESUS, ALIVE IN ME!!!” You ALONE are worthy of our worship…not ourselves, our comforts, our country, our politics, our flag…Take us through the wilderness if need be so that we are transformed and can again be used to YOUR glory, not for our own personal interests, but for what YOU want. Change starts with ME looking in my own mirror. Show me. Show us all who are seeking Your face with our whole hearts, Father. You are GOOD. Holy Spirit, move & course through every part of our being, in every crack & crevice until we undone to be used, motivated by pure LOVE for, with and by YOU. “You can take these dry bones, breathe life into this skin. You called me by name, raised me to life again. You move in the unseen, you set the captives free, as I stand and sing, You’re breaking the chains off me…OH JESUS, ALIVE IN ME!!!” In Jesus’ Name, it. is. so.
**Thank you again, Lindsee, for sharing that WORD several posts ago surrounding “Bones.”
Awesome! I’m in total agreement. Give Mama Beth a double portion, great God! Can’t wait!
Patti, Clemmons, NC
Lord, we have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your Power and Your Glory. Lord, we cry out to You, our magnificent Lord and Saviour. Come save us. Incline Your ear to our cry. Thank you Lord, that You always hear our cries. Turn hearts to You, O Lord. We are desperate for You! We need to hear from You. We need Your holy leading. Forgive us for self-complacency, seeking what makes us feel good, seeking our pleasure and comfort in worship and life, seeking to make a name for ourselves and our church, for seeking to serve our communities with the hope of pleasing men so they will be attracted to you. Lord, keep us from idolatry. Lord, empty us of ourselves; bring us to our knees in full surrender and obedience to you. Give us more love to You. Keep us from self-gratification and seeking our glory. May we only seek Your glory and Your honor. May we seek Your voice, and inquire of You and walk in ways – fully pleasing to You. Lead us to worship You in Your prescribed way, by the power of Your Spirit, that your Glory would dwell among us, and that we would be known as Your special people, people set apart for You, so all will know that we have been with the Lord and they will see You. Heal Your people, Lord. Incline our ears and heart to You. Teach us to rely fully on Your Holy Spirit. Teach us to rest and abide in You. Lord we cannot meet the needs out there. We cannot save. Lord, there is a hurting world out there, desperate for You. Many of our own children are not making it in the things of the Lord. Our children no longer know Your Word and what it means to fear You. Lord, open doors of ministry for us, where You choose. Show us where You are working so that we may declare Your Word. Give us wholehearted devotion to you and singleness of heart. Purify us. Sanctify us. Deliver us from a life of lesser things. Deliver us from worldly appetites which war against our souls, and prepare us for You. Lord, make us Your beautiful, fragrant and faithful Bride. Keep our eyes upon You. Thank you that you give your Spirit without limit. Open our eyes to be sensitive to Your leading. Don’t let us quench Your Spirit. Lord, prepare a people that You may use to bring reform. Many of our laws, no longer honor You. Be merciful. Build Your church. Bring revival to our land. We are now hurting our innocent children, O Lord. How long, O Lord?
O Lord hear! O Lord forgive! O Lord listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, My God, and for Your city and Your world, and for Your people who are called by Your Name. Come, Lord Jesus! Revive Your people. Sweep Your Holy Spirit across our lands. Make us Your Holy people for Your Kingdom and for Your glory!
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever, and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20)
What she said…..
With humility and whole heart….come Lord Jesus!
Move every obstacle…. Show me where I am that
Obstacle…..
Preach it GURRRLL!!
The words, “We don’t trust God with the work of His own Spirit. He might embarrass us. Or make us change our minds.” hit me right between the eyes. I have been realizing, shamefully, that I have had a shallow walk for a while. Thanks for hitting me up the side of the head -Beth. I am printing this out to read over and over.
I am so thankful for this post and all these comments! For a couple of years now I have been praying for revival in myself and in our communities. I have seen God making callings, but have felt so alone in this. So thankful to be able to read that there are more workers out in the field with me! This will continue to be my prayer until the day I get to see The Lord face to face.
Thank you for putting into words the cry of my heart.
<3
Here I sit reading what you have said Beth and reading others words as they have read and heard from the Holy Spirit. I can hear the rumble of The Heavens and desire to see Jesus and hear His breath. I smell His rain of cleansing close by. I pray I am where Jesus wants me when He comes and yearn in my heart others to meet Him and except Him before He comes. Lord may I give myself up so You can be You to them.
Amen, Please bring revival Lord and please allow me to join you!
Thank you, Beth so much for writing this. God has blessed you with a wonderful gift and I lift you up for protection, strength, and endurance.
as i can barely breathe – with tears streaming down my face – in resolute and steadfast agreement – amen and amen… “come… oh, lord jesus – come quickly!”
Yes!!! I pray every day for another Great Awakening. It stuns me to think that the Christians living at the time of the First and Second Great Awakenings (hundreds of years ago) thought that America was too far gone…to deeply entrenched in sin…for God to bring about revival. I fear that truly America is too far gone today, but I still keep asking….begging God to humble us, soften our hearts so we can turn to Him. My urgent plea is that He would pour out His Holy Spirit in ridiculous measure, drawing Christians to Himself in a more intimate way and drawing the unsaved to eternal life. Lord, Jesus, let it be!!!
Echoing this cry and this prayer! Send us a downpour into our spirits that will overflow to the world!
A profound prayer! Yes, Abba pour your spirit down on us. Oh, how we need you.
Oh LORD do it!!! In the matchless, incredible, all-consuming Name of Jesus Christ, please do it!!
May our hearts be tendered and ready for all that You will do among us. Let our hearts be open before You. You are AWESOME!! PRAISE YOUR NAME!! AMEN.