What Are We Missing?

That was the question posed by Larry Lane, National Director for the Journey to Transformation, at yesterday’s meeting of America’s Prayer Meeting Movement. And a follow-up question: “Why aren’t we seeing a genuine Holy Spirit breakthrough in America?” I first became burdened for this in 2017 when I attended the Fusion Conference at The Cove. Over 300 praying Christians fell on their faces before God in true brokenness crying out for revival and the next Great Awakening. Larry’s question triggered that memory.

As often happens, at least to me, desperation and urgency tend to dissipate into a lack of fervency and sad to say, resignation to the way things are. I even added a text box: “Lord, has America gone too far? I pray not! Please send a mighty Revival! Let Awakening come! 11/21/22.” I cannot erase this desperate need from my prayer list, but (can I be honest?) the “travail” is gone. Travail? Yes, travail, that heads-between-our-knees-kind of praying that won’t take “No” for an answer. Hear me, no one can sustain that level of intensity indefinitely. At best, it is periodic. It’s not that the need has gone away. Things have only gotten worse. Help me, Jesus, have I given in to discouragement? Have I allowed myself to grow weary in well-praying? Seeing no immediate answer did I put the request on the back burner so to speak?

Could this explain why so many of us have given up on revivals? We scheduled them and six months later we were worse off? Did we allow satan to convince to buy his lies? So we quit! Larry then told us that “Repentance is the foundation for deep breakthrough,” especially after “Systemic Sin” is revealed. Of all places, he took us to Acts 6 and the systemic neglect of widows. The Church reesponded by choosing seven deacons to correct a systemic problem (the neglect of the widows). “Systemic change” opened the door to real change. Once they removed the things that hindered prayer and the ministry of the Word, the result was “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).

There is overwhelming need for individual and corporate repentance. The nation that started out trusting in God, no longer does. National repentance is needed. God is ready to respond. He told the Israelites, that the 70-year sentence to exile would not be shortened, but even the punishment would go easier if they would turn their hearts back to their merciful and compassionate God. There is no hope of reprieve until there is return and repentance. In the immortal words of Bud Robinson, “Not many people continue long, sinning every day and repenting every night; for pretty soon their sinning will stop their repenting or their repenting will stop their sinning.”