Revival - Do we Need to Pray for One?
I hear people say that the world needs a great “revival” and believers should pray for one. However, I find NO evidence in the Bible that believers are to unite to pray for revival.
What
believers ARE to do is to pray in “private”
and “by yourself” for the soon coming of
the kingdom of God .
“When you pray, don’t be like the
hypocrites who love to pray publicly…when you pray, go away by yourself, shut
the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private…like this: Our Father
in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your
will be done on earth, as it is in heaven...” (Matthew
6:7-13)
After praying that prayer, believers are simply to wait for King Jesus to come knowing that Jesus is the Savior of the world and trusting Him to do so. While waiting we are to mind
our own business and treat others as we would like for them to treat us.
“For the grace of God has been revealed,
bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless
living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom,
righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with the expectation of that
wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be
revealed. He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us,
and to make us His very own people, doing good deeds. These
things share with others.” (Titus
2:11-15)
“God Himself has taught you to love one
another…Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and
working with your hands…Then people who are not believers will respect the way
you live... the Lord himself will come down from
heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the
trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise
from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain
on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then
we will be with the Lord forever. So, encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians
4:9-18)
Only when King Jesus comes will there be a “spiritual awakening/revival.” Sometime after He comes, all humanity will be transformed from life in a perishable, mortal body into new, nonperishable, immortal, spiritual body. When finished, ALL humanity will have entered and seen the kingdom now in the heavens – the glorious kingdom of God.
“…our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who
Christianity
long ago abandoned their commission as ambassadors of Christ on this Earth in favor
of a self proclaimed commission to divide humanity into two groups – a few who join their churches group and go to
heaven, and the multitude who will be eternally separated from God and tortured
in hell.
In my experience
church “revivals” promote that division, ignoring the unity of the true good
news (gospel) that all of us, the just and the
unjust, the good and the evil, are destined to become one new humanity born again into the image of Christ Jesus. This unified humanity is the guaranteed result
of the blood Jesus shed on the cross to atone for, and take away the sin of the
world. Paul tells us that…
“The Son is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation…God was pleased to have all His
fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to
Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through the blood of His cross…the secret that was hidden for ages and
generations but is now revealed to His saints. To them God
has chosen to make known among the nations the glorious riches of this secret,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him,
admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present
everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians
1:15-28)
Again, institutional
Christianity does not need “revival,” it needs to repent and believe the good
news that Jesus has saved the world and will transform us into His image - and tell people about this good news. The teaching of the salvation of all
will set people free from religious division. Jesus told the Jews…
““If you cling to my
teaching, you are really learners. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Paul told all nations
that..
“It is for freedom that Christ has
set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a
yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
It is also my experience that presenting
the truth to the institutional churches brings reproach, just as it did for Paul. He
taught it anyway!
“This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance. To this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because
we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and
especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)