Theology of Prayer and Revival

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,

and put away your indignation toward us! ...

Will you not revive us again, 

that your people may rejoice in You?

Ps 85: 4, 6.

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting and talking at length with a long-time leader within my denomination- the Christian Reformed Church.  His emphasis has been on the topic of prayer, and its importance for evangelism.  I could not agree more with him!  Prayer and effective outreach are directly related.

While talking, I mentioned that in my opinion, some of the younger leaders within the CRC have abandoned our very biblical theology in favor of strategies, gimmicks, and social justice as the means of "growth and outreach."  I shared that I believe this emphasis change by these folks is a huge mistake!  

Why?

I grew up in a mainline Protestant denomination.  The path these folks think will bring renewal and new converts is nothing more than a well-worn and well-documented path taken by the mainline denominations.  It is amazing how it works 0% of the time, but the way of fallen humanity is to continue to try it.

Anyway, the point of the conversation was to get this man's perspective on the CRC and how it has moved and functioned in the past forty years.  As an invited in outsider and American Church historian, I see a clear path toward losing people, churches, and about two generations of young people from the denomination.  Why is this happening?

This man shared an interesting insight.  He discovered that our denomination had a great theological foundation, but we lacked a biblical and invigorating theology of prayer.  As a result, many people who are brought up in the CRC take their great theological education, and they move to churches where their theology can be wed to their practice.  

In particular, they move to where biblical and Reformed theology meets dependent prayer and passionate outreach.

Again, I could not agree more with this assessment.  My prayer and passion is to see the CRC experience authentic revival.  I want to see America experience authentic revival.  I want to see God's Kingdom grow by leaps and bounds throughout the world.  In fact, I am willing to give everything to see this happen!

Here is the problem with the CRC.  If dependent prayer, listen prayer, intimate prayer is always an antecedent to true revival and we do not have a cultural tradition that emphasizes dependent, listening, intimate prayer, how can we proceed to authentic revival?  

In other words, what we need is not "Will you not revive us again," but we need, "Lord please revive us for the first time!"

Such a task is way beyond me.  It is beyond any "denominational plan."  We need grace!  We need to repent and believe in the God of revival and transformation!

If this man is right, and I think he is, we need an entirely different framework to understand how God works.  We need to let go of our control and fear of the Holy Spirit's work in revival.  We need to begin an emphasis on prayer and revival from our seminary, our denomination, and our current leaders.

I think it is starting.  I pray it is starting.  I ask that it begin with me if need be!  

Lord have mercy.  Give us a fresh outpouring of the Spirit so we can match with our excellent theological heritage an experiential knowledge of You that propels us outward in evangelism and all of life.