How to Have a Real Revival Prayer Meeting — Harold Vaughan

Revival as Refreshing from God's Presence

Psalm 85, verse 6, "'Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?'. I don't think there's any doubt about it, that the great need today is a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

Extraordinary Prayer and Visible Union

We need a time of renewal, a time of revival in the individual life, as well as in the corporate life of the church. Jonathan Edwards said, "'To have revival, we must promote explicit agreement and visible union in extraordinary prayer.'".

To have revival, he said, we must promote explicit agreement and visible union in extraordinary prayer. You know, extraordinary prayer is any kind of prayer that you're not accustomed to doing. D .L. Moody said that every revival has begun with a kneeling figure.

Repentance and Prayer Rather Than Human Programs

You know, we've done just about everything in America to have revival. We programmed, we planned, we promoted, we persuaded. We've done just about everything, I think, except the main thing, and that is repentance and prayer.

Defining Revival as Spiritual Vigor

Now, there are many concepts of revival in our nation today. When you talk about revival, some people think you're talking about a scheduled series of meetings with a high-powered evangelist imported.

Yet others, when you talk about revival, they think you're talking about a great number of baptisms and additions to the local church. Yet others think that revival is a lament by believers that no one seems to be living the Christian life, including themselves.

There are many concepts and many definitions of revival, but perhaps a better definition of revival would be a new surge of spiritual vigor in a comparatively compact period of time, which makes Christians joyously sensitive to the Lord Jesus Christ and his cause.

I believe that's a good definition of revival. Now, we're here today to talk about how to have a real revival prayer meeting. You say, well, Brother Harold, why do we need revival? We've got new buildings, we have missionary enterprise, we have seminars, we have all kinds of crusades, all kinds of things, why do we need revival?

The Church's Need for Revival

Well, I believe revival is needed in the best of churches because every sin that's apparent in the world is apparent in the church. You know, we have the worst of sins in the best of churches. Consider the breakup of the home.

You know, the statistics just about in the church just about parallel the statistics in the world. What about the apathetic condition in which our nation has come to? What about not only are we having a hard time changing our communities, but we're having a hard time changing the people that attend churches every week.

You know, not only are we having difficulty reaching young people, but even now we are losing our own children. I believe we need revival. And I don't believe that the nation will ever come back to God until the church comes back to prayer.

The Church as a House of Prayer

The Lord Jesus said, my Father's house shall be called a house of prayer. Jesus' central definition of the church is that it is to be a house of prayer. Jesus' central desire for the church is that it be a house of prayer.

The Glory of God as Revival's Proper Motive

Now, why do we want revival? Why do we want revival? I believe there are many wrong motives for revival. Some say, well, if we had revival, then we would have increased attendance. And that very well may be true.

Others say, well, if we had revival, then we'd gain a reputation in the community. Others say, well, if we had revival, then that would mean financial prosperity in the church. But I believe these are wrong motives for revival.

You know, there's only one proper motive for revival, and that is the glory of God. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the prayer for revival is ultimately a prayer based upon a concern for the manifestation of the glory of God.

The prayer for revival is ultimately a prayer based upon a concern for the manifestation of the glory of God. Now, that's the proper motive for revival. Someone defined revival as God harvesting souls through a praying church.

Revival's Spiritual Marks and the Need for God's Touch

R .A. Torrey said, if you want to have revival, let five or six Christians get thoroughly right with God. You know, revival is when God visits His people and gives them a hatred for sin, a love for God, a burden for souls, and a zeal in the service of the Lord.

Why Revival Has Been Absent

Now, why have we had no revival? I'm sure there are many explanations and many reasons for that in our nation, in the life of the local churches of America, but why have we been so long without a touch of God?