Back in 1720, the American colonies were in moral decline. Pastor Jonathan Edwards was greatly grieved by the condition of his church- the worldliness and dryness of his flock. He began to passionately pray for God to send revival.

One Sunday, God moved. Edwards was preaching his now-famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Suddenly, the congregation fell in a great repentance and conversion. People were saved. Lives were changed.

The revival swept through the colonies. Thousands came to know the Lord or renew their walk with Him. The culture was changed- jails sat empty, pubs were neglected. People kept busy with their churches, their families, their work, and their devotion to God.

Several preachers traveled through the colonies, used by God to carry the Great Awakening. One of them was George Whitefield. He preached some of his most famous sermons in Philadelphia near what is now called Independence Hall.

Benjamin Franklin enjoyed Whitefield and brought his friend, Lawrence Tribble to hear him. After a moving sermon, Tribble went home and wrote a poem describing the movement of the Great Awakening.

One man wakes, awakens another.

The second one wakes his next door brother.

Three awake will rouse the town and turn the whole place upside down.

Many awake will cause such a fuss, it will finally waken all of us.

One man wakes with dawn in his eyes,

Truly then it multiplies.

What if we all took this poem and made it a prayer? We could pray it for our country: That folks would wake with dawn in their eyes, that God would multiply an awakening, a revival!

One of my favorite journals is Revive Magazine. It is dedicated to personal revival and renewal with God.

Revive talks about 2 types of revival: 

1) little “r” revival: when God personally does a special work in one person’s heart that leads to humility, repentance, forgiveness, obedience, and fervent prayer

2) big “R” revival: when the Holy Spirit sweeps through an area, transforming communities, regions, even nations 

Sometimes, when a group of little “r” revivals happen at once, it is a sign that God is preparing to work in a church, city, and/or nation.

We can’t make revival happen, but we all sure need one (who doesn’t?). Our nation and our world could benefit from some supernatural Divine intervention. We can’t make it happen but can make ourselves available. 

A good project to take on would be to pray for God to give you a picture of what personal revival would be like. Ask Him, “What would my life be like if I experienced a personal revival?”

Paul felt it important to teach Timothy about prayer.

He told Timothy who to pray for and the types of prayer they needed.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.- I Timothy 2:1,2

Paul wanted Timothy to pray for:

1. Kings

2. All that are in authority

Who are the kings we pray for today?

1. Our president

2. Leaders of other countries as God brings them to mind (our country’s friends AND our country’s enemies)

How do we pray for them?

1. Supplication- ask God specifically for something you or others need from them (for instance, wisdom on ruling the country well, good decisions about the war or education policy)

2. Intercession- ask God specifically for things these leaders need (for instance, to walk with God, to know Christ, to live righteously, good health)

3. Give thanks for them and what they do- (whether or not you like a leader, we are to give thanks for them)

4. That they may lead our country and world in a way that we could live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.

How can you incorporate Paul’s prayer list into your life?

Bible mothers (like Hannah and Mary) often used Scripture verses when praying.

Please open your heart to God and pray a prayer from Isaiah 61 for mothers (and those who have mothers). There will be verses that pertain to your life right now- ask God to bring to life those verses for you. There will be verses that pertain to other people you know, ask God to bring those verses to life for them.

Prayer

Thank you, Father- Sovereign Lord, that you sent your Son, Jesus- the Anointed one.

Gratitude:

Moms blessing- We are poor in spirit. Thank you, Jesus, for being our good news. You are the Good News that has given us hope and healing, life and blessing, gifts and responsibilities. Please give us a mind that remembers you always.

Intercession:

Moms who have pain regarding their families-

Lord Jesus, we lift up Moms who are in pain about their loved ones. They are hurt as they watch their families experience broken hearts, or captivity to sin, or spiritual darkness. You came to bind up those broken hearts, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for those prisoners. We ask you, Lord, for these things for our families.

Those who wanted to be a mom but are not-

I pray that this be the year of Your favor, Lord, that You will enlighted their eyes to see their spiritual motherhood and comfort their hearts with your love. May you give them the oil of joy instead of despair.

Moms who have seen injustice or persecution this year-

Father, there are mothers who experience things that don’t seem just. There are single moms who have to make major decisions alone, tend to sick children without help, and deal with systems that are not fair. There are moms whose children need extra help and assistance who have fought and fought for that child with little avail.

Jesus, you came to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God. I ask your favor and justice for these moms.

Moms who have suffered a loss-

Lord, we lift up the mothers who have suffered loss- either from death or relationship struggles.

Jesus, you came to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve.

Would you give them your great comfort and help them to rest and heal in your love?

Please give them the oil of joy instead of mourning.

Moms who struggle to see themselves as You see them-

Jesus, you know our enemy tries to steal from women the truth about your love for them and their lovability. Satan tries to fill their hearts with shame, blame, and guilt.

But you came to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.

Lord, I ask you to help mothers and all those who have mothers to know:

Instead of shame: a double portion of your love and grace

Instead of disgrace: an understanding of their inheritance of life and power in your kingdom.

And everlasting joy as your chosen child.

Those who have pain regarding their moms-

Lord, there are those who have unfinished business from childhood and great pain because of mistakes and sin that parents have made.

Jesus, you are Redeemer and Lord. Please give them a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair. Heal them and set them free from the pain and harms of the past. Give each one your great life and love.

Moms who need to know how to pray regarding their families-

Father, please give each mother a Scripture to pray for her family. Lord, I ask this verse to become life to each person here:

They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

Prayer for moms to receive and remember their calling-

Lord, in the midst of day-to-day survival, we often forget that you have a genuine calling for each of us. I ask for an openness in our hearts towards Your will, a sensitivity to see Your power and authority in our lives, and an abundance of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our character.

I ask that you help us see ourselves as:

Rebuilders of the ancient ruins

Restorers the places long devastated;
Renewers of  the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations

That we could be called priests of the LORD,
That we could be named ministers of our God.

Prayer for us all to have a heart of praise-

Jesus, will you help us live and love You so that:

All who see us will acknowledge
that we are a people the LORD has blessed.

¹⁰ That we delight greatly in our LORD;
Our souls rejoicing in our God.
For he has clothed us with garments of salvation
and arrayed us in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Amen.

Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down. -John Wesley

There are so many needs and so many hurts in the world around us. There is so much injustice.

While you are fasting, ask God what prayers you are to pray for the hurting, needy, and the voiceless.

Seek God on behalf of them. Ask God for Scriptures you can pray for them, also. Watch for God’s mercy…

I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world.   -Bill Bright

This quote is from the Awake21 Devotional Guide.

Can you imagine what it would be like

-          to help set off a spiritual atom bomb?

-          to destroy strongholds of evil?

-          to usher in great revival and spiritual harvest around the world?

As we calibrate ourselves with God and His will through fasting, watch for opportunities for tactical prayer. Tactical prayer is, prompted by the Holy Spirit, a prayer of spiritual warfare against the work of Satan on earth AND a prayer for the move of God on the earth at the same time.

Are there strongholds of Satan’s work in your life?

Are there areas where you desperately need God’s grace so that you can grow?

Are there areas in the culture around you that are held by Satan?

Are there areas in the culture that you’d love to see come under the Kingdom of God?

Fasting is the boot camp and the first battle for these. As you fast, lift up to God each area you need to see God’s work. Pray fervently for His intervention.

²For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior   (I Timothey 2:1-3 biblegateway.com)

Intercession simply means “to pray for someone or something”.

We are given the honor of praying for some very important things- our nation’s leaders and anyone who is in an authority position over us.

It may seem kind of weird- praying for folks we don’t know and never see. However, God, in His wisdom, has arranged His universe so that our prayers are part of what happens.

In other words: If we don’t like what we see in Washington- it is our job to pray for our President, VP, Congress Members, and Judges.

It kind of follows the old saying, “Don’t just stand there- do something!” In our nation’s case, a frequent “Do something” should be prayer for our leaders.

How do you pray for our leaders?

I came to know the Lord when I was in my early 20’s. It was the 1970’s and the world itself seemed to be falling apart. I know I was falling apart. Years as a lost and lonely hippie had gained me nothing useful, but rather a very messy heart.

As a baby Christian, I was on fire for the Lord, but stuck in many of my own personal hang-ups. The, during one of those strange and wonderful times (you have probably had those moments, too) several speakers in several settings.talked about II Chronicles 7:14.

It says:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

At that same time my church joined 4 other churches for prayer meetings. We basically began to pray.that scripture. We began to humble ourselves in prayer and seek God’s face. We repented of things the Holy Spirit would reveal and ask His help and healing from those faults.

I don’t know how long we prayed. Maybe a couple of years. But suddenly, God visited in a powerful way. Genuine revival hit. Lives were transformed and seekers filled our churches till we were overcrowded.

Those are memories I will always treasure.

II Chronicles 7:14 is a good place to start for our own personal lives. We all need healing. So does our nation. Would you like to join me in prayer?

Luke 22 tells the story of the Last Supper. Jesus and his disciples were having one last meal together- and it was an important one, the Passover.

While they shared bread and wine, He told His friends that those things were His body and the blood of the new covenant that he was making.

His friends knew the significance of the Passover; it was a remembrance of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Now Jesus was giving them symbols of our deliverance through Him from slavery of sin.

Within moments of this awesome, historic moment, the disciples had embroiled themselves in an argument over who would be the greatest. Jesus chides them and points out that serving is more important than leading.

Then he looks straight at Peter and says (thanks The Message Bible and biblegateway.com):

^31-32“Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”

Jesus was worried about all his friends, especially Peter (and as you know, He was spot on- Peter denied him soon afterwards).

What did Jesus do when He worried about Peter? He prayed.

If Jesus prayed for His friend when He saw trouble coming, do you think it would be a good idea to pray for our friends? How do you pray for those you love?