Ever since Adam and Eve first disobeyed God, the tendency to cover our sin has been a part of our sinful human nature (see Genesis 3:7–8). We don’t have to be trained how to hide or pretend—it comes naturally. Even after we are redeemed in Christ and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, we often battle the urge to deceive. But God cannot bless or revive a heart that refuses to acknowledge the truth. King David learned this lesson the hard way. Though handpicked by Go

Don’t waste the gift of time. Why not pause each day and pray for 30 minutes? It could turn some idle time into eternally productive time. Here’s how ... 5 MINUTES: Pause and look up to God; read one of the psalms. Step into the Lord’s presence in prayer; calm your heart in His presence. Walk into the throne room and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father. 5 MINUTES: Look up at God and praise Him for who He is—for His nature and character. Think of everything He has

Those of you who know me well or follow me on social media realize how much I love Lake Michigan. The views are spectacular. The beaches are amazing. The sand dunes are some of the most plenteous in the world. And the sunsets are blazingly magnificent. Yet something has been happening gradually over the past thirty years. Inch by inch, the water level has been climbing, until it is now the highest in recorded history. Because of this, the forces of nature have destroyed beach

University of Georgia students gave their lives to Christ earlier in April after being baptized in pick-up trucks in a parking lot. Unite Georgia brought together thousands of Gen-Zers for worship, prayer and personal testimonies. Some students were so moved by the prayer service that they decided to get baptized in the beds of pick-up trucks nearby. "I just heard the call from the Lord, and he said, ‘Be obedient,'" student Nate Kearns, a junior who was baptized, told "The I

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 6 Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD (Joel 1:14 NASB). I have met a number of precious pastors in my lifetime who really struggle emotionally and mentally when their church attendance numbers begin to decline and they realize that the powerful, manifest presence of God is no longer being experienced by their congregatio

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 5 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17 NASB). Have you ever noticed how the spiritually dynamic (and often first-recorded) messages of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-2), Jesus (Matthew 4:17), Peter (Acts 2:38), Paul (Acts 17:30), and John (Revelation 2:5) all contain a powerful focus on one key word? What do you think it is? Would love be that often-repeated word, since God

Written by Bill Elliff Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim.… Then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God (2 Chron. 5:7, 13-14 NASB). I am overwhelmed this morning with this picture. Lose your familiarity wit

Longtime Presbyterian minister Dr. Wilbur Chapman (early 1900s) was 26 when called to be pastor of Wanamakers Church in Philadelphia. His first Sunday, an old gentleman came up to him and said, “You’re much too young to be the pastor of such a fine church as this.” Chapman thought the guy was a kook. The older gentleman went on to tell him that he and another gentleman had decided to pray for him—that the Holy Spirit’s power would fall on him each time he stepped into the pul

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 1 Have you ever tried describing the unique beauty of a precisely cut, high-quality diamond? With every turn of the gem, a new facet of light and design emerges. This same experience happens when we look intently at biblical and historical revival. For the Christian, every view of God’s supernatural work in reviving His children reveals an inspiring glimpse into His compassionate glory and power. Over the next several months, our goal is to e

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 2 Have you ever noticed that everything about Christianity is relational? Personally, I believe this is one of the main reasons Jesus taught His disciples to view and refer to God as “Father” when they prayed. When a person genuinely begins a love relationship with God by believing in Jesus and following Him as Lord of their life, that individual becomes God’s child (John 1:12-13). Now, when you put this biblical reality into the context of r

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 3 “On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding” (Proverbs 10:13 NASB). Loving parents often use a number of disciplinary approaches in helping their children overcome willful disobedience. Sometimes, the method used depends on the nature of the child and what it will take to see that particular child repent and change their ways. Some children only need a clear, strong, verbal remin

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 4 “Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them” (Ezekiel 36:19 NASB). Prior to COVID-19, statistics tell us that 74% of America’s churches were stagnant or declining in the area of church attendance. The largest evangelical denomination in the United States has been reporting an annual decline in church baptisms for the past nine years. Weekly chur

Adapted from Simply Prayer (copyright 2020), by Bill Elliff. Used with permission. A National State of Emergency is a governmental declaration which usually suspends some normal functions of executive, legislative, and judicial powers; alerts citizens to change their normal behaviors; or orders governmental agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. In response to COVID-19, every nation suspended normal functions, alerted citizens to change their normal behavior, and

> This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9–10,13) Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the sain

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I believe that one of the most powerful, transformative prayers that can be prayed in any circumstance, is the heart of the Lord’s Prayer (often called the Disciples Prayer or the Model Prayer): “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). As I was praying this one day over a particular situation, I sensed from The Lord that this was an invitation for an invasion. An invasio