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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 implemented emergency plans. As God looks at the state of our nation, we must think deeply about His evaluation of our land. If Scripture is any indication, He would tell us that we are in a state of National Spiritual Emergency. So what should we do?Simply go on with business as usual? Or should we agree about the nature of this dramatic problem, change our normal behaviors, and implement emergency plans? EXTRAORDINARY MOVEMENTS Throughout history, God has chosen seasons to “rend the heavens and come down.” These times of revival in the church and massive spiritual awakening among the lost are used by God to remind us of what heaven is like and to make His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. It is His great mercy that brings such times. When the church and a nation sink to desperate spiritual lows, the cry of our hearts should be for such revivals and awakenings. Richard Owen Roberts described revival as “the extraordinary movement of the Spirit of God among His people that produces extraordinary results.” God is at work everywhere all the time. But seasons of revival accelerate the movement of God, accomplishing in a matter of days or months what could not be accomplished in decades. There have been five nationwide seasons of extraordinary revival and spiritual harvest in America to date: The First Great Awakening, 1735–1742 The Second Great Awakening, 1800–1825 The Prayer Revival, 1857–1858 The Welsh Revival, 1904–1905 The Jesus Movement, 1969–1971 Notice that every 50–60 years in our history, God has graciously come in power to our nation, bringing the course correction we desperately need. The telling mark of these movements has not been just the change in the churches, but the rapid expansion of the gospel. Awakening implies that a man is in spiritual slumber, unable to find God. God in His grace quickens his heart, bringing him to an awareness of his sin, a deep desire for repentance, and faith to believe in Christ. In times of national spiritual awakening, this happens with stunning speed. SETTING OUR SAILS FOR REVIVAL. Campbell Morgan said, “We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” Humble, repentant, united prayer is one of the best ways to prepare our hearts for what God wants to accomplish through revival.

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 3 by James Pool, OneCry National Prayer Director “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 reminder of the rule that has been broken, and they sorrowfully repent. Others who are more strong-willed may require the application of the “rod” described above in Proverbs 10:13. I can testify through my own struggles as a parent that it is not always easy knowing the best way to discipline each child; but one thing I know with certainty is that our omniscient, loving God always knows the best method to use in bringing a sinful individual, church, city, or nation to repentance. We must begin by underscoring the truth that God’s fatherly methods are always just and timely. They are also easy to recognize because they are often birthed out of the very nature of the sins being committed. An example of this is found in Jeremiah 11:10-11, where God’s people refused to hear His words. Their remedial consequence was that God then refused to listen to them when they cried out to Him. One of the psalmists understood this remedial approach all too well when he penned in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” For Christians today, our failure to see prayers answered should push us to spend time with the Father, asking Him to reveal to us specifically if and how we may have failed to hear and obey His commands. We see a great example of God’s discipline in the life of the patriarch Jacob. With Jacob, his character was faulty in that he often cheated and deceived people, even his own brother and father. In order to help Jacob understand his sinfulness, God placed him in the midst of some very trying circumstances with Laban, an uncle who was also a deceitful man. After serving Laban for seven years, Jacob himself was deceived when Laban gave him Leah for a wife instead of Rachel, the daughter he truly loved. Laban then had him work another seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel (Genesis 29:16-28). Later in his life and after many other remedial lessons from the hand of God, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and God blessed him greatly (Genesis 35:9-15). Another great example can be found in God’s dealings with Miriam, Moses’ sister, when she and Aaron inappropriately spoke against Moses. God heard her complaining and disciplined her by immediately covering her with leprosy (Numbers 12:1-15). Aaron humbly confessed their sinfulness and asked Moses to pray for her healing, which he did. By God’s grace, Miriam was immediately healed but was kept away from others outside the camp for seven days. Notice in both examples that the purpose of God’s discipline is not cruelty, but correction. The father heart of God is correcting behavior, developing character, and cultivating righteousness, all the while demonstrating His faithfulness. In the New Testament, you see God continuing this fatherlywork of disciplining His wayward children.As we saw last month, there were some individuals in Corinth who were weak, sick, or who had died prematurely because they failed to examine themselves and repent before observing communion. Do you remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5? They both agreed to lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping for themselves some of the money they had pledged to give to the early church in Jerusalem. When confronted by Peter regarding the price of the land they had sold, both of them in individual settings lied about the amount and then fell at Peter’s feet and breathed their last (Acts 5:1-10). Were these disciplinary measures too harsh? In answering this question, we again have to realize that our holy, omniscient God knows whether or not we will repent. In protecting us from being condemned along with the rest of the world, hurting others, or harming the reputation of His holy name, God sometimes sees that it is better to just call us home to be with Him. Please don’t hear me say that every sickness or early death is the result of someone’s personal failure in repenting from sin. Many of the challenges we face with health, finances, relationships, and daily struggles are there because we live in a fallen world whose ways and activities have been influenced for generations by people who have been disobedient to God and His Word. Still, what should a Christian do when he thinks he may be facing some type of remedial judgment from God? The short answer is, exactly what Jesus and His first disciples preached on a regular basis. We should examine our hearts before God and His Word and repent when the Holy Spirit reveals to us our specific sins! More on that to come. Next month, we will explore what the Bible says about God’s discipline towardgroupsof Christians when their ways and deeds become sinful. Read Part 4: Does God Discipline Entire Churches?

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 2 by James Pool 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 revival, what you get is a caring, heavenly Father who loves His true children far too much to ever let them depart from the glory of His manifest presence with them. So what does He do when one of His children slips back into the kind of lifestyle where that child’s love relationship with God is not healthy or growing? What does He do as a Father when His children stop listening to Him and lovingly obeying His commands (John 14:21)? If you are like me, every time I disobeyed my earthly father, I was disciplined; and it would certainly appear in Hebrews 12:5-6 that God treats His spiritual children in just the same way. One reason God established the structure and authority of having parents as leaders in the home (Ephesians 6:1-4) was so that children would have a working, experiential model from which they could learn about the consequences of sin. It is within the context of this wonderfully designed model that an individual is to learn how disobedience and sinful attitudes always put a strain on the fellowship and joys that were intended to be experienced by family members who truly love each other. It is also in this same dynamic of family love where God, the only One who knows everything about us and is always right and just in His judgments, steps in as our heavenly Father to discipline us when we begin doing things that are harmful to our relationships with Him and others. Hebrews 12:8 even tells us that if we are not experiencing this remedial discipline from the hand of God, we are “illegitimate children and not sons.” So, what does God’s discipline look like? The Bible tells us that, before we actually become a child of God, the final discipline for sin is extremely severe: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Those who never receive this gift of having a relationship with God will forever “pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Being forever separated from the presence and love of God is by far the most severe, final discipline a person could ever receive for his or her sin. However, the good news for the true children of God, who have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3), is that God’s remedial disciplines—the kind of disciplines designed to help teach us God’s ways and conform us to the image of Jesus—are far less severe and are designed for correction instead of final, eternal judgment. Space in this article will not permit us to look in detail at the disciplinary methods of God, but in preparation for next month’s edition, we at least need to see what was happening to the Corinthian believers when God stepped in to bring remedial discipline on them. In the context of the Corinthian church’s inappropriate observance of communion, Paul wrote, Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world (1 Corinthians 11:27-32). Is it possible that you or your church could be under the remedial discipline of our holy and loving God? Read Part 1: It All Starts With God Read Part 3: When God Disciplines Individuals

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 1 by James Pool, OneCry National Prayer Director 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 examine some of the key facets of that for which so many are praying—revival and spiritual awakening! The best place to start is with God, for revival always seems to be present in His loving heart. Throughout the pages of Scripture, God is seen calling His children into an intimate love relationship with Himself. The Greek word for “know” used in John 17:3 expresses this so clearly; when Jesus was praying to the Father, He said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Knowing God and His Son is so much more than just discovering and agreeing that the biblical details about His existence, character, and actions are true. When this particular word for “know” is used, it indicates that at some point in time, a genuine love relationship between God and an individual begins and then continues growing and maturing throughout that person’s lifetime. God desires that both today and throughout eternity, His followers experience the same kind of personal intimacy with Him that He experiences with His own Son. Jesus again underscored this high level of intimacy when He said in John 14:20-21, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who . . . loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” And once again in His high-priestly prayer of John 17, Jesus continued accenting God’s divine plan of intimacy when He said in verses 22-23, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” The apostle Paul certainly understood this oneness with God. He defined the goal of this divine intimacy in Romans 8:29-30. “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” In other words, God is calling His children into this glorious love relationship in order to transform them into the image of His Son. When God’s called followers live in the fullness of this Spirit-filled relationship, like Jesus, they will bear the kind of spiritual fruit that proves them to be God’s children and brings Him the greatest amount of glory (John 15:8). So why is revival always in God’s heart? God so longs for this intimacy with His children that when they depart from Him through disobedient sin or neglect, He cannot idly stand by and watch His beloved followers hurt themselves or bring dishonor to the covenant relationship He has established with each and every one of them. In Psalm 85:6, the psalmist indeed asked the right question: “Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” For individuals and groups of Christians, God alone is the author of revival—the only One who can take earthen vessels and fill them anew with the treasure of heaven (2 Corinthians 4:7). Now, if all of this is true, and God alone is the One who brings revival into the lives of His children, how does He go about bringing this to pass? What does He do to get His children to cooperate with His plan? We’ll answer these questions in Part 2 of this series next month! Part 2 - God’s Discipline Flows from His Love

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 God to be a leader, David rejected God’s law and committed the heinous sin of adultery (see 2 Samuel 11). As damaging as that was, however, he could have spared his household and his kingdom many months of anguish had he simply been honest about his failure. Instead, he chose to hide, cover up, and deny his wrongdoing. He lied to Bathsheba, the woman with whom he had committed adultery. He lied to her husband, Uriah. He lived a lie before his people. He lied to himself by acting as if what he’d done really wasn’t all that bad, that he could get away with it, and that there would be no major consequence to suffer. Above all, David lied to God by attempting to cover his sin and refusing to acknowledge and confess it. Psalm 32 is David’s firsthand account of the process he went through to discover the profound joy of experiencing God’s mercy and forgiveness. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. For nearly a year David lived with God’s convicting Spirit pressing down on his soul. Being silent about his wrongdoing—refusing to confess his sin—only deepened David’s anguish. He deteriorated physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If it can happen to David, it can happen to us. We are as vulnerable to sin’s entrapment as he was and just as apt to try to conceal our failure. Refusing to be honest will reap the same rewards for us as it did for David. But here is the wonderful truth: We have another choice! As we read the opening verses of Psalm 32, we can almost hear the joy and relief returning to David’s spirit. When he finally let go of his pride, humbled himself, and got honest with God and others about his sin, heaven-sent relief poured over him. The weight of his iniquity was lifted, and his sin was carried away. That can be your experience, too. As this passage indicates, God is willing to “cover” (with the blood of Christ) every sin that we are willing to “uncover” before Him. If David could experience the freedom and joy of a restored relationship with God after committing such great sin, you can know that blessedness, too! Simply begin with the matter at hand—whatever sin God may be convicting you of, whether “large” or “small.” Remember, no sin is so large that God cannot forgive it; and no sin is so small that you can afford to keep it hidden. Do you need to pause right now and be honest with God about some sin or failure in your life? How blessed is the person in whose spirit there is no deceit!

Confession of our sin is a very important exercise. It should happen every day, because we sin every day. But there is great confusion about real confession. Biblical confession is not doing good works to get God to approve of us. It is also not a light, mindless recounting of our sins to make sure we get everything covered. The word confess in the Greek language means to “say the same thing as.” When a criminal confesses, he says the same thing that everyone else has been saying about his crime. It is honest agreement. But spiritual confession is more. It includes godly sorrow. It is not only saying the same thing God does about our sin, but having a broken heart that sees sin for what it really is and does with sin what God desires, which is to repent. Nowhere is this seen more vividly than in David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51, following his adultery with Bathsheba, which was exposed by his confrontation with the prophet Nathan. 1. Spiritual confession takes full responsibility. The natural response of our flesh when our sin is exposed is to find a way to blame someone else. David used personal pronouns thirteen times in the first six verses of Psalm 51. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me (vv. 2-3 NASB). If we are still shifting the blame to others or to our circumstances, etc., we have not yet come to see our sin as God sees it. 2. Spiritual confession relies on God’s mercy. No man can atone for his own sin. When we see the depth of our sin, we realize there is nothing we can do to make it better. Only God can forgive, cleanse, and restore. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions (v. 1). All of our sin was dealt with on the cross. When we see our sin, it breaks our heart for what we have done to Christ. When we see our sin clearly, we realize that our depravity is complete—that apart from God’s work, we will always sin, because we are sinners by nature and by birth. But it also fills our heart with gratitude, knowing that our sins have been dealt with by His sacrifice. God is eager and willing to forgive if we will turn to Him (1 John 1:9). 3. Spiritual confession sees the root of our sin. It is not merely external forces that have caused this. It is in us. I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me (v. 5). 4. Spiritual confession cries out for more than just forgiveness. When we see our sin rightly, we not only want forgiveness, we long for cleansing. We cry out to God to remove the sin and its roots from our lives forever. Create in me a clean heart, O God (v. 10). 5. Spiritual confession longs for a sustained life of obedience. If we are deeply repentant, we want to obey God fully in the areas where we’ve sinned. We long for a spirit that will help us persevere in the future so we do not commit the same sins. Where there was unwillingness to obey, we pray for divine grace to be willing to follow the prompting of God’s Spirit and the illumination of His Word. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me … and sustain me with a willing spirit (vv. 10, 12). 6. Spiritual confession longs for the return of God’s presence. When we sin, the greatest loss is the sense and help of God’s presence. For David, in the Old Testament age, that could mean that God would lift His Holy Spirit out of David’s life. For New Testament believers, once He enters, God’s Spirit will never leave us. But He can be quenched and grieved. Our sin pushes Him off the throne of our lives and takes control, and His work in us is momentarily stopped. To lose God’s presence is the greatest loss. Often, this loss is the warning alarm that awakens us and leads us to repentance. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me (v. 11). 7. Spiritual confession longs for useful ministry in the future. Every person was made to minister for God and to serve others. Sin corrupts this ministry and sometimes destroys it altogether. If we are truly repentant, we not only long for forgiveness and renewed obedience, we have a desire to be restored to ministry—to be able to praise the Lord in ways that speak of Him to others. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise (vv. 14-15). 8. Spiritual confession is fueled by brokenness. The brokenness David spoke of in Psalm 51 is not the mere crushing that comes from the circumstances of life. It is the spiritual surrender of one’s own will to the will of God. True confession isn’t penance for our sins (as some teach). God is not impressed by us trying to atone for our sins with good works. He is looking for a heart that is broken and surrendered to Him, understanding that forgiveness comes only from God’s mercy. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (vv. 16-17). 9. Spiritual confession leads to joy! When we genuinely deal with our sin God’s way, it does not lead to morose self-inspection, but to ultimate joy. We are saved from our sin, and joy floods our hearts once again as we experience God’s redeeming, cleansing work. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.… Restore to me the joy of Your salvation (vs. 8, 12). 10. Spiritual, personal confession leads to corporate revival. When God’s people begin to deal honestly with their sin, it opens the way for His presence and power to return. This is personal revival. And when His people are full of Him, it leads to the church doing its work among those far from God. This leads to spiritual awakening among those who do not know Him. In this sense, revival and awakening begin with personal repentance! David ended his confession with a prayer for God’s work to extend to his whole city. By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem (v. 18). If we are feeling distant and disconnected from Christ but we long for revival in our hearts, our families, our churches, and our nation, we must begin with an honest look at our own lives and a ruthless dealing with all that is displeasing Him and aborting His work. It is worth the time, and nothing will be restored to rightness and usefulness until we deal thoroughly with our sin. Making it personal: What sin has God put his finger on in your life? What immediate steps do you need to take to follow Him in obedience? What joys and freedoms will result from your honest confession?

Pursuing God There are certain things God plans to do that are not conditioned upon any response from man—steps He plans to take regardless of our responses. But there are many things He promises to us that are completely conditional. One of these is seeing and experiencing Him in increasing intimacy. Consider both an Old Testament and New Testament instruction: “To him who orders his way aright I will show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23 NASB).Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Both of these verses (and many more) remind us that God will not reveal Himself in greater intimacy to an individual who is not interested ... to someone who will not pay the price of holiness. This in no way implies that we can earn an audience with God by our works. We come into His presence (which we can do) because we have an introduction, through Christ Jesus, into this “grace in which we [now] stand” (Romans 5:1-2).But, we must COME. Those who see Him most clearly and deeply are those who long for Him; who pursue Him; who listen to His instructions for their lives and, by His grace and through the power of His indwelling Spirit, cooperate with Him.Why would God continue to reveal Himself to one who has no interest, who will not seek for Him while He may be found and call on Him while He is near? The Choice Is Yours If you sense that you are distant from God, He is not the One who has moved. And the instructions of Scripture are clear to us on the action that must be taken: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to You” (James 4:8). Pay attention to holiness. Be intentional about all that He has already said to you. Set aside deliberate time to fast, pray, and read and meditate on His Word. Be extremely careful about your obedience. And then, cry out to Him for greater intimacy. For as clear as His conditions are for you to see Him, they are clearly promised! He desires to reveal Himself to you more than you are aware, for He is a God of perfect love toward you. It is hard for our finite minds to grasp, but He longs for intimacy with those He created, and that includes you. He made you to walk with Him in the coolness of the day. It is only our prideful independence and willful disobedience that are aborting this intimacy. Responding in Prayer: Father, search my heart. Show me the ways that I have been negligent in pursuing intimacy with You. I cry out to You for the grace to seek You in holiness. Give me a heart willing to pay whatever price the joy of Your presence requires. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.

https://vimeo.com/37549858 There are a lot of good definitions of revival. My favorite is very simple: It’s when God shows up for church. It’s that very special time in a life of the people of God when they begin to experience the presence of Jesus Christ in a fresh new way. You might be thinking: Now, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to always be? That’s probably the case, but the truth of the matter is, most of us can go to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and never really experience the presence of Jesus Christ.The old revivalists years ago used to call it the “manifest presence of God.” It’s when God’s presence is suddenly made manifest in a fresh, new way. So if you are going to begin praying for revival, you have to understand what you are praying toward. You’re asking God to show up. You’re asking the Lord to step in, to do something that is out of the ordinary, that’s fresh, that’s new. Something that turns the church back to Jesus Christ.Understand, that is especially going to happen to you first as an individual. You are not merely praying for revival “somewhere out there,” for a bunch of other people. You start off by saying, “Lord, I need revival. More than anything else, I long to experience Your presence in a fresh, new way in my life.”So we begin to take the Word of God and make it a part of our lives. We turn to passages like Psalm 85: “Will You not revive us again?” Perhaps even start by saying, “Lord, will You not revive me again? Will You open my eyes to see You in a fresh, new way that causes me to be filled with Your love, Your grace, Your mercy in a way that changes not only me, but changes those around me?”Can you imagine what happens when thousands and thousands of us begin praying for God to show up in church? Does God often show up in your church? What can you do to create an environment where He is welcome and has the freedom to be God among His people? What changes might you need to make to the Sunday schedule, monthly calendar, or annual programming of your church? "Father, we ask You to come and be a part of our weekly church service. We don’t want to gather together in Your name yet be so inwardly focused that we miss Your manifest presence. Shine the light of Your Word on any practice, program, or process in our church that doesn’t bring You glory or help us in doing Your will Your way. In Jesus’ name, amen."

The Angers Bridge was constructed in the early 1800s and used successfully for many years to cross the Maine River in Angers, France. Until April 16, 1850. In the midst of a violent thunderstorm, 486 French soldiers were walking in cadence across the bridge. The combination of the swaying of the bridge in the storm and the powerful resonance created by the lock-step of the soldiers caused the suspension cables to snap, plunging 226 men to their death. To this day, military ranks break cadence when crossing a bridge so as not to risk such a disaster. The Amazing Power of Oneness From the beginning of time, God has illustrated that superhuman things can be accomplished when people move together in unity. Mere humanistic oneness threatened the direction of the world so much that God created disunity at the scene of the building of the Tower of Babel: The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6 NASB). The united, triune God made us in His image (Genesis 1:26). There is an inherent power in our unity. There can be a negative power, as seen in the united disbelief and rebellion of the Israelites that caused their entire nation to wander and die for 40 years in the wilderness: Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 14:1-2). But there can also be an amazing, positive power for good unleashed—as Jesus knew. Jesus’ Final Prayer We can know a person’s heart by what they pray. We are treated to the extraordinary privilege of hearing Jesus’ greatest prayer for us before His death. His one great burden? For the church to walk in oneness! I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me (John 17:20-23). When Jesus walked the earth, He moved in perfect unity with the Father, doing and saying only what He heard His Father tell Him to do (John 12:28). His oneness with the Father created a conduit for God to be brilliantly displayed (John 14:9). United with Christ The church is the body of Christ. When we are in sync with our Head, the life, power, and direction of Christ can flow through us in superhuman dimensions. God can be clearly seen. Can you imagine the picture that would be created and the power unleashed if the whole church in a city or nation would move in complete unity with the Father? When the church is united in revival prayer and God sends revival, His kingdom expands rapidly, and God is known and worshiped. The First Great Awakening is evidence of this. OneCry There is a reason we are joining together in one cry across America. It is based in clear theology and verified by historical illustration. It is the same call that was the precursor to the First Great Awakening. It is a plea for united intercession for the only thing that will save us in this desperate hour: a mighty visitation from God. What would happen if the entire body of Christ in America agreed together about our need for repentance? What would occur if we turned together toward God in humility and fervency? What if we interceded together for His mercy and grace? What if we united in one plea for revival and awakening? We would witness the astounding power of our God, unleashed through spiritual oneness.

Parents want their children to grow spiritually strong, yet many parents don’t feel comfortable training them to seek the Father in prayer. If you are struggling with raising up a praying family, here are some suggestions to help you! Step out in faith and learn to pray with and for one another. Be intentional about giving your children opportunities to recognize God’s presence in the midst of your family’s everyday life! If you feel uncomfortable with prayer, be committed to learning with your kids! Children do not have junior Holy Spirits, and it may surprise you how quickly they will welcome the opportunity to learn and grow in prayer. There is no greater thing than learning to worship, communicate with and listen to our Creator, our Father and our Friend! Here are some suggestions to help you on the way: Help your children to become aware of answered prayer. Tell them about the times in your life when God has answered your prayers. Encourage them to share when God answers their prayers – even if His answer is not what they wanted or expected. When you have other believers, especially missionaries and full-time Christian workers in your home, ask them to tell you about answered prayers they have experienced. Point out God’s answers to your children’s prayers – even the smallest requests. Help your children to see the beauty of God’s creation and thank Him for it. Do not miss opportunities to appreciate His handiwork around you. Take time to point out sunsets and beautiful flowers. Thank God for them right then. Whenever you see or hear about someone in need, take time to pray about it with your children. It could be something on the news or in the paper, or something you come across during the course of your day. Teaching them to pray when they see an accident or when you pass a homeless person could have a lasting influence not only on your children, but on those who are prayed for. Wrap family traditions or events in special times of prayer. For example, lay hands on the person with a birthday and bless him or her; thank the Lord for two things that you love about her, etc. When seated at the Thanksgiving meal, go around the table and have each family member pray about what he or she is most thankful for over the past year Pray blessings over your children. Lay hands on them at bedtime or at another time when they are hurting in some way, and pray scriptural blessings over them. Numbers 6:24-26 is a good one to memorize: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Teach your children to prayerfully put on the armor of God at the beginning of each new day (Eph. 6:10-18).Each of us needs to be aware that we are in a spiritual battle and that God has provided us with some very important spiritual equipment with which to protect ourselves and fight Satan. This can be done as a family, but do not ritualize it or make it a legalistic thing. Have family devotions and prayer time. While any time is good, early mornings before everyone goes separate ways is probably the best time. This will remind children that God will be with them throughout the day. Put together a family prayer journal. Place each family member’s picture in it, as well as pictures of your pastor and his family, relatives, unsaved friends, and neighbors. Pray through the album together, and encourage one another to pray individually on a daily basis for those represented. Teach children to keep a personal prayer journal. Here they can record personal requests, praises, and answers to prayer. Develop a missionary prayer notebook. Place prayer cards or pictures of missionaries your family and/or church support in a three-ring binder with plastic page protectors, colorful paper, etc. Include pages with pockets for recent newsletters, prayer needs, e-mail messages, etc. Pray through the notebook on a regular basis. Help your children make the connection between prayer and saving the lost. Pray together that the Lord of the harvest (Matt. 9:38) would send workers into His harvest fields. Adopt a people group to pray for – perhaps one of the unreached groups of the 10/40 Window. Pray for your people group daily, research its needs, and be open to what God will do through your family. Develop a family prayer calendar each month. Take turns, or do it together. Put each family event or activity on the calendar, so it can be prayed for. Go on a prayerwalk in your neighborhood. Pray for all the families that live around you. Adopt a leader to pray for. Adopt a local, state, or national political leader to pray for annually. You may wish to encourage the leader by letting him or her know your family is praying. Perhaps consider asking them if they have any specific requests. Participate as a family in prayer initiatives and/or events. National Day of Prayer (first Thursday in May), Praying Through the 10-40 Window, Collegiate Day of Prayer (4th Thursday of February), etc. Encourage your junior high or senior high school children to take part in See You at the Pole (student-led prayer 4th Wednesday of September).