The following is the text of a letter (slightly edited) which I recently sent to a few other members of our church...
Dear . . .
I recently talked with each of you about the possibility of us getting together as a group to pray. I know that along with myself, God has given each of you a heart to pray for the revival of the Church. It's one thing for us to be praying individually, and we should be doing that, but I feel that we're separated (~ Nehemiah 4:19), and this is a time for us to come together as a group, so we might be seek the Lord and be that house of prayer for all nations which God desires ~ Zechariah 12:10-14; Isaiah 66:6-9.
Earlier this year the name of the Rev. Edward Dorr Griffin resurfaced for me. Griffin was a pastor in the eastern/northeastern U.S. during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Griffin experienced several revivals of religion during his lifetime. I've continued to reflect on these words for several months now:
In his early ministry, Dr. Griffin was subject to seasons of deep mental depression. He would sometimes come from his study in much distress, complaining to his family that he could not study, and that his sermons were "so flat," that nobody could hear him. But, when emerging from this gloomy state, his mind would act with unwonted vigor and success. In these seasons, he did not enjoy his usually comforting evidence of personal piety. In a letter dated December 18, 1813, to a young minister of his acquaintance, he says: — "I am interested to know what God has done among the people of your charge. From the trials with which he was exercising your mind in August, I concluded that he was preparing you to do something more than common for his holy name. In former years, I used statedly to have those trials before revivals of religion; and, before that in which you were born. I wholly gave up my hope for a time." It was about that period that he invited a few choice members of his church to meet in his study every Thursday evening, for the single purpose of praying for a revival of religion. As their interest increased, he called in others, till the meeting consisted of six or eight. It was strictly private, and, as he afterward assured me, became a scene of earnest wrestling. "If any one," said he, "had come in with a cold heart, it would have been like throwing water upon the fire. This small-company continued thus wrestling week after week, unknown to the church at large. Nothing, externally, indicated any unusual tokens of the special presence of the Holy Spirit for two or three months. But the time had come when those prayers were to be answered, and when God was to be seen as a prayer hearing God.''
~ from "Recollections of Rev. E.D. Griffin, or, Incidents illustrating his character" by Parsons Cooke (1855), 117-119.
My primary purpose is that of Griffin's: to facilitate and to encourage one another in our "praying for a revival of religion." And by "choice members," I think all of us would humbly agree there is nothing at all choice about us, except the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has deemed to pour out His love, mercy, and grace upon us in Christ Jesus, and He has been drawing us to the ministry of prayer, and He has brought us together at . . . Church at this particular time. God Himself has made each of us willing in His power, He has given the burden for His Church and the desire to pray for her. In addition, from my reading Church history, it appears to me that prior to every revival of religion, God has raised up pockets of people to pray, a few choice members, as Griffin put it. Now, as to whether God will move in our case, we know He is sovereign and He pours out His Spirit according to His good pleasure – and yet He ordains means, which include importunate prayer. So let us take hold of and pay heed to Jesus' words:
Luke 11:5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? , Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
May God find us faithful in the ministry to which He has called us ~ Hebrews 13:20-21.
Lord willing, I would ask that you consider we all meet together for a meal and then prayer afterwards on one of the following dates . . .
I don't know how often we might meet in the future, but I am trusting God will lead us. I am also trusting, as happened with Griffin, that God will raise up others with a similar passion and will lead us to call them in as well. I am praying that God might be gracious to us and rend the heavens and revive us again for the blessing of . . . Church and His Church at large to the glory of His name.
I Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.”
Yours in Christ, Karen
I deliberated whether to share this with you publicly, but I have seen the ruins in the Church and her continuing decline. We must cast off and stop resorting to fleshly and worldly means, and take hold of the means God has provided: to come with boldness and assurance in prayer to His throne of grace, for this certainly is a great time of need (Heb. 4:14-16), and then diligently plead with God to have mercy upon us and rend the heavens and send His reviving fire to us so we might be the burning lamp and brightness to the nations which God intends us to be (~ Isaiah 64 & 62).
I also want to encourage those of you whom God has been burdening to pray for revival in the Church to continue to follow His will for you and not to shrink back due to fear, doubt, or uncertainty. Our flesh, the world, and the devil will continue to give us every possible reason not to pray. And I will tell you this: not very long after sending this letter, temptations, doubts, questions, and second-guessing of every possible sort began to fill and plague my mind about the whole endeavor. Yes, it seems preposterous and impossible to us, yet His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. Our God continues to command His people to seek His heart and His face in prayer, and our seeking Him is never in vain.
Isaiah 45 11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands?...
19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ ...
A day after writing that letter, I reflected: "It seems so far fetched to think a handful of people praying could battle the powers of darkness, yet that is always God's way, so He alone gets the glory due His name."
Yesterday, as I was reading Ralph Wardlaw's Commentary on Zechariah 14, he referenced a portion of Isaiah 51, and I opened my Bible and read it:
Isaiah 51:3 (NKJV) For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
The LORD's desire is to comfort ALL our waste places. Therefore, so long as there ARE waste places in any part of the Church, we ought to be praying day and night...
For God's glory in the Church and the joy of the elect, Karen
I share the account below from my journals (with a few minor edits) as testimony that the God who calls His children to work is faithful to provide us with all we need to do that work... and not only that, but also to impart to us joy and gladness in our service.
I Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
* * *
I had been reflecting about the stark difference between Joshua and Caleb (those men who had a different spirit and wholly followed the Lord) and the other 10 spies (as well as the rest of Israel). Then I began thinking more about how we don't press on for the milk and honey, and so I'd printed up a sheet of the Bible verses (KJV) that included milk and honey in them, and these two from Ezekiel 20 particularly grabbed me:
In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
And I began to reflect on how unthankful I am, and what I wretch I am when I begin to despise God's gifts and calling, and I begin to grumble and doubt and I don't trust that WHEREVER God has me and WHEREVER God is leading me is a place that He has GIVEN to me, a place that is PECULIARLY ESPIED for me (it's not just a haphazard or random place), for that place FLOWS with milk and honey (there are not just little "communion cups" with milk and honey) – and... the place is THE GLORY OF ALL LANDS. I NEVER remembered reading that phrase before: "THE GLORY OF ALL LANDS!" Of ALL lands! And with all that, I was really melted down in confession and repentance for my discontentment (for I SHOULD know better!), and then given grace to be like the weaned child... a holy contentment ... and wonderful weeping of joy as I was lying there and I was able to pray something like this... "I am pleased with You, Christ, and all You are and all You have for me. THIS IS THE GLORY OF ALL LANDS. Whether you give or take away, blessed be Your name! To have YOU is the ultimate blessing!" And all I sought was HIM and I was happy and pleased with Him and to be in HIS will for I knew that HIS will was espied for me, flowing with milk and honey and is is the glory of ALL lands (where can I go? whom have I in heaven or on earth but YOU!).
–– But then quite strangely I found myself adding onto that ... "Grant me also a spirit of prayer!" I glanced at myself and thought, "Now, why would I ask that?" but I felt that request to be given the spirit of prayer had been GIVEN to me. And it wasn't as if I were feeling God was not enough, for I knew Him to be MORE than enough. So I left it at that, for I did know I have known sweet communion IN PRAYER, and that is what way I have come to KNOW HIM, and I see prayer as particular part of that land He has espied for me (though, of course, for all the saints in some measure).
A little while later I went walking, and I listened to a sermon (I can't even remember now what it was). After that, I sat down again and began once more to reflect on Ezekiel 20, and just began to weep for myself and the Church. I know I have been burdened in prayer before, but I really felt in a greater sense than ever that THE BURDEN of the Lord was given, much like the prophets would have received. Instead of the Shekinah glory of joy, joy, joy in my chest, there was a crushing Shekinah glory of holy, holy, holy: the burden of the LORD! the burden of the LORD! the burden of the LORD! It returns now as I write of it. ... I don't think I have ever been so weighed down, and though I know I have been weighed down previously. I began going through most of the chapter, and I confessed our sin of rebellion and rejection and how our hearts and eyes are not fixed rightly, and so on, and asked Him to be merciful to us. And how abominable we are, since God's intent in His leading us is for LIFE, and yet we continue to take up death. How wretched we are that we are NOT happy with the land espied for us, the land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands! As we are in Christ, we ARE indeed in a wealthy place, but we do not know it! And I went to some other similar Scriptures in the Psalms. And so, the Spirit of grace and supplications had been given to me (Zechariah 12:10ff). And in it, I was immensely blessed. It was one of the few times I have ever really prayed.
But the strange thing was this, and of course, it SHOULD HAVE BEEN obvious to me, but wasn't –– UNTIL I stood up and started walking a few steps –– and it was only then that I remembered the prayer request I had made for the spirit of prayer only a couple hours beforehand! And at that point I was completely dumbfounded! And I had to stop right there in my tracks (as if I needed Balaam's donkey on the path to remind me of these things!) --- for it was only then I began to understand the profound work that God had done. I can't even explain this to you, but it only proved that I wasn't trying to sit down in my own fleshly effort to pray (i.e. - because as I'd said, I'd not even remembered my prayer! -- so I hadn't even prayed: "O! Lord! Help me to pray about these things!"). I had been led to return to the passage, and the burden of the Lord at that point was given me. So that prayer from earlier, that I might be granted a spirit of prayer, was shown to have been given to me, as I was later given what I had asked for. Is this not perhaps what might be meant when Isaiah wrote:
30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word BEHIND thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it...
And so, with that realization came profound joy and gladness! For all of that prayer was not only given to me, but given to me in such a marvelous manner, that ALL THE GLORY had to go to GOD and GOD ALONE! I was but a dumb beast about it all! I prayed, yet not I, but the grace of God in me! And then I wrote down these things:
All earthly enjoyments - DUNG! Ecstatic enjoyment to hear His voice singing Communion! Position in the heavenlies! JOY UNSPEAKABLE!
He enabled me to be CONTENT and to ask nothing except to have Him and to pray... and how wonderfully He answered.
He who calls is faithful. He HAS DONE IT. THIS is THE LORD'S doing and it is marvelous in my eyes!
And then later on:
Would I EVER have anticipated such a thing! He does immeasurably above all we can ask or imagine. IF it is GOD'S SPIRIT who gives me the DESIRE to pray, so I might be able to pray; IF it is GOD'S SPIRIT who gives the PRAYER, IF it is GOD'S SPIRIT who gives the BURDEN, then can we not conclude WE ARE PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT and WE HAVE THE REQUESTS we have asked of HIM and that OUR PRAYER is NOT IN VAIN for the prayer from beginning to ending is labor IN THE LORD?
As to any call to and desire to pray: that was from Him at the first and CONTINUES to be from Him. And now, He is performing in me what He has promised!
* * *
I share that account with you as an encouragement. As Christians, we are members of the Body of Christ, and by definition we will have different callings. As for myself, God has had me on this journey to prayer for a period of over three years now, and He has proved Himself faithful over and over: much like when God called Moses in Exodus 3, and Moses questioned Him, but God gave Moses a sign:
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
God has given me such a sign on a few blessed occasions: a spirit of grace and supplications has been given to me, that is, prayer not worked up in my own power, but prayer coming down from the Father of lights – and such communion with the living God during those times is precious and unsurpassed.
I remember a few years ago, when I first began reading Christian biography, I noticed phrases In the journals of Whitefield and Brainerd, etc. about being their enabled to pray, or prayer given to them.... That's the type of prayer I'm talking about, such as Whitefield wrote of here:
Wednesday, May 9, 1739. ... God was pleased to pour into my soul a great spirit of supplication, and a sense of His free distinguishing mercies so filled me with love, humility, and joy, and holy confusion, that I could at last only pour out my heart before Him in an awful silence. It was so full, that I could not well speak. Oh the happiness of communion with God.
As we learn to enjoy God in the place he has us, in the calling He has given us, and not to continue to look around at results, and not to continue to look as Peter did in John 21, i.e. - to look at John and query, "What about this man?" – but instead to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, to seek to be like that weaned child of Psalm 131, to seek to be about our Father's business (not ours), to seek His Kingdom (not ours), to seek His glory (not ours), to seek His will (not ours), to seek to be diligent to enter the Sabbath rest available to us in Jesus Christ, to seek the baptizing fire and refreshment of the Holy Spirit, to strive to keep our hands on the plow He's provided for us (and not turn back, or look for "another" plow), and to place ourselves unreservedly and wholeheartedly into God's hands – no matter what – that is when we will experience fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in the service to which God has called us, be it prayer or whatever. God has promised He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Our God does not intend our service to Him to be joyless. Read the LORD's rebuke of Israel in Deuteronomy 28:
47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.
We are each called to....
Psalms 100:2: Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Now, I'm not saying we won't grieve, and we won't be sad, and we won't have difficulties, for we certainly will. Our Lord Himself told us that in this world we will meet with tribulations, and in II Timothy, we read that all who are godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. That said, as we seek to serve the Lord, as we seek grace and power to fulfill the calling He has given us, we will come to know Him experientially as a sanctuary so we might drink of the Living Waters from the Rock in our wilderness places and be given grace to sing the Lord's song – even in Babylon ( ~ Psalm 137).
Oh the happiness of communion with God!
Like Abraham, may God grant us faith that we have no distrust, so we might not waver concerning the promise of God, but may we grew strong in our faith as we give glory to God, fully convinced that our God is for us and He is able to do in and through and for us what He has promised (~ Romans 4:20-21).
Isaiah 8:11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. (KJV)
Let us beware that we do not stumble over Christ, the precious cornerstone, but rather embrace Him and drink of Him, so we might be filled to overflowing!
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying,If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (KJV)
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.
From Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary:
"They must seek meekness. This is a grace they were so eminent for that they were denominated the meek of the land, and yet this they must seek. Note, Those that are ever so good must still strive to be better, those that have ever so much grace must be still praying and labouring for more. Nay, those that excel in any particular grace must still seek to excel yet more in that, because in that most assaults will be made upon them by their enemies, in that most is expected from them by their friends, and in that they are most apt to be themselves secure. Si dixisti, Sufficit, periisti--Say but, I am all that I ought to be, and you are undone. In the difficult trying times approaching, the meek will find exercise for all the meekness they have, and all little enough, and therefore should seek it earnestly, and pray that when God in his providence gives them occasion for it he would by his grace enable them to exercise it, to show all meekness to all men, in all instances, that, as the day is, so may the strength be."
O, for grace to continue to seek meekness, which is found only in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. My flesh continues to be puffed up and proud, lusting against the Spirit, and seeking to take the best and first place. As my days are, so shall my strength be through Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, I am nothing, and I can do nothing. May God's Holy Spirit continue and complete His sanctifying work He has begun in me so I might be transformed into Christ's image, becoming a weaned child (Psalm 131) who is meek and humble in heart like the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:25-30), offering myself to follow and to dwell wherever the Lamb goes, so I might be a willing and obedient servant of the LORD who takes up the basin and towel and gladly takes the lowest place. There is neither peace, nor rest, nor life, nor joy nor blessing anywhere except as I take up the easy yoke and light burden of Christ.
Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
"Lord, give me humility, or I perish." (George Whitefield in "George Whitefield's Journals," Tuesday, July 17, 1739, 305)
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