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In 1857-58 God came in revival in this nation in a remarkable way. A businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier started a noonday prayer meeting in New York City. Within a month, hundreds were praying at noon and it began to spread across the region. Some prayer meetings at noon sprang up without knowing of the New York prayer meetings. God began to move across the nation bringing hope to many who had become hopeless. The church had become so weak it couldn’t even decide if slavery was right or wrong. And whenever the Church leaves the Scripture as its standard society always goes downhill. We can always tell the strength of the Church by how much its influence controls the institutions of education, business, and civil government. Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14)
If the church boldly, in the love of Christ, proclaims what the Bible says about every area of life men will turn to Christ and be born again. As they “grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus” society will be shaped by Biblical standards. But Jesus also said,
“You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor, [(saltiness; i.e. its stinging, preserving influence)]…it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matthew 5:13)
If the Church does not speak boldly, in the love of Christ, men will not turn to Christ and society will be shaped by satan’s principles: And the end of that is pain, destruction, and misery (Galatians 6:7-8).
As in the Prayer Revival of 1858, we as God’s people must come together again and both repent and pray together for revival and reformation in our land. Newspapers ran headlines about it. Some of them read:
New Haven, Conn. – City’s Biggest Church Packed Twice Daily for Prayer
Bethel, Conn. – Business Shuts Down for Hour Each Day; Everybody Prays
Albany, N.Y. – State Legislators Get Down on Knees
Schenectady, N.Y. – Ice on the Mohawk Broken for Baptisms
Washington, D.C. – Five Prayer Meetings Go Round the Clock
New Haven, Conn. – Revival Sweeps Yale
(Johnson, God Isn’t Fixing This, 12/29/2015 http://onecry.com/personal-revival/god-isnt-fixing-this/)
Different ships coming into New York harbor in those months had both Captain and crew testify about how the Spirit of God blew onto the deck of their ships; and they began to repent and receive Christ as their Lord—without even knowing of the revival happening on land! A secular publisher who hated God was told by friends she should go to one of the Revival prayer meetings. Though blind, she decided she would and Fanny Crosby, once there, was so convicted of her sin she surrendered to Christ as Lord. She then penned many great hymns like To God Be the Glory, and Blessed Assurance, which we still sing today. The impact of this Prayer Revival would go on for years, through a shoe salesman by the name of D.L. Moody. Moody was challenged by a message he once heard that stated, “The world has yet to see what God can do with one man fully surrendered to Him.” Moody decided that, with God’s help, he would be that one man. And historians have credited him with leading over a million people to Christ!
Can this kind of Revival happen again? It most certainly can! God is waiting for us to turn back to Him in repentance. Revelation 3 pictures Jesus standing at the door of His church, which has excluded His influence. He is saying,
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Will you let Him take over the life that you’ve called your life?
Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—and for your children! And you won’t like what that brings to you. I’m Don Pinson; this has been Think About It.