Throughout the annals of time, there have been certain people who have heard the voice of God. Sometimes in a small whisper, sometimes in the roar of waterfalls, the deep of God called to the deep of a man. Some of these people who heard “turned aside” and waited upon Him. And, in the waiting, something of a beautiful communion ensued… slightly reminiscent of those walks in the cool of the day. That communication became mutual and it was sweet. God even said, “Show me your face. Let me hear your voice.” These people began to pray.
Prayer was always meant to be so much more than shopping lists and quoting scriptures. In the place of intimacy, as people began to draw near, something breath-taking began to take place. As they prayed, God began to do much more than speak. God shared His heart. The Almighty One graciously allowed human beings to know and feel and experience His longings and His dreams. God shared His burden. John Wesley once said, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”
The age-old question is, “Does an Awakening begin in the heart of man or in the heart of God?” Perhaps in this way, the answer is “both”; but there is one thing for certain. There has never been a prayerless revival. A move of God is always birthed in prayer, sustained in prayer, and brought to fruition in prayer. When God blows on the embers of a dying church and it bursts into a flame, that fire has been ignited because someone somewhere has been praying.
Written by Ellen Sullivan