What do you mean, ‘Pray for
revival’?
by Darla Vander Plaats
The If 7:14 prayer initiative is igniting a global rhythm of
prayer, but prayer for something very specific: Revival.
But what does “revival” mean? In order for us to pray in
unity, let’s get on the same page about what “revival” is.
Revival is first of all personal and individual. It is one
heart turning back to God and repenting of sin and pride, one
spirit being drawn to seek His face, one soul realizing that
it needs to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
“Revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again” – Vance
Havner
When I pray for revival, I am first praying that God would
revive me. I am asking Him to do what He needs to do with me
and in me to change my heart, to give me a fresh hunger and
thirst for His Word and His presence. To deepen my love for
Him and my desire and ability to live for Him.
“Revival, no matter how great or small in its ultimate scope,
always begins with individual believers whose hearts are
desperate for God, and who are willing to pay the price to
meet Him” – Del Fehsenfeld, Jr.
The “revival” many of us think of is the kind common during
the Great Awakening: The moments in history where people in
large numbers believed in Christ and were redeemed or gained a
visible and palpable new excitement in their faith. There have
been many examples in history where whole communities or even
countries were caught up in a revival spirit. Often ministries
and other organizations can point back to a time of revival as
their birthday. Past revivals have had major lasting impacts
on culture and community.
“Revival is not some emotion or worked-up excitement; it is
rather an invasion from heaven which brings to man a conscious
awareness of God” – Stephen Olford
The sense that seems to be growing among God’s people in
America is that we need a Great Awakening-type of revival in
this country. Our culture, our government, our schools, and
even many of our churches are clearly on a path that is
heading toward destruction. We see so many in a dead sprint
away from the heart of God. The consequences of continuing on
this way are too horrible to contemplate, both for individuals
and for our country as a whole. We feel that the only way to
halt and reverse the evil trends is for God to intervene and
send revival to our country.
So that’s what we pray for. We hope for a revival that heals
and restores America, and beyond that, the world. But
remember, we don’t pray for God to revive “them,” whoever
“them” is for you. We pray that God revives “us,” the church,
and that starts with “me.”
“God’s time for revival is the very darkest hour, when
everything seems hopeless. It is always the Lord’s way to go
to the very worst cases to manifest His glory” – Andrew Gih
The premise of If 7:14 is to schedule prayers as Daniel did,
twice a day, in our case at 7:14 a.m. and 7:14 p.m.; to pray
in unity with other believers by being prompted with alerts;
and to pray specifically for revival. We have found in our own
lives that doing this creates a rhythm of prayer in our day.
Not that this is the only time we pray or that we are
legalistic about praying at exactly 7:14, but it has become a
regular part of our day to stop and pray, often with others at
those times. It is very empowering to realize that thousands
of others are praying with us at same time. We don’t know
them, and they don’t know us, but still, we are experiencing
the unity of the church.
And there is one more rhythm of prayer that we are
encouraging: We are setting aside July 14 (7/14) each year as
a day of fasting, repentance, and prayer. This year we are
able to use our new If 7:14 app as a way to connect with
anyone who wants to join us on this day and receive hourly
prayer alerts to unify in prayer all day. We would love to
have you join us this July 14 – and it’s as simple as
downloading the app by clicking here or signing up for the
text message alerts by texting if714 to 515-393-2782.
If you want to learn more about If 7:14, please visit our
website – if714.com or look us up on Facebook or Twitter.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive
their sin and will heal their land” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
To learn more about about how some of the nation’s top
speakers – including Anne Graham Lotz – are coming to Iowa
this summer to inspire YOUR revival journey, visit
TheFamilyLeadershipSummit.com today!
Darla Vander Plaats is director of the If 7:14 initiative for
The FAMiLY LEADER