Thursday, May 31, 2007
Michael Waskosky
Ken Krause
Reentry Week Paper
Why Revival Tarries
By
Leonard Ravenhill
I must say is that Why Revival Terries by Leonard Ravenhill is a great book and every person should read it. I read the whole thing and I loved it. It says in the book no man is greater than his prayer life and this is so true. I want to be a man that prays because that is where we get stuff done. When we pray we are closer to Christ and what He has for us. If we are not praying it is very difficult to draw closer to God, and we will have a lukewarm, boring life. God says if we are lukewarm He will spit us from His mouth. I want to be on fire.
Later on in this book Ravenhill talks about how we need to have passion and vision. He states that both passion and vision are born and maintained in prayer. I want to have greater passion and vision, and the only way I can get those things is through prayer and being close to the Father. Like Jesus, I want to be close to the Father and do His will. Jesus said, “’When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.’â€(John 8:28) Jesus had to be focused on prayer in order to make such a bold statement. Jesus did only what the Father told Him to do, and I want to be like that.
I need not only passion and vision, but also passion and vision for true Christian living. Men battle so many things when they are living their life, which is why passion and vision crucial. When men understand their God given passion and vision they have to battle through many difficult situations to keep those things alive. The devil will use many strategies to attack a man who has passion and vision.
Another great point Ravenhill writes about is best illustrated with his analogy. He says “ Friend, if you were as good at soul-cultivating as you are in developing your business, you would be a menace to the devil; but if you were as poor in business matters you are in soul, you would be begging for bread.â€(30) This point really hit me because it made realize how true it is that often we develop ourselves in the world rather than focusing on what would please God. It also really hit me how often we do not trust God with our finances. Often we become so consumed with earning more that it becomes more important to have money than to share the gospel.
I really enjoyed the story about Charlie Peace, the criminal, who was being taken on the death-walk. Peace was listening to the prison chaplain who was sleepily reading the Consolations of Religion. Peace was shocked at how the preacher was reading about hell, and his reply was: “Sir,†addressing the preacher, “if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!†I couldn’t believe how much he would have been willing to risk to save a soul from hell. We as Christians should have the same mentality. I want that kind of passion.
It is my prayer that God would give me more vision and passion than I already have. Why Revival Terries has challenged me to press into God through prayer. It has challenged me not only to pray, but also to share His glory with others.