Send revival.... Start with me...

For my fifteenth birthday which was six years back (there I've revealed my age), I was gifted a book. It was the autobiography of Selwyn Hughes, author of the popular devotional, Every Day with Jesus. Hughes always longed and prayed for a revival in his land. Ever since reading the book, I got this desire to pray for a revival in my own land. In my involvement with Bangalore Evangelical Union, I longed for a revival in Bangalore, and subsequently in the whole country. The band Petra had a song titled, 'send revival, start with me.' The song became a sort of prayer in my life for many years. But I never paid much attention to the rest of the lyrics I guess.

Recently I have been listening to some messages by Nate Bramsen, who was a speaker at the Church camp of Calvary Bible Fellowship, Bangalore. He frequently asks the question, "Is prayer a part of my life or is it the very vehicle driving my life?" The question really convicted me and continues to convict me. Another of his statements that really convicts me is, "Don't pray till you're done. Pray till God is done with you."

As I was typing out this blog post, I played Petra's song, send revival, and was struck by the first few lines of the song: 

"We're looking to your promise of old

That if we pray and humble ourselves

You will come and heal our land..."

I want to try this out. I want to pray till God is done with me. And I am becoming convinced that the revival can only be seen on our knees.

How often have I stayed up all night reading a story book, or reading manga online, or binge watching TV shows? I've had all night movie marathons with my friends and so on. And I know some of my friends have gaming sleepovers. Why then can't we stay up a night praying?

So I invite my dear young brethren in Christ (young only in heart is also fine). Let's pray together till God is done with us. Let's do it at my place? I'm thinking either 29th night into 30th morning. Or 30th night into 31st morning. Or 31st night (after most of us get done with the watch night service. Wouldn't it be the ideal way to start a new year? Let me know if you're interested and which day works for you. Reach me at 8105684558 (I'm not on whatsapp by the way).

Edit: We're doing this on 30th night into 31st morning. The venue might change slightly, but it will be around Kothanur. Will keep you posted.

Edit #2: The venue is not around Kothanur. We are having it in Kanakapura road. Do contact me for further details.

Please.... Pray for me... Pray for us!

Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. [Deut 6: 4,5; NET]

My dear dear friends! This is a very personal blog post. I will not name the people I am writing to, because I want it to apply to every believer in Christ Jesus.

Growing up, I did not have a lot of close friends. It had always been my prayer that I have good close friends. God, in His abundant mercy, gave me such friends. Friends, for whose company I literally cried when I had to part with them. Many such groups of friends. Friends who love the Lord just like I do. But, I wonder do we, truly love the Lord with all our being? Like truly truly love the Lord with all our whole being?

I currently live in a town in Chhattisgarh. I am part of a Church where the majority of the members are first generation believers from other faith backgrounds. They truly love the Lord. The Church is also connected to various other Churches in this State, where the work of the Lord is really growing and thriving. This is amazing, right? Like, I could claim this is in some ways, a mini revival of sorts. God is moving, and its thrilling to watch!

But here's the catch. This movement, can, in a large way be traced back to one group of friends around a couple of decades ago, who decided to take a stand for God. Trust me, the story is that simple! One generation of friends, who loved the Lord, decided to obey Him! And the way the Lord is using them is simply thrilling to watch.

What does it mean to love the Lord? What does it mean to truly love Him with all my being? Like, love Him so much that I count everything else as rubbish (Phil 3: 8)? Is it just feeding my ego by watching videos of atheists getting owned in arguments? Is it to praise God through music surrounded by people who will all say Amen? Is it to get together in cozy little Bible study groups which are really fun? Is it barbecue nights and going to inspiring camps?

I am seriously doubting whether I love my Lord! You see, I talk. And I love my comforts. If I truly believed the Word of God, I'd be seriously living for Him. Offering myself as a living sacrifice. Does anyone of us really understand the implication of that word? Like, it's not sacrificing phone or internet or something silly like that. It is sacrificing the authority over my own life, where my dreams, my interests, my attachments to this world all are considered as hatred compared to my love for God. Where my feelings towards poetry, or music, or puns, or reading, all are like hatred compared to my love for God! For all my talk, I seriously doubt my devotion to God!

And that begs the question. Do I really know the Gospel? And that is my prayer. That I truly know the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Because if I truly knew the gospel, things would be truly different. And if all of us truly believed in the words of God - nay, if even a few of us believed in the word of God, and took him at his word - I shudder to think what God would do through us. Because now I am seeing first hand what he is doing because a few people took God at his Word twenty years ago.

My brothers and sisters, please pray that I truly know God! And I will pray that you know Him. When I see 95% of believers going into high paying corporate jobs without a 'special call' for it, but ask for a special call when asked to consider missions, I doubt we take God at his Word. When I see that we are comfortable within our Churches, where everyone agrees with us, and don't go to public secular platforms, where we will be called bigots, outdated, and various other names, where we will be the minority, I doubt we truly seek to be His disciple. When we read Jesus telling the rich young man to sell everything and give the money to the poor, and I say it's easy to say that but in the real world you need money, I doubt I trust the Lord. Do I trust Him when He says seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you [Mathew 6:33]? I long for revival and I know I am severely severely lacking in my love for Christ! I hardly make time to pray, to read His Word, and to serve Him wholeheartedly. And so I request you to pray that there will be revival in my life, and in this country of ours!

I know this is not my best blog post. The writing is all over the place, and I apologize for it. But I am speaking from the bottom of my heart, and I will not apologize for that.

I wish that we - a few of us at least - might turly truly decide to love the Lord with our whole being, gladly paying the cost, even if it is our lives that is asked of us! Soli Deo Gloria!