Why Revival Tarries – Chapter 1

Ravenhill starts the first chapter out by talking about the “Cinderella” of the church today, the prayer meeting.  He says the prayer meeting is neglected because it is unloved and unwooed because it is not dripping with the pearls of itellectualism, not glamorous with the silks of philosophy; neither is she enchanting with the tiara of psychology.

He then goes on to talk about prayer, saying the offense of prayer is that it does not essentially tie in to mental efficiency, rather it is conditioned by one thing alone and that is spirituality.  He goes on to say that one does not need to be spiritual to preach, that is to make and deliver exegetical sermons.  By a combination of memory, knowledge, ambition, personality, plus well-lined bookshelves, self confidence and a sense of having arrived, almost any person that fits those requirements could stand up in a pulpit and preach.  Preaching of this type is not spiritual but mainly mental.  This type of preaching might affect the hearers morality but it wont change the hearers heart.

“The tragedy of this late hour is that we have too many dead men in the pulpits giving out too many dead sermons to too many dead people!”

The reason for this, Ravenhill says, is preaching without unction.  Preaching without unction kills instead of giving life.  He says the unctionless preacher is a savor of death unto death.  He states that we could well manage to be half as intellectual if we were twice as spiritual.  Preaching is a spiritual business.  A sermon born in the head reaches the head; a sermon born in the heart reaches the heart.  He says when their is a spiritual preacher, he will produce spiritual people.

He continues speaking of unction and states that it cannot be learned, only earned-by prayer.  He compares unction to dynamite stating that spiritual preachers words will explode on the hearers heart.  He closes out the chapter with some pretty strong words, “The prayer meeting is dead or dying.  By our attitude to prayer we tell God that what was begun in the Spirit we can finish in the flesh.  What church ever asks its candidating ministers what time they spend in prayer?  Yet ministers who do not spend two hours a day in prayer are not worth a dime, degree or no degree!”

I was deeply convicted in my lack of zeal and my lack of seeking the Lord in secret.  Matt 6:6.  We say we want the Lord to move yet we don’t seek Him, we say we want to overcome this habitual sin in our life yet we don’t seek Him, we say we want more of Him, or to be made like Him or to desire Him as our all satisfying treasure yet we don’t seek Him like we should.  Father forgive me for my laziness in seeking after you.  I ask that you would continue to stir my heart to return to prayer and study of your word.  I see a passion and stirring up of prayer in our church body and ask for more Lord, would you please raise up men at Love and Justice church.  Men who seek hard after you, men who will live lives worthy of the Gospel, men who will run the race with endurance keeping their eyes on You Jesus, the author and perfecter of our lives.  Please Lord bring more men to our Saturday morning prayer meeting, bring more men and women to our prayer meetings before service on the Lords day.  Father we need Your help, We need you to come and lead us because we do not want to go on without You.  Thank you for convicting my heart and stirring up in me a passion to seek you in secret.  I pray all these things for Your glory, in Jesus most beautiful name.  Amen