The Reward of Revival

Focus: Spiritual Renewal

It was a dark day of sin. Moral guidance was abandoned and Israel did “that which was right in their own eyes.” Eli was high priest. His sons robbed the sacrifices before they were offered and committed immoral acts in the house of God. Worship was polluted. The tabernacle was desecrated. Spiritual vitality was at an all time low.

Then came Hannah, an insignificant player in the scheme of life until a prayer meeting at the tabernacle. In one fateful consecration this woman changed the course of a nation and gave the world Samuel.

In the midst of debauchery dedication was born. From the backdrop of carnality, came commitment. In contrast with the sacrilege, sacrifice. A barren woman mourned for motherhood and pledged the promised son to the work of the Lord. A mother’s prayer paved the road to revival, a revival of righteousness. Unity was restored to the fragmented nation of Israel, and the blessing of Yahweh in the place where Icabod was named.

If one burdened woman could give birth to revival in a nation, what could ten righteous souls have meant to Sodom, and what can the thousands of believers do in our nation and our world presently.

We can’t blame society, the economy, or the political process for spiritual barrenness. We can’t blame the terrorists, the communists, or the evolutionists. We can’t even blame the church. If Hannah could pray intercessory prayers in a tabernacle given over to selfish religion and immoral practice, there is nothing to prevent powerful prevailing prayer in the presence of spiritual apathy. We must pray Hannah’s prayer, “Give me a child and I will give him to the Lord!”

The Church is the mother of us all. It was the church that gave us birth and the Spirit that gives us life. Let the tearful travail of motherhood take us to burdened prayer places. Let desire and faith bring us to the birthing room of the Spirit.

Let revival begin with a burden, and let rejoicing be the reward of our travail!