And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40-41, ESV)
As I write this, the Asbury revival is set to end next week. Asbury seminary president Timothy Tennent wrote in a blog post that he believed it wise to think of the weeks-long services that attracted tens of thousands to Wilmore, Kentucky, as an “awakening.” Only in time, he said, will we know if a lasting transformation has genuinely occurred.
Tennent described attending services on campus during that time as “stepping into a flowing spiritual river.” As reports began to circulate about similar awakenings taking place across other campuses throughout the country, many have no doubt thought, “Hey, I want some of that!”
Classes at Asbury weren’t canceled during those weeks because leadership desired to mainstream renewal into the very fabric of their everyday lives.
“We all love mountaintop experiences,” Tennent wrote, “but we also know that it must be lived out in all the normal rhythms of life.”
Something supernatural happened at Asbury, and people flocked worldwide to be part of it. What might happen if we all prayed for an awakening?
What if your small group prayed for an awakening at your golf club? At your workplace? On your team? In your family?
Awaken us from our slumber, O Lord! Many believers need this message, too!
At some point years ago, in the margins of my Bible above Deuteronomy 6, I wrote, “Loving God is everyday life.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)
We can’t sleepwalk through this life of faith! To love fiercely is to live with great passion. To live holy lives requires great discipline.
PRAYER: Father God, we pray for a spiritual awakening in our communities. We pray for lasting transformation. Come, Holy Spirit!