The power of prayer

 As part of my devotional reading I am reading the classic Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill. I first read this book many years ago and have re-read it several times. The revival at Asbury University caused me to bring it out of my library and read it again. Ravenhill is definitely a preacher from the old school, and the challenges and criticisms he brings to the church is valid even though the book was first published in 1982.

One chapter in the book focuses on the prayer life of Christians and the church. Ravenhill tells us that "Satan would have us increase even in Bible knowledge...as long as we keep from prayer, which is the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word. What use is deeper knowledge if we have shallower hearts? What use is greater standing with men if we have less standing with God?"

If you are not familiar with Leonard Ravenhill this small passage from one book will show you his ability for straight talk and his penetrating insights into the problems facing the modern church. Reading Ravenhill can be challenging and make many preachers today uncomfortable. But, at the same time,  it can also transform our ministries if we take his words seriously.

Think about what he is saying here. Satan doesn't care how much you know about the Bible as long as you are not a praying person. So much of our modern church is built around its teaching ministry. The least attended service in many churches, if they even still have them, is the prayer meeting. Churches offer various teaching opportunities; many offer few opportunities to pray and even then few people take advantage of that. The prayer meeting is normally the least attended service in the life of the church, so it's not surprising that many churches have eliminated it from its schedule.

Yet, Ravenhill insists that the devil is not concerned with how much we know about God as long as we are not a praying people. The revival that began at Asbury and has spread to other campuses and churches has much of its focus on prayer and repentance. Perhaps instead of preaching so much about the great need of revival we pastors might better focus on leading our people to pray. This will only be possible if we are first praying people ourselves.

I have often felt frustrated with my own prayer life. Reading books and blogs from other pastors tell me they have the same problem. But, how will we experience revival in our own lives if we are not praying as we are leading our churches? Are the things we do as ministers so important that we have no time for God? God forbid! How can we lead our people into a deeper prayer life if we ourselves are not praying?

Ministry without prayer is like trying to turn on a light without it being connected to a power source. Our power source is God, and we connect to Him through prayer. It is prayer that has the power to revive our churches, our nation and ourselves. Perhaps it is time for our churches to revisit the old-fashioned prayer altar that has long been neglected in many of them.