Take Courage

Pray To Be Disturbed

March 5, 2010 at 3:15 pm | Posted in pray, Quotes, revival | Leave a comment
Tags: disturb us, Leonard Ravenhill quotes, Lord, prayer, revival, Sir Francis Drake

Before I begin to read a book in-depth, I skim through it and read parts of it. Recently I received your church is too small by John Armstrong to both read and review. On a quick glance one of the things I like about it is the quotes. I’m a lifelong collector of quotes. In about a week and a half I’ll post a review of it. But for now, here’s a good quote.

“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes, and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.”

–         Attributed to Sir Francis Drake, 1577 (p. 190)

Did that quote speak to you? It spoke to me. I have been trying to give Friday as a day to be reminded to pray for something in particular. Today’s prayer may be a little difficult for some. Let’s pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would disturb us in ways we need. For those of us who say we know Him through grace and faith, let’s ask ourselves the following questions and pray:

1. Do we still love Him more than anyone or anything else? (Rev. 2:1-7)
2. Do we live and pray with faith? (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:6)
3. Do we still love attending and serving through one of His churches? (Eph. 3:10-11; Heb. 10:19-25)
4. Do we share our knowledge of this personal relationship in both word and deed? (2 Cor. 5:14-21)
5. Do we still come boldly, humbly, confidently and consistently to the throne of grace? (Heb. 4:16; Phil. 4:4-7)
6. Do we honestly redeem the time He has given us with Spirit filled lives? (Eph. 5:13-18)
7. Do we walk in step with the Holy Spirit? (Gal. 5:16-26)

I’ll try to stop here even though I could go on. Specifically, I’m thinking of Romans 12:1-2.

(1)Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. (2)Do not comform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then yopu will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.  (NIV)

Maybe we don’t understand “surrender.” Maybe the battle between the flesh and the spirit never stops. Maybe we have discounted the resources and power of Almighty God like we have to so many things and people around us. Maybe we need a personal revival. Maybe our family’s, our churches, and our community’s need us to have a personal revival. Maybe we are too comfortable or afraid to be disturbed. Only we and the LORD really know the answer to that! Please disturb us Lord.

Much grace and peace to you,

Bill (a fellow-laborer)

Romans 15:13; Psalm 138

“The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it.”

“There is a deeper life. It is as deep as a personal Gethsemane and as costly as a personal Calvary.”

“If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified.”

“Whatever else we say about revival we have to recognize this, that revival is an act of mercy in the sovereignty of God.”

–          All quotes by Leonard Ravenhill

_______________________

“You have longed for sweet peace and for faith to increase,

And have earnestly, fervently, prayed;

But you cannot have rest or be perfectly blest

Until all on the altar is laid.”

–         Hoffman