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Intention

To understand the challenging but rewarding work of prayer for revival

Scripture

“After Jesus had sent the crowds away,
He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray;
and when it was evening, He was there alone.”
— Matt 14:23

Reflection

When we think about revival, we often ponder the amazing outpourings of the Holy Spirit over the last two thousand years — times when Jesus has brought large numbers into the Kingdom, with signs and wonders accompanying.

I remember so clearly the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that came from Toronto, Canada, in the 1990s and the millions of lives that were changed, including my own. Then there was World Youth Day in 2008, a mainly Catholic event in Sydney that attracted 400,000 young people and transformed many lives through the powerful demonstration of the Gospel.

These stories are true and exciting. However, there is something that always precedes these wonderful times, and this is the work of prayer.

Prayer — and particularly prayer for revival — requires work… sometimes hard work.

In the scripture quoted above, we see Jesus getting up, moving and transporting Himself somewhere to pray. He had to do something. He had to move. It’s also likely that when Jesus was in this lonely place, He was active in His prayer. Prayer requires work.

My lovely wife and I have just returned from some days of prayer in a beautiful holy monastery, where the presence of God is extraordinarily tangible. We had a nice room, lovely food and were surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. Yet, despite all this loveliness, I had to work hard in prayer.

“What do you mean?” I hear you say.

Well, I arrived with a lot of stuff going on in my head and spirit. Not bad stuff. Just things that I needed to work through so that I could connect deeply with the Father. I needed to do this to get His perspective and to hear what He had to say. This required work — moving, reading, journaling and listening with my heart.

It took a couple of days of intense focus; yet when the breakthrough into the presence of Jesus came, it was worth it. Prayer requires work.

We know Warwick Marsh and his team are working hard to lead us in this time of prayer. I’m sure your own prayer requires effort too — just like Jesus.

To finish, I’d like to quote from Pope Francis, who describes the amazing journey of following Jesus and the practical work this involves:

“Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, or on a journey.”

Video

Prayer

Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour,

We thank You that You call us into the work of prayer.
And we pray that this work will lead to revival.

Amen.

Author Bio

Rev. Matt Ransom has been married to his amazing wife Cathy for thirty-one years. He has two children and five granddaughters. Matt is a married Pastor in the Catholic Church, called a Deacon, and has engaged in missionary work across Australia, Papua New Guinea and the USA. He is blessed to call a number of Protestant Pastors his friends.

Prayer Points for 31 Days of Prayer & Fasting for Revival

1. To worship Jesus and give extravagant praise to God. Hebrews 12:28-29
2. Pray that the Lamb who was slain might receive the reward for His suffering. Revelation 5:6-14
3. Pray for Revival for Australia and for millions to find Christ. Isaiah 64:1-2

We invite you to support this prayer and fasting campaign to multiply prayer, to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival and transformation for Australia. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us promote prayer and make a stand for Family, Faith, Freedom, Life, and the Good News of God’s love through Jesus Christ His son.

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Daily devotions are brought to you by the Canberra Declaration.