MARK #1: EARNEST PRAYER

It should be no surprise that the first distinguishing mark of revival is a resolve to earnest prayer. This, of course, begins with a passionate plea from God’s people for God to work in extraordinary ways.

Acts 12 shows us the power of earnest prayer. Throughout the book of Acts, the gospel is spreading rapidly, the Holy Spirit is moving in power, and people are being delivered from their sins and finding hope in Jesus Christ. As the gospel is spreading, however, Herod is persecuting Christians at an accelerated rate. James, the brother of John, has already died for his faith in Christ (v2), and Peter has been thrown into prison with the same demise awaiting him (v3-4). But things are about to change quickly when we read this in verse 5: “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

Notice that this was earnest prayer. It was not half-hearted prayer; not routine prayer; not I’ll-get-to-it-when-I-have-30-seconds-to-spare prayer. This was earnest prayer. This was committed, ongoing, persevering prayer. This was pockets of people scattered throughout the region, fearing for their faith and their life, begging God to do something.

I wonder how the prayer meetings of many churches today would stand up next to this one. Clusters of people who are all talk and no prayer? Probably not. Circles of saints who have gathered in the name of gossip and not in the name of Jesus? Doubtful. Families who are so busy with practices, lessons, or training that a prayer meeting gets cut because, “well, we can’t do everything”? No way!

Acts 12 is a story of really simple followers — knees chafed, the ground wet with their tears, and no time to waste — who are desperate because they don’t know what else to do. Even more, Acts 12 is the story of a capital-A Awesome God who powerfully answers the earnest prayers of his people! Sure, we’re not facing the same life-threatening circumstances as the early church (not yet, at least), but does that make us any less desperate for God’s provision? Not a bit!

The problem, I fear, is that we don’t know how desperate we really are.

Peter is chained to a prison wall, trying to sleep, guards watching his every move. He has no hope of escape, that is, until we read verses 7-8:

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, ‘Dress yourself and put on your sandals.’ And he did so. And he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’”

When God’s people earnestly pray, people are set free. Of course, verse 7 is speaking of the physical chains that are holding Peter in prison. When the angel of the Lord arrives, the chains fall off, Peter gets up, gets dressed, and walks out. He had been miraculously set free!

But we know this to be spiritually true as well. When Jesus shows up, the chains fall off, people get up, and they walk away from their sin because they’ve been set free. People begin to see that their greatest needs are not physical, relational, financial, or emotional. Their greatest needs are not earthly needs. Their greatest need is in their heart.

In revival, God moves in unusually spectacular ways to capture people who have been chained to the wall in the prison of their own sin and he miraculously sets them free. And it happens because of the earnest prayers of the people of God.

Give us more of this, Lord. Genuine, true, sin-freeing revival.