“I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;” (Isaiah 44:3)
We all know that prayer is powerful and is the most important activity we can be involved with, but evidently, we do not believe it because we do not spend much time there and when we do we are not passionate for those who are lost and on their way to hell. Below is a story of what our God can do if two people decide to be serious and passionate about praying for their community. The story takes place in the Hebrides Islands off the west coast of Scotland. (If you are like me, you have to look on a map to see where that is. I know where the New Hebrides Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean but I did not now where their namesake was located.)
“The year was 1950. The famous revival on the windswept Isle of Lewis on the Scottish Outer Hebrides was underway. It began when two elderly sisters fervently prayed. Peggy Smith was 84 and completely blind. Christine, her younger sister by two years, could hardly walk and was bent over double from arthritis.
With a deep burden in their hearts, they began praying. Twice a week for many months, they went down on feeble knees at 10:00 p.m. and did not rise until 3.00 or 4:00 a. m. In the midst of their prayers, God gave them a vision of a man they had never met, a man God would use to change the island. The man’s name was Duncan Campbell—and God brought him to the Hebrides to preach and shepherd the revival.
People of the island were inexplicably drawn to Christ. Without publicity, telephones, or Internet, they awoke in the middle of the night and felt compelled to gather in a farmer’s field or at a local parish church. Sometimes they did not make it—and instead simply fell by the side of the road, confessing their sins to God. Bars and dance halls shut their doors for good. Starting with the small town of Barvas, the entire Isle of Lewis turned from darkness to light. Entire towns were being converted to Christ, with the exception of the stubborn little parish of Arnol.
Arnol defiantly resisted the gospel. No one wanted to hear what Duncan Campbell had to say. In fact, the citizenry held opposition meetings to denounce the revival. Campbell and his fellow leaders knew the only answer was prayer.
They gathered one evening in a farmhouse and began to pray, earnestly appealing to the promises God had made in the Bible. At midnight, Campbell asked John, the local blacksmith, to pray, which he did for more than two hours! Near the end of his prayer, with his cap in his hand, John looked heavenward and said: ‘God, do You know that Your honor is at stake? You promised to pour water on the thirsty and floods on dry ground…..I stand before You as an empty vessel and I am thirsty—thirsting for Thee and for the manifestation of Your power. I’m thirsty to see the devil defeated in this parish. I’m thirsty to see this community gripped as You gripped Barvas. I’m longing for revival and, God, You are not doing it! I’m thirsty and You promised to pour water on me. God, Your honor is at stake, and I take it upon myself to challenge You now to fulfill Your covenant engagement.'
At that moment, the house shook violently. A jug on the sideboard crashed to the ground and broke. Those who were present said that wave after wave of power swept over the room.
At the same time, the town of Arnol was awakened from its slumber. Lights went on. People came into the streets and started praying. Others knelt where they were and asked God to forgive them. Men carried chairs and women carried stools, asking if there was room for them in the church. At 2:00 a.m., revival came to the last resistant town on the island.” (When God Answered the Prayers of a Scotsman by Jim Jarman as seen in the One Cry newsletter, 7/19/18.)
Do we need revival in our community? Do we need to see our loved ones, neighbors, and acquaintances come to know Christ as their Savior? You know that we do! So how can we begin to take the time to gather with other believers to pray? It is simple: just do it and start today!
"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19,20)
Pray
1. Lord help me to find someone to pray with me for the lost in my family and neighborhood and help me start today.
2. Lord forgive me of my laziness and give me the courage and faithfulness to pray for those people You impress on my heart.
3. Help me to pray for a mighty revival in my church, town, state and nation; and Lord start with me!
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