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By Andy Johnson | 5.2.2012 What if you spent years faithfully and earnestly praying for revival to come to your community, and then one day, seemingly out of the blue, God dramatically answered your prayers?
All across your city, every day people begin crowding into the church to hear the gospel from God’s Word. On the streets, in their workplaces, in classrooms and homes all over town, previously timid church members are faithfully declaring the gospel and fruit is coming fast. Lives are transformed, marriages are saved, and most of all, one after another God’s enemies are laying down the weapons of their rebellion and are taking refuge in his glorious and merciful Son.
What if all this happened in your own town, right in front of your eyes, in that other guy’s church, just a few blocks down the street from yours?
I suspect we all know what we ought to say in response, but the words of praise and joy are likely to get caught in the backs of our throats.
This has happened before. In 1839 Robert Murray M’Cheyne learned that a great revival had broken out in his church under a guest preacher while he was away on a months-long mission trip. When the Spirit of God seems to bless the ministry of others rather than our own, some pretty important things about the real nature of our loves become glaringly visible.
“DIOTREPHES, WHO LOVES TO BE FIRST”
Of course, this battle between envy and rejoicing is nothing new. The Apostle John writes about the issue in his third letter (3 John). There, in verses five to eleven, he introduces us to two men: Gaius and Diotrephes.
Gaius loves to welcome and support faithful missionaries sent out from other churches because he loves Jesus (vv. 5-8).
Diotrephes, well…not so much. Diotrephes refuses to welcome these workers from other churches for one simple reason: John tells us plainly that Diotrephes “loves to be first” (v. 9). He has no desire to see gospel work done unless he does it. He will rejoice in no fruit unless it’s his fruit. He will tolerate no competition. Diotrephes’ actions and attitudes are, John bluntly says, “evil” (v. 11).
Evil—that’s a strong word. And frankly what frightens me most about Diotrephes is that we’re not told of any lack of doctrinal orthodoxy to justify that label. There is no mention of heresy or inadequate views of Christ. For all we know, Diotrephes’ theology looked just right on paper. But his competitive spirit exposed his supposed love for the gospel as merely love for his own group, his own ministry—ultimately love for himself. Just like any other pagan.
THE NOT-SO-SUBTLE POINT
So here comes the not-so-subtle point of this article: Do not be like Diotrephes! Instead, imitate what is good, meaning the gospel-exalting, non-competitive spirit of Gaius.
But why is this such a big deal? Because not only your heart but the very worth of the gospel in the eyes of the world is at stake.
Listen, you can talk all day about how you praise God for the blessings of gospel prosperity in your church—and you should, to some extent. And yet there will always be a lingering scent of self-interest; it’s your church, after all.
But what if you genuinely praise God for the gospel prosperity in some other church, whether in another country or even (gulp) right across town? What if you demonstrate the same delight to see Jesus’ work held up and delighted in as a result of someone else’s ministry? If you do, that shows that you love Jesus and his gospel and his glory—not just your group, your club, your ministry, your church.
That’s why it’s so important that we cultivate an attitude like Gaius’ in our hearts and in our church members’ hearts. Our love for Jesus and for his glory may never shine brighter than when we rejoice in the progress of the gospel even when there isn’t the slightest chance of us getting any of the credit.
HOW TO CULTIVATE THE SPIRIT OF GAIUS
How can you cultivate this kind of spirit in your church and in your own heart? Here are a few ways.
1. Pray and Read
First, pray and read. Start by reflecting on passages like 3 John that show the unique glory of what we might call a “disinterested delight” in the prosperity of the gospel. And pray that God would grow in you a heart that loves to encourage gospel progress, wherever it happens and whoever it happens through. Why? Because you love to see Jesus glorified.
2. Model and Teach
Pull the Plug on Porn
By J. Lee Grady Fire In My Bones
If you or someone you love is struggling with a porn addiction, take these steps to freedom.
At a men’s conference I sponsored last weekend in Philadelphia, some of my friends took the stage and got gut-level honest about their temptations. I was so proud of their courage. Shay, a young father from Ohio, admitted that he was exposed to hard-core pornography when he was only five years old. He began modeling what he saw in X-rated videos when he was just six.
Another guy from Pennsylvania told the men in the audience that he began watching porn when he was a preteen—and this led him to sex with dozens of girls in high school. Until recently this man still battled the shame of his porn habit even though he was a lay leader in his church.
“It’s not enough to whisper a quiet prayer under your breath. To break free from a life-controlling habit as powerful as porn, you must talk to someone else. And you should do it sooner, not later.”
Jason, a youth pastor in northwestern Pennsylvania, preached to the men on Friday night about how to reclaim purity in our sex-saturated culture. Like so many of the guys in our conference, Jason had been exposed to porn at a young age. His lust could not be satisfied by masturbation or kinkier videos, so his addiction drove him to seek out multiple girls for instant gratification. That’s where porn leads.
Thankfully all these guys eventually found Christ and discovered the grace to escape the porn trap. They are happily married today, and they’ve been freed from the shame of past failures. But I meet many Christian men who are not so fortunate. A huge percentage of men in church have given up trying to resist temptation.
If you are one of those men (or women) who wears a fake smile when you go to church, pretending to be an “overcomer” when you really are a prisoner of lust, then please consider taking these radical steps. (And if you know someone who is battling this monster, please consider forwarding this message to him or her.)
1. Spill your guts. The first step toward repentance is honesty, and it must be brutal. To repent means to turn 180 degrees, so this decision cannot be half-hearted. It’s not enough to whisper a quiet prayer under your breath. To break free from a life-controlling habit as powerful as porn, you must talk to someone else. And you should do it sooner, not later.
James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (NASB). I have prayed with many guys about their porn addictions, and they have testified that the power of their sin broke the moment they admitted it. Sit down with someone (preferably a more mature Christian you know and trust) and put all your cards on the table. If you humble yourself, God will give you grace to change.
2. Get ruthless. Sin is deceitful. It loves to make up excuses such as, “No one knows about your habit, so it’s not hurting anyone,” “I deserve this little treat” or “I can play with fire and not get burned.” Don’t believe the lies. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup, and many men today forfeit their relationship with God by compromising with porn.
You can’t break free from sexual sin by slowly backing away from it or taming it like a pet. The Bible tells us to “flee” from immorality (2 Tim. 2:22). You must lay the axe to the root of your problem. Cut off all access to porn. Say goodbye and slam the door in its face. And if you can’t stop looking at it on your phone or computer, get rid of your phone and computer.
3. Keep no secrets. Guys addicted to porn struggle with constant shame. They can’t enjoy prayer or worship because they feel condemned. They can’t share their faith with others because they feel like hypocrites. And many Christian men are so full of guilt they turn to alcohol or drugs to numb their pain.
It’s not enough to confess your sin to a brother once. You must stay in relationship with people who love you enough to confront you. Find one or two accountability partners and make a covenant with them to live transparently. And don’t wait until you fall to call for counsel. Contact them whenever you feel tempted. Send up a flare and ask for help before it’s too late.
4. Refocus your life on others. Lust is ultimately about self-gratification. When a young man gets hooked on porn, he can’t grow up emotionally. This is why some adult men in their 50s and 60s act like 13-year-olds when it comes to sex. They are stuck in perpetual puberty.
You will never break free from the bondage of sexual sin simply by gritting your teeth and trying to forget the images you saw in magazines or videos. You must totally redirect your energies toward serving others: your spouse, your children, your church and the needy people around you. Throw yourself into selfless ministry and starve your illegal urges.
5. Stay filled with the Spirit. None of these previous steps are possible without the Holy Spirit, who is our promised Helper (see John 14:16). Self-help is not the answer. Ask the Spirit to fill your life with His refining fire. He will go to the root of your unholy desires, burn up your lust and give you supernatural ability to resist temptation.
J. LEE GRADY is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at·leegrady. His most recent book is·10 Lies Men Believe·(Charisma House), is a helpful resource for men’s small group Bible studies.
In a real sense, revival is the only hope for our nation and this whole generation. If it doesn’t come, then most of our other strivings will ultimately be in vain. If the church is enveloped in revival, however, then we will be receiving from the Holy Spirit virtually everything that matters to see Christ sufficiently exalted in our land and among many peoples.
(David Bryant in Revive Magazine, Winter 2012, 8)
One of the most critical aspects in learning to pray for others is to get in contact with God so that His life and power can be channeled through us to others. Often we assume we are in contact when we are not…Often people will pray and pray with all the faith in the world, but nothing happens. Naturally, they were not contacting the channel. We begin praying for others by first centering down and listening to the quiet thunder of the Lord of hosts.
“It is God’s will through His wonderful grace, that the prayers of His saints should be one of the great principal means of carrying on the designs of Christ’s kingdom in the world. When God has something very great to accomplish for His church, it is His will that there should precede it the extraordinary prayers of His people; as is manifest by Ezekiel 36:37. and it is revealed that, when God is about to accomplish great things for His church, He will begin by remarkably pouring out the spirit of grace and supplication (see Zechariah 12:10).”
Jonathan Edwards, Thoughts on the Revival in New England – 1740
By Mary Alice Isleib
Every time we pray, if we do so correctly, God’s mighty power is released and made available to bring victory and breakthrough into even seemingly impossible situations. We do not need to overcome God’s reluctance when we pray. That is not the problem.
When we pray, we are breaking through resistance from the powers of darkness and taking hold of God’s willingness to do His plan in the earth. That prayer causes His power to be released on our behalf.
God’s power is in the spiritual world. We can’t always see it and sometimes we can’t feel it, but it is there nonetheless. In many cities and nations, it has been withheld for years; not because of God’s reluctance to act, but rather, because God’s people have lacked the spiritual understanding necessary to break through and use His power to see their prayers answered.
Everything we need is already paid for and created by the work of the cross. Now we must take hold of it through the heart of faith and the voice of prayer and make God’s power available in the earth. You have an active part in the Kingdom of God coming to earth as it is in heaven. Who is going to do this praying? Every believer is called to prayer. It is a gift that Jesus has given us.
God loves to hear His people pray. He always answers the call of the righteous. There’s sadness in His heart when there is prayerlessness in the earth. God is waiting for you to rise up and pray. He is longing for you to break through your flesh and the resistance over your prayer life. He is waiting to teach you and help you.
If you are a believer, you are called to prayer – bold, fervent, regular prayer! James 5:1 says the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The Amplified Bible translates this, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” What a great promise! God’s power is available for us today! It is not locked up in some inaccessible place far from our reach or possibility to obtain. There is a way for us to experience that power and make it available to our generation. That way is through prayer – through effective, fervent prayer. This type of prayer is a generator for the power of God that will change individual lives, cities, and nations.
What is prayer, really?
Evelyn Christenson writes…
One day my husband walked out of the sanctuary of our church and encountered our custodian fairly dripping with perspiration. He was a giant of a Christian, but was gradually losing his ability to think and work effectively because of hardening of the arteries. As my husband saw him struggling with the vacuum cleaner he looked down and there lying on the ground was the plug. The dear man had vacuumed the whole auditorium and didn’t have the plug in the outlet!
Isn’t that what happens to many of us? We work, we pull, we struggle, and we plan until we’re utterly exhausted, but we have forgotten to plug into the source of power. And that source of power is prayer–the “effecting fervent prayer” of a righteous person that avails much.
For you to pray:
Dear God, teach me to plug into Your power. Amen
(Evelyn Christenson, What Happens When Women Prayer, 23-24).
By Ray Ortlund at the Gospel Coalition…
“Worldliness in the church is the number one enemy, and that comes in when we have unspiritual people, and we have unspiritual people too often because they are nominal Christians. They have the language, they have the outward, but they don’t have the power. So, Paul’s words: ‘The kingdom of God is not in word but in power.’ That whole school of Edwards and Alexander and so on — they believed in the power of religion. You know, men candidating for the ministry, and the minister saying, ‘Can he pray down the Holy Spirit?’ Imagine that question today. Can a man pray down the Holy Spirit? It’s not perhaps exactly the sentence we would say is completely correct, but you know what they meant. . . . When those men prayed, the Holy Spirit did come down.”
Rev. Iain Murray, in a recent 9Marks interview with Dr. Mark Dever
By Carol Madison
Prayer First Communications Director
As Nick Hall knelt down on the stage and pounded on it, he startled me. He called on the college and university students to get on their knees, put a stake in the ground, and give their lives to prayer for revival and spiritual awakening on their campuses.
I was startled because I had crawled under the stage to pray for Nick while he preached to a few thousand students at the University of Minnesota UNITE prayer gathering. When he pounded several times on the stage, I had thoughts of it collapsing on top of me! But at the same time, I was blessed and overwhelmed to hear the students respond by crying out to God for that spiritual awakening to begin.
Bethel and Prayer First Involvement
Prayer First and Bethel University were key partners in the UNITE event on the National Day of Prayer. It was a unique prayer gathering led by students, supported by older generations, and embraced by all denominations.
In some ways the vision actually originated with conversations between the Prayer First team and Ralph Gustafson of Bethel University over dinner one night at the Converge Biennial in Denver in 2010. There was a desire expressed to host some kind of prayer gathering or conference on the Bethel campus as a way to connect the prayer movement more closely with students.
The vision began to grow with those of similar hearts. The Prayer First and Bethel representation joined with leadership from Global Day of Prayer MN, Pulse Ministries, and Praise FM radio in the Twin Cities to launch a planning team. Soon other Christian colleges and campus ministries at the U of M joined in calling students and adults to prayer. As a result, some 2,500 people joined in prayer and worship on May 5 at the U of M Mariucci Hockey Arena.
Bethel University brought several busloads of students, initiated by Donna Johnson of the Pray First campus ministry. The Converge Prayer First team members were strategically involved in the planning of the event, and also took responsibility for on-site intercession for the students. Bob Bakke (Hillside Church of Bloomington, MN and GDOP MN), Nick Hall (Pulse Ministries), and Fern Nichols (Moms In Touch Intl.) joined forces to lead the prayer gathering in a generational representation.
From Generation to Generation
Fern Nichols mobilized 10,000 Moms In Touch groups to pray for the event. She summed up the hearts of moms around the country when she said, “I love you. Thousands of moms love you. We are counting on you, this next generation, for Jesus’ sake and for the Kingdom of God!”
Nick Hall responded (to the roar of the students’ approval): “God’s Word says one generation will commend God’s works to another. Tonight is not about asking the adults to pass some baton to us. It isn’t about saying we don’t need you anymore. This is about us as young people standing and saying, ‘Older generations, we need your help, your prayers, encouragement, wisdom, and guidance in our lives.’ We link our hearts together and pray for a multigenerational partnership in the gospel!”
Encouraging Responses
It was a powerful evening of prayer and worship. Some measurable results include:
- More than 300 students indicated commitments to Christ.
- Some 1,400 students signed response cards, indicating desire for future involvement in the prayer movement.
- Throughout the nation, more than 1,500 people participated through streaming on the Internet
- More than 100 student leaders participated in a follow-up meeting to begin planning for initiatives on their campuses in the fall.
As Dr. Bakke summarized the evening, “God was powerfully at work in our midst! But even more was accomplished according to the heart and dreams of Christ for spiritual awakening throughout the earth.”
Please be especially in prayer for a work of revival and spiritual awakening at Bethel University this fall. There was significant movement in the past year (a 40-day prayer tent, etc.), but keep seeking the Lord for an even greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit on this campus – and on other campuses across our nation!
“Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.”
bryanaloha
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