Parched

On my way in yesterday morning before the sun rose I could the sky lighting up indicating an approaching storm. The forecasters predicted the storm. They expected it during the evening hours but it drew near right about the time people commute to work.

By the time I reached my destination the sprinkles turned into a full fledge rain. I checked the weather radar and saw major rain heading our way. Before long thunder shook the building. Then the rain started falling. So loudly I could hear it falling on the metal roof of the building. The rain grew in intensity. Though well past sunrise by this time, the skies remained dark.  Outside a window I could see puddles forming on the parking lot. It rained hard. A welcome sight for those of us who have not seen much rain the past several months.

Later that night I had scheduled a football camp. I planned to spend the better part of two hours teaching football drills with my three youngest boys to children ages first grade through sixth grade and then planned to share the gospel in a devotional at the end. Looking out that window at the cascading rain and knowing more moved in our direction I thought we might have to cancel the event.

I did not look at the field for the football camp until well after lunch. By that time the sun had come out and the storm moved on just as fast as it came. I could not believe my eyes. The parched ground gulped all the water. I did not even see a puddle. No mud. Only dry ground. That parched ground thirsted for rain. It has been a hot dry summer in Texas. Just over a week ago we had temperatures climb up as high as 109 F. Along with the storm came cooler temperatures. The wind shifted out of the north and the temperature dropped to 88 F. That is a 21 degree drop. 88 never felt so cool. Very refreshing relief.

The camp went on as scheduled. All last evening I could not get over how the ground sucked up all the rain and remained dry.

It got me to thinking about something else. This old world is spiritually parched. It has been a long time since the United States experienced a great awakening. A long time since many countries experienced one either. During that time the drought of sin and the dryness of religion have increased. At a doctor's office this morning I watched a DIY show on flipping a house. The main guy flipping the house said it is a project he wanted to get done for his fiancé. In the next scene the fiancé turned out to be a man.

Homosexuality is increasing. So is drug abuse. Drugs are a seductive mistress tempting and tantalizing but in the end trapping and destroying. Profanity is common. Even among so called professional people. Vulgarity abounds. Immorality is common even among the so called people of God. All the while the church turns a blind eye and a deaf ear pretending not to notice. I guess the leaders are scared the offerings and attendance might drop if sin got exposed and people called to accountability. The clergy are not immune. I learned of two cases of ministers involved in affairs in a town far away. In the end, the church is often anemic, water downed and impotent to impact this parched world.

This is not the only time a civilization has been so far from God. There have been equally wicked times in the past. Sodom Gomorrah. Babylon. Rome.  Periodically in response to importunate prayer God has graced this old planet with seasons of refreshing in the form of revivals and awakenings. I believe this old planet cries out for such and outpouring of spiritual rain again. People are starving for such an outpouring even if they are not aware of their need.

If God would come once again and sweep across the Pine thickets, the swamp marshes, the crystal sand beaches, the mountain hills, the coastal plains, the urban inner cities, the country hamlets and all in between drawing people to repentance and salvation we would see something marvelous. There is a thirsting and starving for a move of God around this world.

Many have given themselves to incessant prayer for such a move. A move beyond any denomination, beyond the control of men and women, a move that cannot be contained and controlled. A move so powerful it is like a powerful storm approaching impacting everything and everyone caught in its path. O that God would send such a move again across the land. O that the remnant church would yearn for such a move rather than another powerless program.

He did it before. He is certainly powerful enough to do it again. I want this parched planet to see at least one more great awakening world wide before the end comes. I want to see revival rain fall and this dry and weary land to get a spiritual drink. I want to see the blood bought church become spotless again. I want to see preachers empowered to preach in Holy Ghost anointing. I want to see worship become reverent, devout, sincere, uninhibited and offered in unity. I want to see altars covered with broken repentant people and baptistries filled with the ripples of new converts. I want to see houses of worship keeping the doors open all week long to accommodate the great move of Jehovah around the world. I want see sins confessed and shunned. I want to see mass salvations impacting whole communities, cities, and countries.

God did this before. He did it through people like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, John and Charles Wesley, William and Catherine Booth, Evan Roberts, Charles Finney and a host of others whose names have been forgotten. We lived in parched times. The spiritual drought has lasted for a long time. Prayers have been offered. Supplications have been made. Intercessions have gone up fervently.

O Jehovah, Almighty, please hear and help us. Please let your revival rain fall on this planet sweeping up millions. I ask You to choose Your vessels. I ask You to set them apart for the task at hand. I ask You to whisk them away with You in the prayer closet. I ask You to burn revival fire in their souls. Like Elijah prayed for rain after a three year drought I ask You to hear these anointed pray for revival rain after decades of spiritual drought. I ask You to send it for the glory of Your name. I ask this in Your name Jesus for Your glory. Amen.