Prayer – the key to revival

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Armin Gesswein, one of the participants in the Norwegian revival, spent a lifetime in ministry calling people to pray for revival. In 1949, he directed the prayer ministry of the Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles. Eventually this unique and godly man became the father of the modern prayer movement. Armin was also a dad-in-the-Lord to me and we saw each other frequently.

The week Armin was called home to heaven at age 93, we had a serious conversation. “Harold,” he began, “there are two things we must do: get prayer back into the churches and into the schools.” He spoke of Bible schools and seminaries that train men for ministry. Some folks might ask, “What did he mean, ‘Get prayer back into the churches?’”

What Armin meant was serious, focused prayer, asking God to bring about a spiritual awakening. In an article written for Decision magazine, Armin wrote, “It all comes down to this: Revival in our churches is as near as our prayer meetings. Not only Scripture but all church history shows that no revival can ever come another way.” When he spoke to me about his godly desire, little did I know that this would be my last conversation with this great man of God. Less than fourteen hours after our talk, a stroke silenced him, and God called him home.

Revival comes only when God’s people take His Word seriously, see themselves as they really are – often cold and indifferent to spiritual things – and confess sin and seek God with all their hearts.