The Common Ground Covid Connection – May 6

The Common Ground Covid Connection – May 6

Greetings beloved family of Common Ground,

To be able to pray, talk and commune with the One True God of the galaxies is beyond comparison.  To be able to pray and connect with the Lord of the universe is way over my pay scale.  To consider that He, the Creator God, who by His mere breath spoke the planets, the stars, the sun and moon and all of earth’s variable creatures into existence, desires to have a personal relationship with me is staggering to comprehend.  And yet I know it all to be absolutely true!

How much serious thought have any of us ever taken to fully think through this idea and reality of praying to God Almighty?  That little tiny finite you and I are able to have a real heartfelt conversation with the Infinite, Transcendent, Majestic King of Glory.  I don’t know if it’s because of our present state of affairs that has allowed me to contemplate more and meditate upon the wonders of prayer?  But whatever it is, I’m so very thankful for prayer!

As one studies God’s Word and all the marvelous prayers found throughout, it becomes apparent that what many Christians pray for today is rarely prayed for, if at all, by the saints in Scripture.  And one of those divine petitions that God has put on my heart is praying for real God-induced, Spirit-empowered revival.  So how do we biblically and historical define what “revival” exactly is? 

True revival is always a supernatural act of God.  And it always starts within His church, amongst His people.  True revival is not an evangelistic crusade or campaign – that’s a human created event that God can use, but it’s not a Spirit-led, God alone miraculous work that a true revival is. 

And as we look down the corridors of history and see a true God-brought revival, there were always certain central ingredients that remained the same in each revival.  Those obvious ingredients and revival works were: A mighty work and more superior outpouring of the Holy Spirit in which He brings about a greater sense of God’s presence, fervency in prayer, God’s Word and biblical doctrine extolled to a larger degree, a unified realization of hatred of sin and a heart of true repentance throughout the church, the power of the gospel seen and felt in the salvation of souls. 

And it’s interesting to note (but not surprising) that throughout the history of revivals God has ordained and used the same divine graces to bring revival about. Let me quote from a participant of the revival 1858-1859 that broke out in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, Australia and America, “The measures employed have been the ordinary and appointed means of grace—the preaching of the word and prayer.”  And the one central characteristic that all true revival brings to God’s people is the sincere and heartfelt desire to see God glorified and honored to the utmost degree possible!!!  I so desire to see in my lifetime a greater hunger and thirst and want for the presence of God Almighty in His church and in my beloved family, the family of Common Ground!  Let’s DEVOTE ourselves to PRAYER that God would continue to use His ordinary means of grace to change and transform each one of us, for His glory and honor.  Let’s make much of God and very little of us!

Send prayer requests so that we can lift each other up in God-glorifying prayer!

 Stay Safe!  Stay Connected!  Stay the Course in Jesus!!!

Making Much of Jesus!!! Pastor Gary