Today many Christians are becoming deeply concerned about the
great needs facing the Church and our nation. In fact, some have become overwhelmed and
hopeless about the Church's inability to deal with our desperate times. Many are convinced
that judgment is inevitable for our nation. Judgment may very well be inevitable, but has
the Holy Spirit told you to stop praying for revival? As a result of becoming hopeless,
some have become prayerless! If any man of God ever had a reason to give up hope and
become discouraged, it was the prophet Jeremiah. He was a man of tears, consumed by grief
over the sins of God's people. (Jer 9:1). Yet he still encouraged himself to hope in God.
He was convinced of the reality of God's coming judgment, but he did not stop praying and
preaching. He loved those stubborn people to the end. He could not help but intercede for
them. The only thing that could stop Jeremiah from praying for the people of Israel was
God Himself. The Lord had to tell him more than once to stop praying. "As for you, do
not pray for this people, and do not lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not
intercede with Me for I do not hear you."Jer. 7:16. (Jer. 14:11, Jer. 15:1). Israel
had totally rejected the Father's ways and refused to be corrected.
Can you honestly say
that God has told you to stop praying? If you have not received "the word of the
Lord" like Jeremiah did, then you have no other choice but to return to your
prayer closet. We must beware of complaining and criticizing and yet never
praying. Some will spend hours talking to men about the sins of the Church and
then not even spend five minutes talking to Jesus about it. Let us lay aside
discouragement and hopelessness and once again pray for
revival.