It's Friday afternoon and I just got home from enjoying brunch with my mom and youngest brother. While we were eating at Chick-fil-a, there were three teenage boys sitting behind us who prayed before eating their meal.
First off, can I just point out how attractive that is?! ;) (kidding...mostly) Anyways, it was such a huge encouragement to see these young men praying on their own without an adult telling them to or caring what people around them thought.
This got me thinking about praying in general. I recently had the opportunity to drive to California for the Azusa Now Revival. It was this huge gathering for prayer at the Los Angeles coliseum back in April. There were hundreds of thousands of people united, praying as one body of Christ while millions more were watching it streamed live.
There were world leaders, well known pastors and incredible worship bands. The day was filled with the Holy Spirit leading and healing this nation. I honestly don't have words to describe it. My good friend Caleb put it this way, "I watched this huge black man crying and this little old white woman hugging him praying. As I watched them, I realized that the only thing joining them together is the love and power of Jesus." If that doesn't hit you hard, I don't know what will.
Many people at the Azusa Now Revival have this vision of the world coming together in prayer as one body of Christ. All differences set aside, all opinions and disagreements set aside, all discrimination and hate set aside. Just every believer coming together as one body praying for revival.
Today, after watching these three boys pray at lunch, I had this same vision. I could picture this whole nation, heck this whole world, one day coming together and Praying as one body of Christ.
The reason I found the simple act of these three boys praying for their lunch so huge is because it is just the beginning. I see God reviving this nation one prayer at a time. First, it's family and friends praying over their lunch, then communities praying over their schools and towns, then cities praying over their states, then states praying over our nation, then our nation praying over the world.
Azusa now was an incredible experience. And although I believe a time is starting again where we will see massive gatherings of prayer, it is going to start with three praying at a table.
Our society is hard to live in and can be discouraging at times. But there are also a lot of good things going on and a lot of reasons to find joy. I am so encouraged by these young men. Thank you for being examples to the rest of us and showing us how to live out 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
