In the Presence of the Lord

Leslie Basham: Bill Elliff says when you spend time alone with God, others will notice.

Bill Elliff: My wife has a wonderful perfume that when I’m around her very long, I smell a little bit like her. There’s a fragrance that comes in the life of people who linger long in the presence of the Lord.

Leslie: This is Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss for Friday, November 30. For the last 12 weeks we’ve been in a series on personal revival called Seeking Him. Nancy’s here to introduce the final installment in the series.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: What a special 12 weeks this has been as we’ve been seeking Him together for personal and corporate revival. What a blessing it’s been to hear from so many who’ve been joining in with us, who’ve been listening to this series. Thank you for your letters and emails sharing how God has been using this series in your life.

I’ve been so encouraged to hear about individuals and churches and small groups that have been seeking Him together with us during this time. I hope that you’ve been able to join us not only here on Revive Our Hearts each week day, but also on the Saturday morning National Prayer Meetings for Revival.

If you’ve not had a chance to participate in one of those prayer meetings, let me encourage you to find a way to do that tomorrow. You won’t be sorry. You will be so blessed as you hear from others who have a heart for revival and you join your heart in crying out, “Lord, would You revive the church in our day?”

For more information about how you can participate in that prayer meeting, go to ReviveOurHearts.com and it will tell you how you can listen online or perhaps a Christian radio station in your area that’s broadcasting the live prayer meetings.

Now, once again today, we’re going to air some excerpts from a national prayer meeting for revival that we held a couple of years ago. On this special program, you’ll be hearing the heart cries of a number of different intercessors, including Byron Paulus who’s the executive director of Life Action Ministries, the parent ministry of Revive Our Hearts.

You will be hearing from Kim Wagner who has been with us a number of times on Revive Our Hearts; pastor Bobby Moore from Olive Branch, Mississippi; pastor Bill Elliff from the Summit Church in Little Rock, Arkansas; and then my dear, longtime friend, Evelyn Christenson, now in her 80s who for decades has prayed and prayed and prayed that God might revive the church in our day.

I know that those listening to this program right now may be in the workplace or driving a vehicle or in a place where they can’t stop what they’re doing. But if you can, let me encourage you to take out the next 20 or so minutes and join us, perhaps even going to your knees wherever you are, and join us in crying out, “Lord, would You revive the hearts of Your people in our day?”

Bobby Moore: Lord, I thank You this morning that you are my Father and I thank You that You long for this time with me. I pray that in my heart I can return that love. I want to thank You for Your patience with me. I want to thank You for the fact that in spite of failure, in spite of whatever else I may have experienced in my life, You never tire of hearing me come to You. I bless You for that today. I thank You for that. I worship You for that.

Byron Paulus: Thank You that You’re a God of fellowship and that You long to fellowship with Your children and to sup with them as it says in Revelation. God, I thank You that when I come to You, You find great joy in just me crawling into Your arms and Your receptivity and openness and acceptance.

Just like I long to have a connection with my children, You long to have connection with me. So Lord, I lift You up this morning because You’re a God who cares and loves Your children. Thank You for being my Father.

Kim Wagner: Father, I want to thank You so much that You’re One that woos us and calls us by Your Holy Spirit to even come to You. That You desire for us to meet with You. That amazes me. But that’s Your heart cry—to meet with us. I thank You for that. I thank You that You’re willing to allow us to come into Your presence, as unworthy as we are. I want to thank You for that.

Evelyn Christenson: You are a holy, holy, holy God. I want to join that thanks to You for the privilege of coming into Your holy presence. Lord, no longer are we on the outside praying. You have sent Your holy, holy Son to die for us. Father, I thank You that it is because of His blood shed on the cross that we have access to Your holy place.

Dear Jesus, our hearts are just overwhelmed this morning that You would willingly go to the cross, take our sins, pay the price for who we are and the sin in our lives and that You, dear Jesus, would by Your blood pay the price for that sin and thus doing You have opened the holy place of the Father to each one of us.

Not just praying on this broadcast, but each person listening, You, Jesus, by Your blood have opened the holy place of the Father personally to us. Thank You.

Bill Elliff: Father, I thank You for Your commitment to purifying Your bride. Lord, that You make clear that You want to wash her with the water of the Word. That we might be a holy bride, a spotless bride. You care enough about us that we not be a rag-tag inappropriate, unpowerful body, but that we be Your body. God we want to be that. So Father we submit ourselves to who You are.

Byron Paulus: Lord, I was thinking earlier this morning that where our treasure is, that’s where our heart will be also. Lord, pray that You would bind Satan who loves to put that lie in the hearts of Your children that if I really don’t have the desire to spend time with God, then why bother. God, sometimes it’s where we invest our time and sometimes it’s out of desire, but sometimes it’s out of discipline, and God that too produces devotion and desire.

So Lord, I pray that whether Your church, Your children feel like it or not, Lord, they would obey and that we would go to Your Word and go on our knees and that we would make that a sacred, sacred part of our life. God, with that I know will come this overwhelming love and affection and longing to be in Your presence.

God, we talk about heaven and we talk about being in Your presence and heaven, what a glory that will be. If that’s true, then why don’t we want to be in Your presence today? Why would we rather be in the presence of so many other things and so many other events and then still say we want to be in Your presence in heaven?

God, forgive us for the hypocrisy. Forgive us for that warped way of thinking. God, cause us, I pray, to long to be with You, to live with You, to walk with You, to be bathed with Your presence daily. God, just to listen and to hear and to receive what You have to say to Your church and to our hearts individually. God, forgive us for that hypocrisy.

Bill Elliff: I think of how so often, Lord, the greatest indicator of pride in my life is lack of prayer. If we can go a day or a week or a month without praying, it’s just an indication we think we can live our lives without You. So I just pray that You would forgive us of the root sin of our lack of devotion, our lack of prayer, of pride.

I pray there would be a fresh revival of humility and brokenness before You, a willingness to admit our sin and acknowledge our need. Lord, to see You as You really are and to see ourselves and our need of You as it really is. So Lord, we ask that there would be a fresh wave of humility and brokenness that You would send across our nation that would just cause us to naturally run into Your presence and hunger for You because of our desperate need.

Bobby Moore: Father, with all my heart today I thank You that You give me the privilege to intercede in behalf of others. I thank You that every time I’m involved in intercession, You’re my prayer partner. Lord, I’m amazed by that. It’s an incredible privilege, Father, and I thank You for it.

Father, being a pastor, I just want to cry out today in behalf of men across this nation who are spiritual leaders that You would open our eyes, our hearts, our wills, our very lives to You, that we would recognize if we don’t have a ministry with You, we don’t have a ministry with others.

So God, I pray that You would stir the hearts of men to pray, to seek You, to be real with You, to intercede. I pray that You would once again make Your house a house of prayer and make Your men, men of real prayer and intercession.

I pray God that You would so stir our hearts that we would not be hopeless or negative, but that we would recognize that anything that You can do can be accomplished through prayer. So I pray that You would make us people of prayer. Lord, I ask You that across this land today, that You would stir the hearts of men of God to pray, to share Your Word, to live as You want us to live for Your glory. I pray that You would do that in my own heart and the hearts of many of my brothers across this nation.

Evelyn Christenson: Our holy, holy, holy God, how I thank You for this first step that is beginning to take hold in our country. Around the world it’s so great in so many places and yet we have been such a Johnny-Come-Lately here. Lord, I thank You that we’re beginning to see the fruits of all the years of prayer that have gone on in our country.

Lord, I would pray again for our leaders, those who are leading us in our Bible studies, our preaching, our teachings, all whoever it is who’s telling us what to do, how to do it. They may turn to the Word of God. Lord, forgive us for all of the outlines and projects off the top of our heads.

Lord, would you return the physical Bible into our congregations. Not just words on a screen someplace. Lord, teach us that this is Your Holy Word and that every word is true and that you are the only author, only, only author who’s always present when we read His Book.

Oh God, if we want to step into Your presence and into the presence of Jesus, in times past, You spoke through the prophets and that was good, and it was wonderful. But in these days You have spoken in Your Son. Lord, teach us to get up to AD instead of staying only in BC in the Bible. Help us to see that Jesus Christ is the answer to revival and that the repentance and the lifestyle that He expected is so much more than what was expected in the Old Testament.

Lord, most of all, as we now are celebrating the 1904-05 great revival—the great Welsh revival—Lord, forgive us if we are only praying for us to be better, us to be more happy, us to be more filled with You. Those are the first steps, but Father, the final step historically of every New Testament revival has been hundreds of thousands and millions swept into Your kingdom.

Lord, help us to step through this one, stay in it until it’s true and then step out like the great Welsh revival. And as we cried out in South Africa by Andrew Murray’s church, "Oh, God, do it again. Do it again, Lord."

Kim Wagner: Holy Spirit, I ask that You would be speaking specifically to men and to fathers, that You would bring them to a place of realization that they are to be the priests of their home, that they are to be leading their family and teaching their children spiritual truths and leading their children in how to pray.

I thank You so very much for Miss Evelyn Christenson and how You’ve used her with calling women to pray and her faithfulness in that and how You even used her in my life as a young woman. Father, I pray for the men of this nation that they will have a burning desire, an urgency to meet with You and to intercede for their family and to be a spiritual father to their children, to mentor young men to be godly men in this nation to lead their families. Holy Spirit, I just ask that You would do that. Bring a revival in the families, in the home.

Bobby Moore: Father, we know how through the years, You have in times of revival often used students, young pliable hearts. Lord, we’re so encouraged to see in the midst of a post-modern society and all the ambiguity of it all, to see some men and women who are selling out to You, Lord, and are hot-hearted for You.

O God, we just pray that You would raise up all across this nation Evan Roberts—a young man, a young woman who would rise early and hear from You and who are wholly devoted to You. So we pray for a revival among students, among high school students and college students who are quick to come to You. Would You penetrate their hearts and give them great devotion.

I pray, Father, for those of us who are older, that we would have an openness to even be led and helped and challenged by the lives of young men and women who are wholly devoted to You. We would not reject that as has happened at times past in our pride. So Lord, we just pray for a great revival of intimacy with You among students across this nation.

Bill Elliff: Precious Father, we thank You for these moments and Lord, we wrap all of this up with this understanding that as Evelyn said a moment ago, not for just our happiness, and it’s not just for our good, but Father You deserve for our lives to reflect Your glory. You deserve for people to look at us and see the face of Christ and to feel the love of Christ and to hear the wisdom of Christ coming through us.

When people say what is that? We just point and say well, I’ve been in the presence of my Father and this is what He’s like. So we just ask for Your glory and to be Your tools that are ready to make disciples of all the nations. We pray for this revival in Your presence and keep us from a self-centered desire for a devotional life. Lord, make it a God-centered desire and a God-glorifying desire.

So Lord, we ask all of this for that purpose that in all things You might be glorified and honored and blessed and magnified to the end of the age. We ask that in Jesus and through His precious name. Amen.

Byron Paulus: Amen. Thank you, Bill, for helping to guide our prayer time this morning and, Bobby, for opening the Word to us. I want every one of you who have participated with us this morning, if you have just a moment and it’s nearby, to grab your Bibles—Isaiah 64. Turn to Isaiah 64 at the very end of our call here this morning and our time together.

I’m going to ask Bobby Moore if you would read the first six verses and then, Bill, if you would read, as a prayer, verses 7 through 12. I just think to end our 12 weeks with a biblical cry for revival on the theme of devotional life couldn’t be more fitting. I just want us to close here in a few moments with that prayer as all of our hearts are joined together from around the nation here in the world and offering that prayer as we pray it together and follow along in the Word of God—Isaiah 64.

Bobby Moore: “O God, that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down, that the mountains might flow down at Your presence. When the melting fire burns and the fire causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence. When You did awesome things which we look not for, You came down. The mountains flowed down at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by ear, neither has eye seen, O God, besides thee, what You have prepared for him who waits for You.”

“You meet him who rejoices and works righteousness, those who remember You in Your ways: behold, You are angry; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:1-6).

Bill Elliff: “There is no one who calls on Your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, nor remember iniquity forever; behold, look now, all of us are Your people. Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised You, has been burned by fire; and all our precious things have become a ruin. Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O LORD? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?” (Isaiah 64:7-12, NASB).

Byron Paulus: Lord, You’ve heard our cry these weeks. You’ve heard our prayers, our pleas these weeks. We’ve turned our hearts to You, O Lord. We sought after You with all of our hearts and, Lord, would You come? Would You please, please come? Descend upon our nation, our world. God, pour out Your Spirit. God our prayer is, even so come quickly. Come today. Come at this moment. Even so come quickly. Lord Jesus, manifest Your presence for Your glory and Your fame and we’ll praise You forever and ever and ever. Amen.

Leslie: That’s Byron Paulus of Life Action Ministries praying for revival. The host of Revive Our Hearts, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and other Christian leaders were part of that prayer meeting as well which took place a couple of years ago. Today’s program gives you a taste of what you could hear tomorrow during Seeking Him: A National Prayer Meeting for Revival.

Nancy and other leaders will reconvene tomorrow for prayer. You can listen online and pray along; or if a radio station near you is carrying the special broadcast of the prayer meeting, you can listen on the radio. Tomorrow marks the final prayer meeting in this series. Don’t miss your chance to pray for God to revive His people. Visit ReviveOurHearts.com to find out how to listen online or listen in your area.

If you’ve been moved by today’s prayers, if you’re passionate for revival, you’ll want to hear Nancy’s entire series called Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival. Today is the final installment of this 12-week series, but you can order it on CD or MP3 CD. Just visit ReviveOurHearts.com to find out how.

When your husband doesn’t share your faith, how can you still serve him effectively, follow his lead, and show him God’s love? Our guest, Nancy Kennedy, will provide some insight on Monday. I hope you can be back for Revive Our Hearts, and I hope you’ll make it a priority to be in church this Sunday.

Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss is an outreach of Life Action Ministries.