God wants to be invited to our communities. He
invites us to do so through prayer. If we need God to increase our
spiritual appetite, we should ask Him. But first, we must be emptied
of satisfaction with the status quo.
Nothing draws God's presence more than holiness
and humility. We must renounce pride, arrogance, being opinionated
and pretenses of piety.
Revival is not borne out of a mass movement, but
out of a series of solitary decisions. Corporate revival begins
with solitary decisions, personal revival. We first must be impressed
by that which we are praying for - the nation. After you have made
that commitment, search out a core group who have also made that
commitment.
Biblical unity commands the Blessing of God. But
it neither infers nor requires a nation-wide majority. Unity in
the core group of even as few as two is enough.
Breakthrough prayer releases Destiny! Effectual,
fervent, persevering, travailing prayer avails much. Pray for God's
work on our hearts. Pray for God to give you His heart for the nation.
Pray for God to give the community His heart.
God's work is always unique. God's timing and means are not predictable.
Our own pride and impatience would have us set a strategy and program
for God to show up. No, we must go to where He shows up.
Leaders are essential to revival preparation. God uses servant
leaders. They must be committed to the community, even if it is
evil. The measure of the leaders is not whether they have influence
with the public, but if they have influence with God. They must
persevere through apathy and active opposition. They must covenant
to intercede for the community.
What hinders community revival?
Theological mis-perceptions. Many believers are
under the impression that revival is a mysterious, divine process
that we don't have a part in. This is contradicted by scripture.
Reliance on programs. We often misinterpret God's
silent deliberation as a sign He expects us to take matters into
our own hands. No, direction from God is critical.
Lowered expectations of what God can & will
do. We are satisfied with 'just a little more' of the status quo.
But what the book of Acts shows is possible today.
Misplaced motives. Examine your motives. Is God
a handyman or a lover? Are you seeking the gift or the Giver? What
is our highest object of devotion? What is the Greatest Commandment?
Ignorance of history. If there is corporate sin
on a ancestral or community-wide level, even this must be confessed
and repented of.
No sense of corporate membership. Unity and harmony
is necessary. God called us to be a Body, committed to one another
in love. We often let our personal pride cause fragmentation and
"church hopping."
Lack of hunger. The tyranny of the urgent, the
distractions and our fast-paced lifestyle tends to become our highest
devotion, while we give God a "time slot." No, we must
remove ourselves from the distractions of life.
The above came from a speech by John
Mulinde of Uganda
" It is not enough to simply wish for change,
or to hope that God will include our community on His revival itinerary.
If spiritual transformation is to become a reality in our lives, then
hope must give way to faith and commitment. Our solitary goal must
be to prepare the way of the Lord, to ensure that He feels welcome
and comfortable in our midst." -- George Otis, Jr
"Heavenly Father, we come before You in our
poverty. We ask you for hunger, a desperation in our hearts for Thy
Kingdom to come, for Thy will to be done here on earth as it is in
heaven. Please awaken our slumbering spirits from the comforts and
enchantments that have held us down. Save us from our weaknesses and
sins. Anoint us with humility and brokenness. Raise us from our reasons
and excuses. Mold us after your loving image. Place your heart within
our heart. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our
master and savior, Amen."
Cassada Bay offer both
individuals and groups the possibility of coming to Carriacou and
staying in a 'working holiday village' FREE OF COST in
exchange for 'work in the village', bringing Hands of Help into
the community, the nursing homes, the church building project.
United Caribbean
Trust Headquarters
Cassada Bay is a beautiful
old, once- empty, hotel located on the island of Carriacou.
United Caribbean Trust
base headquarters could be used as ‘Christian
Timeshare Holiday Resorts’ outside of the hurricane season
(thus fund the trust) and accommodation for relief workers during
the hurricane season if needed. If not needed they could be opened
to local schools, youth groups and Caribbean churches from July
to October.