The Bible says that, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18). The use of the word "vision," in that sense, is not a reference to any sort of mystical experience. Rather, it means leadership, direction, purpose, understanding. Without leadership, direction, purpose, and understanding, in other words, "the people perish." Yet, not as if they die, physically, but spiritually. And there are multitudes upon multitudes of people who are going through the motions of life, though spiritually dead as dead can be. Many of those are professing Christians.
What is the purpose of this present life? (Hint: It is not to seek one's own comfort and, some day, go to heaven.) Knowing the answer(s) to that question opens the door to understanding. Which in turn gives direction. All of which culminates in leadership, under the tutelage of the Spirit of God. You will soon discover (by the help of God's Spirit), if you are seeking the truth, that the reality of being a Christian is inseparable from the realities of spiritual warfare.
Without a vision, the people perish. The Church in America is perishing: because, there is so little godly leadership, so little understanding amongst the people as well as their leaders; and, because the people are being pointed in the wrong direction, and for the wrong purpose.
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The basic fighting unit in the U.S. armed forces is the "squad." A squad is comprised of a half-dozen soldiers (it used to be safe to say those were "men"). In a squad, every soldier has different weapons and skills, which together serves to make the squad versatile, efficient, and powerful. A well-trained squad is capable and equipped to do serious damage to enemy forces. A squad is capable of rapid response. It's small size facilitates: fast and close communications; ease and efficiency of coordinated action; and, it is easier to manage interpersonal relationships, in the context of a small group. Squads appear to be the most efficient, the most manageable, and the most effective fighting "unit."
Squads are sometimes brought together in a larger unit, called a platoon. Platoons, in turn, are combined in a company; etc. The size of the fighting force largely depends, of course, upon the magnitude of the threat. At any rate, it is at all times necessary, in order to maintain a high state of readiness, to organize and to coordinate the activities of all members and units belonging to an entity's fighting forces.
This elementary philosophy related to war strategy, has a meaningful correlation to the spiritual life of the Body of Christ. Here's what I mean (and I will get right to the point).
The Bible is replete with actual case studies related to spiritual warfare. A common element which appears throughout Scripture, is the principle of teamwork, especially, where that involves spiritual warfare ((which consists of prayer (to God) and ministering the Word of God (to people)). In fact, there are certain promises, in Scripture, explicitly given to teams (in contrast to individuals); e.g.:
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
"And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword." (Leviticus 26:7,8)Teamwork. Unity. The "body of Christ." We in a certain geographical location, have received, from a highly trusted source, a specific word of prophecy, pertaining to the opportunity for Revival. (I stress the word "opportunity;" which, then, makes the promise dependent upon our response.) For, that word of prophecy begins (as almost all do) with the word "If" (I call that word the "biggest word in the Bible"):
"If ten churches will come together to pray together, and to work together, for Christ's sake: then, I will send Revival to [the geographical location where those people are]."I believe that word of prophecy (I personally know the one who delivered it to the Church). I furthermore have not ceased to believe it and, most important, to pray and to work to satisfy the requirements of that word. But I do not for a moment believe that that prophetic word applies only to that certain geographical location! For, the intention and the meaning of that prophecy, is precisely the will of God as that has been revealed to the Church, everywhere and at all times.
I am striving to be a catalyst for Revival. I have learned, from God, that every Revival must be preceded by a season of preparation. That season of preparation involves prayer, prayer, and more prayer. And then more prayer. I do believe there is a direct correlation between the depth and scope of that preparatory work of God, in prayer, and the work of the Holy Spirit which follows as the result of that season of preparation in prayer. In other words, a greater Revival, I believe, necessarily entails a greater prayer effort.
I also see there is great wisdom in "multiplying." If 'x' amount of prayer (not so much quantity as quality; although, one cannot have the latter apart from the former), may be needful in order to carry forward a work which God intends; then, one person may need to pray for four years, let's say. Or, two may lay up a comparable investment of prayer (I do believe there is some meaning to that expression) in half that time, or, two years. Whereas, four people may accomplish that goal in one year.
But if forty people would covenant together to pray for Revival, I can assure you that what one person may, or may not, be able to "pray through to" in four years, yet, forty dedicated prayer warriors ought to be able to "pray through to" that desired goal, in much less time (though not less effort). And I am willing to stand on that assertion (though doubtless some will object that such an idea is not Biblical).
Consider the case of when the whole Church joined in united prayer for Peter's deliverance. The answer~which was supernatural and extraordinary~came quickly.
Multiplying = squads. I am laboring to encourage and to help others to form prayer teams, "squads" of prayer warriors. Keep them small. Keep them tightly knit, focused. It's much easier to get five or six people to come together and pray, than it is to get twenty or thirty (you will never, in that case, have the same "group" of people praying together).
And I encourage more experienced squad members to interact with other prayer squads, from time to time, in order to encourage, to motivate, and to counsel. When there are several "established" squads within, say, 10-15 miles of each other, those squads should be brought together on a regular basis (a couple of time each month), to pray together and to interact in other ways to support one another.
This is my recommended model for Tozer's "new Ark" (about which I wrote, here: http://headjanitor.blogspot.com/2016/02/building-tozers-new-ark.html).
It is something (a plan) for which I have been praying and seeking God for a long time. I believe this is what needs to be the next step in our prayer effort for Revival. (It does agree with the word of prophecy, above mentioned.) Truly, we have been earnestly praying for Revival, and that on a fairly large scale (according to our faith). Not only do I believe that God wants the scale, or the range, of our seeking to expand; but, also, I am sure that the depth of our seeking, with respect to that which we have already been seeking for, needs to increase.
"Without a vision, the people perish." Here is a worthy "vision," a "plan of action," which is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the Word of God: Come together and pray for Revival!
Simple, isn't it? The actual doing of it, though, is something else altogether . . . .
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