Posts by John Burton
Good Christian People—Affirming a lukewarm culture
Who will sound a shocking alarm announcing that the church is asleep, lukewarm and without passion?
Possibly the most unbelievable (but common) reaction to the urgent (but rare) call for Christians to burn with great passion for Jesus is the accusation of legalism. To be actively involved with zeal and to call others into a deeper devotion to Jesus and the mission of Kingdom advance smells of unrighteous works to many. I can barely believe I just wrote that.
Further, I’ve heard it said that such a determined devotion reveals a lack of revelation of the finished work of the cross. The thought is that we can now rest easy due to the work of Jesus and, in fact, any energy expended on our part in response to the cross is an offense to the cross. This, friend, is sickening and theologically ridiculous, yet that teaching is gaining ground in many Spirit-filled circles.
Not only should the cross of Jesus evoke the fire of passion from deep within every one of us, we should also understand the radical, costly participation that we must embrace:
Matthew 10:38-39 (ESV) 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The cross is the very picture of passion, and any response less than all consuming zeal is an indicator of a lack of understanding, certainly not of greater revelation. A revelation of our beautiful Savior being savagely tortured and brutally murdered due to our own detestable wickedness should drive us to our knees in a never ending lifestyle of thanksgiving, worship and intercession. Our desire to go deeper and to get closer to Jesus should wreck us every single moment of every single day.
Yet, even within the context of the church there are masses of people who resist such a focus. I’m shocked and disturbed to say that I heard of a locally popular pastor who actually confessed that he no longer preaches the cross. I suppose it’s old news and time to move on to more positive things. I’m grieved.
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV) 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For those who do embrace the cross, and who do carry their own cross, they become a person who yearns to be with Jesus day and night in prayer. They can’t get enough.
One person’s response to the cross will result in a prayer lifestyle. When a group of people have a true revelation of the cross, it results in a prayer culture. When a region is impacted by the precious blood of Jesus that was shed on Calvary, you have a prayer movement. You have a mass advance of fervent, burning, passionate prayer.
In addition to a lifestyle of intercession, an immediate reaction to a life impacted by the unparallelled sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is a desperation for every person at risk of slipping into a lukewarm state. Passion for the sleeping church overwhelms.
Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV) 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
When people are awakened to the reality of the cross, their urgent, heart wrenching cry is to “WAKE UP! WAKE UP, YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE!” We shouldn’t be surprised when awakened people are suddenly crying desperately for the sleepers to awaken as well!
Revelation 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
The prophetic alarm targets those who are relaxing, casual and unaware that their lack of urgency is putting their very lives—their very eternities—at risk.
Those who are comfortable and relaxed—especially those who are at ease “in the name of Jesus”—will always react against any alert that threatens their sedation. Those who are asleep do not like to be awakened, even if it’s for a good cause.
Romans 13:11 (NIV) 11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Just this morning I was deep in sleep when, all of a sudden, my wife shouted, “John! You need to wake up!” I jolted awake, not at all happy that I was suddenly forced out of what was really satisfying comfort. She said, “The plumber is here and he has to turn off the water for a few hours. If you want a shower, you better get moving! You have ten minutes.”
Of course I needed a shower, but I was still not thrilled (Okay, I was actually irritated) to be disturbed from my long, glorious slumber. But, in order for me to accomplish today what was necessary, I had to wake up—and fast.
A sleeping church is at risk of something much greater than a missed shower.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 (ESV) 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
Good Christian People
My heart is grieved beyond description. There is stunning unconcern over the state of most Christian’s lives. While it’s rare to find those who are burning with a never ending, raging furnace of passion for Jesus, it’s common to find pastors and others who appreciate those who are casually devoted as “good Christian people” who go to church and pay their tithes faithfully, as if that’s the mark we are trying to hit.
It’s time for us to function in a type of love that’s rare in the land today. This love will result in a complete refusal to affirm “good Christian people” in any state less than radical, extreme, burning zeal that results in a lifestyle of prayer, works, fruit and obedience as they carry their crosses. No longer will we be able to look at a “good Christian family” who would qualify as pillars in most any reputable church today, but who are unresponsive to the calls to pray with groans of intercession, to feel the weight of God’s heartbreak and to be marked as extremists for Jesus.
It’s time to awaken the lukewarm, those who look alive, who appear to be solid Believers in Jesus, but who lack the necessary investment. We need a movement of people crying in the wilderness to confront the casual spirit that has overtaken the church!
Matthew 3:1-10 (ESV) 1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Just as he rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for resting casual on the work of their father Abraham, we need a rebuke today for those who are flat-lining and unresponsive due to a casual response to what Jesus did on the cross. The cross didn’t end our investment, it initiated it. It empowered it. It demanded it.
“Good Christian people” are those who are interested in the things of God, and who are active to a point, but when the call becomes costly (and bloody), they back off just enough to still have a sense of connectivity but also, safety from the call to death to self and radical surrender on their cross.
Matthew 25:1-13 (ESV) 1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Fifty percent of those who considered themselves to be consecrated to Christ (virgins) were deemed unready. He didn’t know them due to their casual approach, due to their sleep. This affected their eternities:
Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Today we have a generation of church people who once said a prayer and who are entrusting their entire eternity to that one moment in history. There’s little passion, little intimacy with Jesus, little fruit and no raging fire in their spirits, yet they presume all to be well. After all, they are “good Christian people.”
Who Will Respond to the Call?
It wouldn’t shock me that in a major city the size of Chicago, for example, if there might only be a few thousand people who would be described as the radical remnant. Of course, that’s an uneducated guess, but even if it’s four or five times that amount, the percentages would be staggering.
That’s not to say that many more aren’t interested or even hungry. I’m absolutely sure that is the case. The potential harvest is great. But, I’m talking about the John the Baptist style burning awakeners who are giving themselves fully to continual prayer, the pursuit of revival and advancing the Kingdom of God. Those who are in position and responsive. Those who have dealt with the cares of life and who live for little else than to serve the King and to contend night and day for revival and a great end-time harvest.
It’s this type of person that Evan Roberts targeted with his famous revival prescription. Frank Bartleman, who was instrumental in the Azusa Street move of God, sent Evan Roberts a message asking him what he should do to experience a move like they saw in the Welsh revival. Frank listened and we all know the rest of that story.
What is the prescription? It’s something that very few are willing to adhere to:
“Congregate the people who are willing to make a total surrender. Pray and wait. Believe God’s promises. Hold daily meetings.”
I challenge pastors everywhere: refuse to build a church on any type of person other than those Evan Roberts describes. Your church of 500 will most certainly shrink to under 50 but you will be left with those who are fully surrendered and ready to invest at a level worthy of the King.
Just what would happen if we really got serious and refused to lower the bar for those less devoted? Let’s break down Evan’s prescription:
Congregate the people who are willing to make a total surrender.
Preach in such a way that makes the less passionate uneasy and the remnant come alive.
When we call people to a level of life worthy of the cross of Christ, the pretenders will return to the activities their hearts are most united with. The resulting atmosphere will be Upper Room like as the Holy Spirit moves in great freedom.
Sadly, churches today pander to those who want to come, who want to belong, but who are not willing to make a total surrender. There are many Rich Young Rulers in the pews who are affirmed by their pastors but who are actually following Jesus in an unsaved condition.
Matthew 19:16-22 (ESV) 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Those who aren’t willing to make a total surrender will be evident when the bar of commitment is appropriate. They will avoid the prayer meetings. They will be slow to respond to the call. They will resist the cross and the mandate to die daily.
When we do find those who are willing to make a total surrender, we can move on to the next step in Evan Roberts’ revival protocol:
Pray and wait.
This next phase will eliminate even more people. I believe it would make a lot of sense based on what is found in Scripture to replace the primary weekly service with a fiery prayer meeting. Further, the call to pray and wait should result in a prayer culture in the church that is often grueling, sometimes electric.
Finding those who will actively participate hour after hour in prayer is a tough task, though it’s a non-negotiable one. The church is a house of prayer, and it’s an indictment on today’s leadership that people can participate in church activities and call themselves Christians without having a fervent, devoted life of continual prayer.
Psalm 119:145 (ESV) 145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statutes.
Psalm 86:3 (ESV) 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.
Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Romans 8:26 (ESV) 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
When we have a group of people who will pray continually, we can consider the next step in the revival prescription:
Believe God’s promises.
Call everybody to an extreme life of faith.
There is much that I could write here about this, but suffice it to say that many challenges and opportunities to stand in extreme confidence of God’s ability to meet us will arise.
When such an extreme, inconvenient revival lifestyle dominates our daily schedules, we will have to learn to trust God to supply our needs, ensure our families are strong and united and provide the energy necessary. The enemy will work hard to destroy our faith, yet we must be unmoving.
Romans 14:23 (ESV) 23 …For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
If we’ve accomplished the first three steps, this next one will certainly bring the pressure in today’s busy culture:
Hold daily meetings.
Acts 5:42 (ESV) 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
Is there anyone who has what it takes to defeat the cares of life and to order their calendar in such a way that they could gather together every day of the week?
This has been one of my greatest challenges in my 25 years of ministry. Finding a remnant people who have filtered out every competing, lesser activity in their week to make room to gather in prayer every day has been nearly impossible.
Yet, it’s happening in China. It’s happening in other more desperate parts of the world. It’s happening where entertainment isn’t king and t-ball and ballet don’t rule. Today’s Christian culture is heavily marked by pleasure and the typical American dream. This not only puts revival at risk. It puts their eternity at risk.
Luke 17:26-27 (ESV) 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
When I ministered in Haiti over a thousand people walked to the church building every day, many of them for over two hours, just to be in prayer and to advance as one people toward revival. It was humbling. It was awe inspiring. They had nothing better to do than to be with God as a passionate family every night of the week.
It also happens when there are outpourings. People cancelled everything in their lives to attend the outpourings at Brownsville and Toronto every night.
During the Second Great Awakening, over 10,000 people attended a prayer meeting every day in New York City. People from other states visited those prayer meetings and then started their own in their region.
I’m sure you can see why I said I believe there may only be a few thousand remnant Christians who are fully devoted to prayer and revival in a city the size of Chicago. The number may actually be much smaller.
Acts 2:46 (NIV) 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
The fact that we have better things to do than contend for revival in the place of prayer every day is evidence enough that the church is asleep, comfortable and in a very dangerous place. It’s time to fall in love with Jesus again, gather together and pray and model the first century church.
Revelation 2:4-5 (NIV) 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Final Thoughts
We need an awakening movement in our nation, and in the nations. John the Baptist type messengers must arise and confront the slothful, lazy and religious spirits that are in the land with great boldness. Those who don’t fear being labeled legalists must open their mouths and shake the comatose back to life.
A call to radical intimacy with Jesus that can only be nurtured in the place of continual prayer needs to be shouted from the rooftops. The resistance to radical prayer is resistance of Jesus himself. If we don’t desire to be with the one we love, and to hear his heart and intercede on his behalf, our commitment to him is suspect.
There is truly no greater glory than to live a life of prayer and there is no greater mystery than those who have taken his name yet refuse to be with him.
Ephesians 5:14 (NIV) 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
“Orphans No More” teaching series for CoFI Media Partners
Exclusively for CoFI Media Partners—a brand new teaching series is available! “Orphans No More!”
No more excuses: Don’t let an orphan spirit keep you from fulfilling your destiny! Elizabeth had to be delivered from her barrenness to deliver John the Baptist and Mary had to miraculously overcome the fact she was a virgin to bring our Lord Jesus into the world. It’s time for the issue of fatherlessness to, in the same way, be overcome by the power of God!
I agree that it’s widely acknowledged today that there’s a serious problem with fatherlessness and orphan spirits in the church and in the world.
I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 1 Corinthians 4:14-16
It’s true that spiritual fathers are needed, and it’s also true that sons and daughters must discover their true identities-and those identities are not dependent on whether fathers appear in their lives or not. It’s much deeper than that.
The sins of the fathers are significant, and they impact the succeeding generations dramatically. The call is for every one of us as sons or daughters to break off generational destruction and align ourselves with Father God. If we don’t, the devastation will continue. Children of God arise!
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CoFI Group Video—Four Fires Part 8: The City Fire
Local churches must become minimized as the city church is emphasized. Discover some of the challenges to revival on a city level.
FOUR FIRES PART 8—THE CITY FIRE
It's critical that we understand the difference between the city church and the departments in the church. These departments are commonly called local churches.
The pressure of revival and also of the great end time drama that is about to unfold is much too great for a local church to withstand. The city church must begin to be emphasized while the local church minimized.
The local church will gain great strength as soon as it discovers its unique identity as a department within the greater city church.
WATCH OR LISTEN TO THIS POWERFUL MESSAGE FREE FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS HERE!
100% Effective Prayer: A Powerful Prayer Model Discovered in a Cave
Prayer in the Cave: Discover a 100% effective prayer strategy!
This article is taken from John Burton’s book Revelation Driven Prayer.
STOP! YOU’RE PRAYING WRONG!
That’s what God told me one day as I was in some deep prayer. I was currently working part-time at a call center. I had been fairly frustrated that I wasn’t able to leave that job so I could work full-time in the church.
That day, I was praying from a place of frustration. “God, oh God, please grow the church! Let the finances increase! Please God!”
That was when, as clear as a bell, I heard God say, “Stop! You’re praying wrong!”
What? How could that be? I was praying so hard. As I walked around the 1000 square feet of sanctuary space in the early days of Revolution I really felt like I was doing well. Didn’t God want the church to grow? Didn’t He want to provide for our needs?
Then God said something I’ll never forget. “You are praying as if I’m resisting you. Don’t you realize I put those desires in your heart? Why are you begging me for a desire that I initiated? I gave you the desire in the first place!”
Wow! That ruined my whole perception of what prayer was! I had to think differently.
God then said, “There is one who IS resisting you though. The enemy doesn’t want these desires I placed in your heart to come to pass. It is the enemy whom you must fight.”
So, I launched into a new dimension of faith filled and violent prayer!
I felt impressed that God wanted me to practice this new revelation he gave me. He told me He wanted me to have more time to pray and initiate revival in the city. He wanted me to quit my job at the call center. I had captured the heart of God and I knew it was my turn to enforce His will. The enemy must move!
“In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, I command you devil to release! Get off of my schedule! I declare the heart of God is for me to quit my job and to advance His Kingdom full time in Manitou Springs! How dare you touch the plans of God!”
1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
I prayed according to His will. He wanted me to work full-time in the ministry. One week later, as a church of about 35 people, we received a check in the Sunday offering for $50,000. The following week we received $25,000.
I was full time two weeks later.
That money was “more than enough” for me to go full-time at the church. We also used it to get into a 27,000 square foot building. God wanted us to have that all along. The enemy didn’t. I was praying wrong. I was praying as if the provision had to be coaxed away from God. In reality, God had already released it and I just had to go get it–and blast through the enemy’s resistance on the way.
That’s why it’s critical to be people of prayer. How else can we know what God wants us to pray for? What to stand on. What not to focus on. What to delay? We must hear Him!
Of course, the primary thrust of this message is hearing the ever-present voice of God. Let me at this point also emphasize the seemingly obvious power of the written Word of God. The revelation of Revelation Driven Prayer has literally changed my life in many realms and dimensions. The above story revealed a process I went through with regard to God’s will for that moment of my life. He spoke specifically to me regarding His desires.
Another story, though very short, had an equal impact upon my life. I was once again in a place of ‘frustration prayer’. I was crying out for my needs to be met. I was banging on the doors of heaven in passionate prayer for finances, among other things. Once again I heard the voice of God deep within my spirit, “Your prayer is hindering you.” What? Did I hear what I thought I heard? God told me that my prayer in that moment was doing more damage than good. I should stop if I planned on continuing in that vein.
He then said, “Without faith it is impossible to please me.” He added, “Doubt in prayer will ensure that prayer goes unanswered.” Ok, He had my attention. I pondered this, and wrestled with these issues. I didn’t want to doubt. I wanted more than anything to be a man of faith. I wanted these pieces to fit together so I could arrive at some conclusion. God was telling me not to pray! Yet, I still had unresolved issues that demanded a miracle. Oh how alone I felt!
Then the answer came. God asked me why I was praying for something that was already promised in His Word. He has promised to supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory. The very act of asking God for my needs to be met revealed my lack of faith that it has already been done! Wow! I was attempting to convince God to do something that He already had resolved! My prayer evidenced my doubt which resulted in my prayer being unanswered!
The Bible reveals, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Doubt was in my heart. It also reveals that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. I was speaking unbelief. Finally, the Bible reveals that the power of life and death are in the tongue. The unbelief in my heart was manifesting as decrees of death over my finances! It would have been better if I didn’t pray at all!
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
No begging, no coercing, no convincing, no doubting allowed in prayer!
James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Now, when I pray, I simply remember that prayer rhymes with declare. I don’t have an addiction to petition. I hear God and then declare to the atmosphere and my situations how they must conform to His will. It turns us from a position of defeat and passivity to a position of victory and spiritual violence and powerful faith! We change from the afflicted to the afflictor!
REVELATION DRIVEN PRAYER MODEL
We had a team of college aged young men and women come to Revolution Church for Mission Manitou–a spiritual warfare missions experience. It was an amazing week. The highlight of the week was ‘prayer in a cave’. From time to time we’ll have prayer teams join us for four hours of non-stop worship, prayer, prophecy, intercession and passion. We are literally in a large cave, in perfect darkness with no sense of time. It’s an experiment in Revelation Driven Prayer, or 100% Effective Prayer. This particular night was a night I’ll never forget. For nearly a year I had suffered from a severe pinched nerve in my right shoulder. My right arm and fingers would either tingle or go numb continually. My shoulder, at times, hurt so badly I could barely stand it. I had been to a chiropractor and a massage therapist. Neither worked.
Prior to entering the cave, we had a powerful prayer and worship event at the church. Near the end of that service, I had asked one of the prayer missionaries from Michigan to pray for my shoulder. This particular girl had been pressing so hard the entire week as God was healing her, touching her and shaking her. She craved breakthrough in her life. She prayed for me for quite some time, and then it was time for all of us to enter the cave. I didn’t experience a healing, though I was blessed that she took the time to pray for me.
In the cave, we experienced four seasons that the Lord established as a part of the Revelation Driven Prayer training program.
REVELATION DRIVEN PRAYER STEP ONE:
ELIMINATION
First, we repented. We eliminated everything from the depths of our heart. Complete surrender. Remember, it’s perfectly dark in the cave. You can’t see your hand in front of your face. People’s cries were echoing thorough the cavern. People who never had the confidence to cry out or to pray out in public were wonderfully released to do so. There was such a presence of the Holy Spirit as people wept and repented and released past hurts.
The stronger the Holy Spirit stirs the more we crave to eliminate and repent deeply. The groanings of a broken and humbled person simply overwhelm people who are pressing intentionally and passionately into the place where God is moving.
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
This season is often difficult for some to press through, but it’s the most critical time we’ll spend. The reason many people’s prayer life is so frustrating is because the necessary sacrifice of time hasn’t been made. Pressing into a place of repentance results in a lot of time being made undone before our Father. If we humble ourselves, pray and seek we’ll discover God’s favor. Seeking takes time. Lengthy prayer simply must be a normal reality on a continual basis if we desire to break through to the heart of God.
Psalms 34:17-18 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
This is what we found in the cave–people crying out! If we go to a deeply expressive place of repentance, desperation, desire and longing for our Lover, our Lover will hear us! If our heart is broken, He is near to us! That is one amazing Scripture!
However, so often our prayers are thrown up to heaven almost in passing without any brokenness at all, and we wonder why God isn’t responsive to us in the way the Word of God describes.
We’ll often hear people yelling at the top of their lungs, “God I need You! Jesus, come into my life like never before! Please, fire of God, burn my flesh!”
We’ll also hear people repenting of anything from apathy to mocking to abuse. People want to be free from their unwitting alliance with the enemy. They don’t want to be lukewarm, arrogant, insecure, suspicious or defeated in any way. This season of elimination causes us all to be emptied. Deliverance happens at times in this phase. People of all types, ages and maturity find themselves craving to have every hindrance removed from their lives so they can actually see God, right there in a place of perfect darkness,
On this particular cave experience, after an hour or so of pouring our hearts out to God we moved into the next phase–Consecration.
REVELATION DRIVEN PRAYER STEP TWO:
CONSECRATION
This is a time of adoration, worship and becoming aligned as perfectly as possible with Christ Jesus. It was beautiful to hear the raw worship sounding off the walls of the cavern. After finding themselves empty after the previous season, people were longing to be full of a supernatural fire. God was closer than ever!
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
This second season is critical if we are to clearly hear God in the next season. As we find ourselves emptied of past sins, issues and mind-sets, we can now simply say, “Father, here am I, send me!”
Instead of desiring to warm our flesh by the fire of God’s presence, we lay our bodies, as living sacrifices, directly on the fire and cry out, “Consume us God!”
We tell God that our lives are in His hands. If He desires for us to be martyred for His cause, then that’s what we want. If He wants us to step into a certain mission, that’s what we will do. Our lives are no longer our own, but we are surrendered to God. We are consecrated to Him. We’re excited about what God can do through a completely yielded vessel.
This season is marked by a lot of excitement and wonderful freedom. The result of eliminating all of our baggage is a bunch of extra room for God to operate in our lives. The Spirit of God literally fills us up to overflowing, and we are suddenly putty in His hands.
We may go on for a couple of hours in this season. We’ll worship, weep, experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit, pray boldly in tongues, continually break in His presence and fall deeply in love with Him. It’s simply amazing. Now, with the old man crucified and the Spirit of God blowing like a wind in and through us, it becomes very easy to hear His voice. We capture His dreams and desires for our lives.
This next season is critical to the process of Revelation Driven Prayer–hearing God. Revelation.
REVELATION DRIVEN PRAYER STEP THREE:
REVELATION
With this team from Michigan, I encouraged people, most of whom have never prophesied, to listen to the voice of God and share it with us. One by one people would share pictures, impressions, Scriptures and other words from heaven. I explained that God desires to speak clearly and continually to every man, woman and child of His on the planet.
1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
To prophesy is simply to hear God and to repeat what He says. Share with others the heartbeat of God in any given situation. Hearing God is one of the most exciting parts of one’s personal experience as a Christian. We are all to have spiritual dreams and visions, to walk in the Spirit and hear in the Spirit. God is continually sharing His heart with us and to receive that data from the invisible realm is amazing!
Not only does it make life exciting, it makes it survivable. The only way we can obey God is if we hear Him! So, as we hear His voice, we can know what is required of us. We can see into the spirit realm and understand how to battle the enemy. This is how it unfolded in this particular situation:
We were about to move into the fourth and last season called execution–declaring and enforcing the will of God that was just revealed in this season of prophetic revelation. All of a sudden, I heard this sweet voice from on the other side of the cavern call out, “John?” I said, “Yes?” She said, “I just can’t go on until I share something with you.” It was the same girl who had prayed for my shoulder back at the church. “God is squeezing my heart. It’s so strong and I have to share it with you.” “It’s not good though.” Oh boy! Here we go. One of those moments that every leader has to deal with at one time or another–a crazy prophetic word!
I told her, “Ok, go ahead and share it. Let’s see what God has to tell us.” It was important to me to encourage her in this as it was obviously a critical moment for her. She was hearing God, and I was excited about that. She went on to tell me that she saw a vision when she was praying for me back at Revolution, but she didn’t know how to share it. That same vision intensified extensively during the season of prophecy and hearing God there in the cave. She saw someone holding a voodoo doll of me and they were poking me in the shoulder over and over again.
Now, what she didn’t know was that I was there in the dark on the other side of the room wincing in extreme pain for the previous four hours. I was contorting my body every which way I could in an attempt to relieve the pressure in my shoulder. I was almost in tears much of the night.
I then announced to everybody there that we were a living experiment. God was taking us by the hand and teaching us about Revelation Driven Prayer. I told everybody that God has revealed His desire–He wanted me healed that very moment. It was now time to move into our last season–execution.
REVELATION DRIVEN PRAYER STEP FOUR:
EXECUTION
I asked that girl if she would pray for me. Wow! Something happened to this girl–the fire of God was on her! She prayed down the heavens while the rest of the people in that cave warred in the Spirit and interceded with passion. The noise was astounding.
All of a sudden my shoulder started to burn intensely! It was like someone poured hot oil on my shoulder and was rubbing it in. It went down my arm all the way to the tips of my fingers. God was instantly healing me. I went through every movement I could think of, I pressed my fingers deep into the spot that had previously hurt so badly. My fingers which were previously partially numb were now highly sensitive. It was really happening–I was healed! My arm was on fire. I told everybody what was going on as it was happening. I half-way jokingly asked them if they could see my arm glowing there in the dark cave! It was so hot I thought people around me could feel the warmth!
To this very day my arm has been healed. God was waiting to heal me so all of those people in that dark cave would experience the glory of God.
John 9:1-3 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
This last season of execution is simply that–we execute the instructions of God as He reveals them to us. He didn’t have anything else for us to do at that moment, and our ability to hear Him clearly kept us from praying amiss. We came into perfect agreement with God, looked at the spirit of Infirmity with fire in our eyes and a supernatural confidence and cast it out. The attack of witchcraft was annihilated in a place of agreed prayer. We executed God’s instructions that were revealed to a repentant and consecrated people who were filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation Driven Prayer works. We pour ourselves out, spend hours in the presence of God, hear His voice and then war in the Spirit. Miracles are then the expected, and very regular, result.
John 15:7-8 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
I want to encourage you to pattern your own prayer life in this way. Every day, present yourself to the Lord and go through these four seasons. If Christians will eagerly step up to a place of two or three hours of intentional prayer every day, we will experience an outpouring of God within weeks if not sooner!
I find myself exhilarated when my time in the prayer room is dosed with waves of insight into God’s heart. It’s becomes easy to hit my face, cry out in pursuit of the Living God and then to press on into hours of prayer–when it’s fueled by revelation.
When the cry of our heart is to discover the cry of God’s heart, life in the invisible realm of prayer ramps up powerfully.
I believe the prayer movement will become the thrill ride that it’s meant to be when it becomes predominantly a prophetic movement. Praying prayers into the nether regions without at least a low level of supernatural insight is a frustrating activity. It’s a prime reason many people are resistant to a life of prayer.
Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
REVELATION DRIVEN PRAYER IN ACTION
The Holy Spirit schooled me in the important concept of effective and efficient prayer one day when I was alone in prayer at Revolution Church at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Keep in mind that I have always been a ‘prayer guy’. I caught the fire of love for Jesus in my early years when I was in the place of prayer and that hunger for intimacy with God has never ceased. This particular day I found myself praying very good prayers… but these particular prayers weren’t on God’s agenda for me that day. I was praying for church growth, for people that came to mind, for strategic ideas and other good and important topics. However, they were topics that came to mind based on human insight and yesterday’s revelation. I had no leading that those focuses were also God’s focus for me in that moment. I was praying blindly.
Ephesians 1:15-18 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…
Understand, blind prayers aren’t bad. It’s a very good thing to intercede for any number of pressing issues. However, I was learning that prayers based on human insight alone were simply not efficient. This particular day something else was on God’s heart and he was instructing me to avoid distraction–even honorable distraction such as praying for people in the church–and to have laser precision by praying what was on God’s heart. Prayer is all about agreement. If God’s calling us to stand in the gap for one thing and we’re focusing on another thing we are actually misaligned. Again, let me make it clear so people don’t fall into guilt or false ideas. To pray is good and beneficial. However, we should crave the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness as possible. That’s certainly God’s desire.
A quick way to become disillusioned and discouraged in the place of prayer is to become plagued with what I call petitionitis or to discover addiction to petition. The thought that God is simply waiting for us to ask him for something so he can perform it for us is exceedingly short sighted. We should discuss our desires with God, but the idea that this is the limit of prayer is tragically flawed. Yes, we can ask God for things, but the adventure begins when we allow God to reveal his requests to us.
It simply makes sense to fuel our prayers with the revelation of what God is working on with us at that moment. One of the most exciting questions we can ask God is, “What are you thinking about right now?” If God revealed that a terrorist attack is scheduled to be carried out in our city within the next twelve hours, and he is attempting to reveal instructions for intercession on that issue it wouldn’t make sense to spend precious time praying for other things.
This lesson was drilled home by the Holy Spirit this particular day at Revolution a few years ago. God said, “Don’t pray about anything until I reveal my agenda. Spend time preparing your heart to receive and to be an instrument of intercession and authority in my hands.”
This was one of the most important instructions I have ever received. The reality that God has such an expansive perspective that goes far beyond our own viewpoint should grip us.
Job 11:7 “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”
Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
So, I walked around Revolution Church with no list of petitions. I worshiped, humbled my heart, prayed in tongues and waited.
God then spoke (this is always the starting point of effective prayer). “John, I don’t want you to pray for anything else except for this property. It’s strategic and I want you to advance. It’s time to take new ground.”
The faith, anointing and presence of God increased immediately in such measure that it literally felt like the room was flooded to the ceiling. Immediately after, my staff started to arrive for our weekly staff meeting and one of them walked right up to me after he came through the front door and said, “What’s going on? The faith is so high in this room that you could cut it with a knife.”
He felt it as he walked through the door.
I shared with the team what God had instructed us to do. We all spread out, prayed and anointed the property from room to room. The city of Manitou Springs and this particular property has a very dark history. Many call Manitou Springs the darkest and most strategically demonic city in the nation. This particular property was over 100 years old and was once a brothel. Revolution Church (now Revolution House of Prayer) occupied about 2/3rds of the property and the owner had his Moroccan restaurant in the other 1/3rd. A single wall divided the two sides.
When the church first moved in to this location I found it very hard to physically breathe. The demonic stronghold there was unusually heavy. We did a good job of cleaning things up on our side of the wall and enjoyed the presence of God in freedom to a wonderful degree. However, this very day God was calling us to advance beyond the wall.
After we spent some time praying throughout the rooms of the building on our side, I called everybody together and told them we were to lay hands on the wall that divided the two sides and to pray from the perspective of authority and with great faith and confidence based on the revelation that God had given us.
Now, I hadn’t spoken to my landlord for quite some time. We didn’t cross paths very often, so what was about to happen was very much out of the ordinary.
As we were all praying, my cell phone rang. I just let it go to voicemail as we continued on. Then, something snapped. One of my elders looked at me and said, “It’s done. There’s no reason to keep praying.”
I felt it too. It was awesome. We all went outside and walked around the perimeter of the building and thanked God for what was accomplished. At that point I remembered that I missed a phone call when I was inside praying at the wall, so I checked my voicemail. It was my landlord. He wanted to talk with me. Immediately the anointing around me started to burn even hotter.
I went to meet him and he asked, “I was wondering if your church would you like to move in to the other side of the property?”
I’m sure my face was white. The swirl of God was so strong on me that I had to intentionally maintain my composure. I said, “Yes.”
I often joke that many people simply want God to call them on the phone with answers to their prayer… and for us, it kind of happened like that! Right in the middle of a powerfully unified and faith-filled moment of prayer my phone rang with the answer I was seeking!
That next month we moved into the very room that was on the other side of the wall where we were praying. Plus, our monthly rent was decreased from $8000 to $6000! We took ground and prospered financially all because I laid down my agenda, waited, received precise revelation and came into active agreement with it.
1 Cor 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
I am actively contending that the dry seasons of struggle in the prayer room that has weighed on so many will not remain the norm. The cry is for regular, perpetual revelation to rain down from heaven on a continual basis. If we are to walk in the Spirit, we must have the ability to see and hear and discern in the Spirit.
Instead of simply praying along with the prayer leader in the room for the nation of Egypt, for example, we’ll receive, on both a personal and a corporate level, clear and active revelation about Egypt or whatever is on God’s agenda for that session. The more people that receive a strong ‘yes’ in their spirit as intercession is being led, the more agreed they are and the more effective it is.
It’s good to pray for what seems obvious any time of the day. It’s better to pray in a specific moment for whatever issue God’s calling us to focus on. The goal is to lay the list aside as much as possible and wait until God tells us exactly what to agree on. We’ll find ourselves more alive, refreshed and strengthened as we ride on that wave instead of pressing ahead without it.
As we minimize our agendas and expect God to give us precise instructions for prayer we’ll see the testimonies sky rocket around the world.
CoFI Break—Prayer in the Cave
Watch: Experience God in a cave! Discover a powerful prayer model that results in miracles!
God has worked wonders in perfect darkness as we have cried out in humility and passion in a cave.
God is ready to explode in our lives but we have to take time, separate ourselves and take the time necessary to let that happen.
A prayer in the cave event does just that!
PRAYER IN THE CAVE STRATEGY
Discover a powerful prayer strategy of prayer that was initiate under the surface of the earth in a cave system in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
God is ready to work wonders in your life and use you to advance the prayer movement in your region.
The prayer model in the cave leads participants from repentance to worship to hearing God's voice, and then to experiencing miracles, healing and deliverance!
WATCH OR LISTEN TO TODAY’S EXCITING MESSAGE FREE FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS HERE!
Only 120 spots available for An Unusual Prayer Event
REGISTER FAST! It’s free but required. You don’t want to miss this powerful, anointed and passionate prayer event!
We now have a venue for the upcoming UNUSUAL prayer event in Branson, Missouri: The Old Stone Church on the First Presbyterian Church property.
This special event is limited to the first 120 REGISTRATIONS we receive, so please register early.
To watch a short video and to register go to: www.carriersoffire.org/unusual.
I’m also working on some pre-event prayer and strategy meetings in my home. If you are interested PLEASE contact me right away.
This is going to be a powerful shock to this region and, I believe, the nation!
JOIN US AUGUST 14TH, 2015 IN BRANSON MISSOURI!
CoFI Break—How to Develop a Prayer Culture
Watch: Learn how to develop a prayer culture in your church or home meetings!
Our churches must again be fueled by never ending, passionate and Spirit-driven prayer!
This isn't to be relegated to a side room on an off day, but rather the prayer meeting must be the main meeting of the week!
Discover how to take steps to introduce a burning, prayer-fueled atmosphere into your home or church with the expectation of watching it spread into a wild revival fire!
HOW TO DEVELOP A PRAYER CULTURE IN YOUR CHURCH OR HOME
In this teaching I share some practical ideas on how to begin the process of ensuring prayer is the main thing.
The remnant church is hungering for an atmosphere of burning, effective and intimate prayer. Sadly, most Christians resist the call to prayer, and this has resulted in a powerless church.
It's time to move forward with fiery passion and see prayer return to first place in the church and in our lives!
WATCH OR LISTEN TO THIS POWERFUL MESSAGE FREE FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS HERE!
You (YES YOU!) Can Start a Church on Fire
Watch this short video where I cast vision on how to EASILY start a prayer based church on fire in your home!
The world is waiting for the remnant church to rise up!
I share in this short video how YOU (YES YOU!) can start a prayer-based, Holy Spirit driven church on fire in your home TODAY!
YOU CAN START A CHURCH!
This is YOUR hour!
I constantly hear from people who are frustrated and discouraged by the lack of burning, white hot, prayer driven, revival focused churches in their region. I understand that frustration!
One reason we started Revival Church in Detroit was because we wanted to experience a church with extreme heat and simply could not find one!
No more delay!
We can't keep waiting around for the next great church or the next powerful move of God to come so we can visit it. We have the power of God within us and we absolutely can launch a legitimate church on fire in our homes! You can (should?) do this!
I am making myself available to help consult you, encourage you and help you get started holding weekly prayer-fueled meetings in your home.
Grandmas, grandpas, teenagers, stay at home moms, busy business people and anybody can absolutely do this!
WATCH THIS EXCITING AND ENCOURAGING VIDEO RIGHT NOW HERE!
CoFI Group Video—Four Fires Part 7—Submission to Authority
Watch: A spirit of independence and a lack of response to leadership will put any hope of revival on a city level at risk.
FOUR FIRES PART 7 – SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY
Where is our heart in regard to honoring and submitting to human authority? How will we respond when city leaders call the church into a certain direction? Will we be instant in our response or will we maintain control of our own situation and rebel against the mandate?
There is much pastor and leader hatred in the church and this will absolutely affect our ability to see a move of God in a region.
You are sure to be challenged and possibly deeply convicted into freedom as you watch this passionate, heart felt message.
WATCH OR LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S COFI GROUP MESSAGE FREE FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS HERE!
Become a CoFI Affiliate Church or Ministry
Learn more about how to become a part of our ministry network. This is perfect for prayer and revival minded pastors, church planters, intercessors and marketplace ministers!
Carriers of Fire International (CoFI) is an apostolic network connecting leaders across the U.S. and abroad who are contending for revival through prayer and the equipping of the saints for such a time as this. Through strategic alliance with like-minded leaders, we seek to offer training, equipping, encouragement and activation for burning ones and ministries unto awakening and reformation.
Carriers of Fire International has three strategic alliances:
- Senior leaders of churches, ministries and houses of prayer
- Associate leaders, intercessors, itinerant ministers and marketplace ministers
- Emerging leaders and students of the School of Revival (www.schoolofrevival.tv)
Become a Carriers of Fire International Affiliate
Affiliates are uniquely connected with CoFI as their primary apostolic covering. CoFI churches and ministries share our heart and DNA for ministry while remaining fully autonomous in their specific vision. Affiliates most often include senior pastors and heads of ministries but are open to others including church planters, emerging leaders and associate ministers.