Cry for Personal Revival-3(A Devotion by Gbile Akanni)

                                Restoration of God's Hand

In the continuation of the prayer, the Psalmist appealed to the Lord's work over the time upon this vineyard. Though it would mean nothing to The Lord to look away from any work no matter its size once the leaders are no more in tune with Him, yet much investment of God over a man's life is not a mean consideration in our cry for restoration.

And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.(Psalms 80:12-16)

This vineyard is the one thy right hand has planted. It is the branch that thou made strong for thyself. This is your personal investment O Lord and whatever credit we accrue to this vine now was all by Your hand. Remember the work of your hand O Lord and return in mercy to visit this vine again. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. This is the real issue I must watch in my walk with God. The rebuke of God's countenance is more than several barrels of guns shot at me. Legions of demons will not achieve what the rebuke of His countenance will pull down in all I have been labouring upon for several years.

The cry for divine visitation is what I must not play with. O Lord, do not look away from me and from this work. The refrain of this prayer came at this last part again and it is worthy of note.

(Psalms 80:17-19) Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

This is the prayer I cannot ever pray too much. The need for God's hand upon me continually is a daily need. It is not a prayer for some occasion. It is the need of my life. Let thy hand O Lord be upon me.... To be a man of His right hand, is to be highly favoured by Him. It is to be in His love circle. It is to be accepted of Him. Father, I know you have shown me your favour over the years and I have no doubt in my heart that I have experienced the years of thy right hand. You have made me a man of your right hand. I have seen so much favour from your hand over the years. You have taken me from nothingness and brought me up and set my feet upon the Rock. O Lord, withdraw not your hand from me. Withdraw not your favour from me dear Father. Let me not fall into your disfavour. It will not be well with me that way.

It is The Lord Himself that has made me strong for Himself over the past years. It is not in me to be strong. It is not that I am sufficient of myself as to think anything of myself or coming from myself. My sufficiency has been from God and God Himself is my sufficiency. He is the one who makes me an able minister of the word of God. I cannot boast in anything. I have not preached any message for these many years without Him. I have crawled all the time to the pulpit not knowing what to say or do. I have been in the tension of uncertainty each time I am called upon to bring the word of God. I know you are the one who has made me strong for thyself and I would not take that for granted. It will be a disaster if you withdraw your hand from underneath my life. I will immediately collapse without any remedy. O Lord, let your hand be upon me and underneath me. Fold me in the hollow of your hands today and evermore in Jesus name.
So will not we go back from thee....
What a matter I am seeing today! It is indeed your hand upon me that has kept me steadily following you. Without you I can do nothing indeed. That I am standing today has been purely by your mercy and by your outstretched hands upon me. The Psalmist recognised this and declared "Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand and upon the son of man you have made strong for yourself, so will not we go back from thee.". It is your hand upon us that will keep us and stabilise us in following you. This is the secret of a growing intimacy with God. It does not even originate from me or from any effort I could make. It is your hand upon me that keeps me from going back from thee. Father, I have come to hang my hope in you alone. I have come today again to cleave unto you and to your loving hand lest I stray from thee.

It is your strong hand upon me that will keep me from going back from thee. It will not let me stray from the narrow path. It will keep me fascinated and captivated with you. The gainsayer from afar off may think I am trapped within your firm hand, but it is my protection from the evil one. It is my shield from the scorching heat of the sun. It is in this hollow of His hand that I am safe and secured. O Lord, I cherish the hollow of your hand and there I long to remain all of my days in this pilgrimage. Fold me in that hollow of your hand keep me there. All the tempests of life may blow so strong and the billows may roll but in the hollow of your hand, I am safe.

quicken us, and we will call upon thy name....
It is the Spirit that quickens, the flesh profiteth nothing. Human energy does not give life, it only exhausts. It is as The Lord revives our souls that we can call upon His name with faith and with any genuine zeal. Revival only comes from The Lord and it is when men can call upon Him name.

As I study this masterpiece of revival praying, it is clear to me that though there are things we must need do in preparing for divine visitation, it is The Lord that will give both the desire, the burden and the life that makes men call upon Him for a divine visitation. It is the Lord's work and the Lord at work in the hearts of men that can bring the zeal, the zest and steam in the place of prayer. It is not human determination at praying that brings revival. It is the quicken power of the Holy Spirit that begins every motion in the hearts of men for revival. It is the spark of revival in the heart of a man kindled by the Spirit of God that begets the bigger flame of revival. While prayer is very prominent in revival labours, it is revival kindled by God that causes men to pray for more revival. O Lord, help me to see this and to rest in your grace to visit your people as you begin with my own heart again today.

It is the Spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing. This is the truth I must learn so firmly from now on. Unless the Spirit quickens men's heart, in vain do I arouse them with strong preaching. It is fire that begets fire. It His fire that will kindle the fire of the Spirit in the hearts of men. I must wait for this kindling fire from His hand. I cannot bypass this and hope to do any useful and enduring work. I cannot shout on men as if to start a revival. Men will not call on the name of The Lord for their salvation until they have been quickened by the Spirit.

Quicken us and we will call on your name. Quicken our hearts and we shall break into prayer and supplication. You are the starter of every genuine fire. You are the giver of every life.
"To all life thou givest, to both great and small. In all life, thou livest the true life of all. We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree; and wither and perish but naught changeth thee"
This is the truth and I long to know this more and more. Let me not put confidence in anything else until you have quickened our hearts. O Lord, even to lead a prayer meeting, I need this quickening of your Spirit otherwise it will be a mere troubling of the conscience of men as to their sluggishness towards prayer. O Lord, teach me to seek this quickening with all my heart and even this is only possible if you have quickened my heart afresh.
Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts...
cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
This is the recurrent refrain for this prayer and it is the worthy ending of it. Every genuine cry for revival begins with this and it ends on the same note. O Lord, turn me again; cause your face to shine and we shall be saved.