DESIRE RENEWAL

DESIRE RENEWAL                    Friday – September 17, 2010

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” – Habakkuk 3:2

In the winter of 1865, Martin J. Clapper was a stonemason and lay preacher at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Holland, Michigan. 
He preached with a fervor that was not initially accepted by the sedate audience. Elder Clapper, who had come "to save Holland," as he said, would take his coat off and roll up his shirtsleeves when he preached. After his sermon, he would invite the congregation to sing a psalm. Then he would invite those who desired prayer to come forward. 
After a few gatherings the church building could not contain the congregation. The church moved to the town hall and quickly outgrew that meeting area also. 
In April 1866, the local newspaper reported the following: “The prayer meetings are still being held every evening. They are still being marked by continued liveliness. We also hear from surrounding congregations that the Lord adds sinners and revives His people. It is remarkable that this happens in various places, simultaneously, and that, without having been in communication one with the other! It is one and the same Spirit, who works in all the children of God!”

The Lord desires us to be excited about Him! Today in prayer, praise the Lord for your new life in Jesus. Ask the Lord to renew that desire to love and follow Him. 

“We've lost sight of the fact that some things are always right and some things are always wrong. We've lost our reference point. We don't have any moral philosophy to undergird our way of life in this country, and our way of life is in serious jeopardy and serious danger unless something happens. And that something must be a spiritual revival.” – Billy Graham 

God’s Word: “Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” – Psalm 80:7