When the settlers came to America in hopes of making a new life for themselves, they did an incredible thing—they prayed. In the book, Rebirth for America we read this account, “When the settlers who founded the Jamestown colony landed at Cape Henry in April of 1607, they erected a large wooden cross and held a prayer meeting. It was their first act in the new land they had come to settle.” Prayer was a priority!

Recently, I was in two different prayer meetings, one right after the other that lasted several hours. The bible teaching was great, and the fellowship was inspirational, but the sad thing is out of those three hours, we actually prayed only a small amount of the time. Now, I personally believe that there should be scheduled times of teaching and opportunities for good fellowship. But, we are definitely headed in the wrong direction when we announce a time of prayer and end up doing everything but praying. Many times people go to the church prayer meeting knowing they can corner the pastor and get the church straightened out! What they need to do is go to the prayer meeting and start

We’ve gone from praying the price to paying the price for our lack of fervent prayers.  (Tweet)

praying, getting hold of God like Jacob did, not letting go until God changes things! We’ve gone from praying the price to paying the price for our lack of fervent prayers. We have let prayer slip back into being an option instead of prayer being our only lifeline.

You can buy beautiful plaques with eloquent prayers on them or buy a book of prayers for every occasion. You can even dial-a-prayer for your convenience! Whatever has happened to the desperate heartfelt prayers of the saints? We have gone from interceding to entertaining! We have made prayer time into a big game time! We have allowed Satan to take prayer out of our schools and public functions. And if we don’t wake up he will take prayer out of our churches? God forbid that we would be so ignorant! “Surely, revival delays because the churches prayer decays.

Nothing does Satan or hell fear more than praying men,” declares Ravenhill. Many Christians along, with the religious society, have framed prayer to be nothing more than a ritual. The fervent prayers of the righteous have become flavored with decay. We lose sight of revival because we have lost touch of God’s heart! We need to get back to making prayer a priority in our lives, not just at dinner time or in emergency situations, but at all times.

Our country was birthed through prayer and became great because of prayer! It’s time that we quit teaching about prayer and begin to pray! There are too many people

Whatever has happened to the desperate heartfelt prayers of the saints? We have gone from interceding to entertaining!     (tweet)  

talking about past revivals and not enough people praying for revival! Ravenhill also says, “If the church today had as many agonizers as she has advisers, we would have a revival. What are we waiting for, church?” As we approach a new week, will we pray or will we again slide into a rut of excuses! Our children, our family and our country need us to daily pray with passion!

I know there is no magical formula or special method that will bring a revival to the church. God looks to the heart of a person, searching the very intent of his soul. When we set aside ritualistic praying and begin to cry out to God with passionate prayers then things will change.