The Rabbi on Revival
Rita and I spent four days in Kansas City at the International House of Prayer. It was July of this year, hot and humid, but we were more concerned about the fire of God than about the temperature outside. Started by Mike Bickle and a small team in 1999, IHOP has become the international symbol of 24/7 worship and prayer. We walked into the Prayer Room, which seats about 500, and were immediately touched by the power of God. For no apparent reason tears began to roll down my cheeks, and by the end of the evening I was prostrate on the carpet sobbing uncontrollably. I was struck with my own sinfulness and depravity before the LORD. His mercy, His kindness and His grace are truly amazing.
One of the first things we noticed was the Israel Prayer Room. One of IHOP’s mandates is to pray and intercede for Israel and the Jewish people. I thought to myself, “We’re gonna fit in just fine.” And so we did. The worship was rich and full and the prayer times deep and significant. Their young people participate in what they call “Fire in the Night”, from 12 midnight to 6 AM. Their theme is urgency and intimacy.
Rita and I were part of a mighty move of God back in the 1970’s which became known as the Charismatic Revival, or the Jesus Movement. Thousands upon thousands of young people came to the LORD, many of them being Jewish. We were “plucked from the burning” and sold out for God. Zealots! We lived in a sense of urgency, believing that Yeshua could come back any day. The Late Great Planet Earth, by Hal Lindsay, was widely read. It was a wake-up call in preparation for the greatest event in all human history: the return of Messiah!
The apostles and early believers lived in this same sense of urgency. Knowing the LORD could return at a moment’s notice caused them to live a daily life of faith in the living God. Their witness was strong and their life fulfilling. We, too, live in pressing times. In a season of urgency we press into God in worship and prayer, which leads to intimacy with Him.
Intimacy is about encountering God in devotion and intercession, in fasting and prayer. It’s about spending quality time with God. Intimacy causes us to love Him, want more of Him and want to be with Him at all times. Many people are afraid of intimacy because of hurts and wounds from broken human relationships. So they keep their distance from God and never enter into that place of affection, affinity and communion with their Father in heaven.
Many historic revivals started with confession and repentance, with prayer and worship, with urgency and intimacy. They died out because leaders began to orchestrate instead of submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit. They found a system that worked and systematically organized out the Spirit of God. God, help us to hear Your voice, to obey You rather than men and to be sensitive to Your Holy Spirit so that You have freedom to move in our lives and in our congregations. May urgency and intimacy once again take their place of prominence and honor.
Blessings and Shalom,
Hylan Slobodkin
Messianic Rabbi
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