God’s Agenda for 2025
As I ponder what I believe is on God’s agenda for 2025, and therefore what I will often address on Give Him 15 posts, the two words that come to mind the most are revival and reformation. Progress toward these two things will speed up greatly this year. The revival that has begun will intensify, producing many conversions and great miracles. Reformation and its changes to society and government will also experience increased momentum.
I believe 2025 will prove to be one of the greatest years of change in America’s history. I believe, in fact, that President Trump’s first day in office could end up being one of the most significant days of change EVER in our country. My guess is that he and his team will make a statement, hitting the ground running. I suspect that hundreds of executive orders have already been written, awaiting only Trump’s presidential signature. For many of us, they can’t come quickly enough.
There will be tremendous opposition, of course, but the opposition will fail if we, the church, continue to feed the flames of revival and reformation with prayer. As we think about these two phenomena, here are some things to realize and remember:
Revival is described in Mark 16:15-20; reformation is described in Matthew 28:18-20.
Revival rebirths; reformation rebuilds.
Revival can spring forth quickly; reformation is a process.
Revival changes hearts, inscribing with them God’s ways and laws; reformation transforms minds and thoughts, planting God’s laws in the psyche of a nation.
In the context of revival, Jesus is Savior; in the context of reformation, He is King and Lord.
Revival saves and heals individuals; reformation saves and heals societies and nations.
Revival comes through the “preaching” of the “gospel” (Mark 16:15-20); reformation results from “teaching” what Christ “commanded” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Revival releases power, signs, and wonders; reformation implements God’s ways and wise methods.
Revival fuels and steers reformation; reformation can and should be the long-term fruit of revival.
THE FUEL OF REVIVAL
Only transformation in millions of people’s hearts (revival) will provide sufficient momentum to reform a nation to God’s ways. We can try to reform a nation to His ways through good laws or education, but this will not fully produce the needed changes. Racism is a good example. Well-meaning laws and educational changes have not produced the desired changes. Heart changes from God, on the other hand, produce the needed desire and willingness for a nation to be transformed. The new birth creates a hunger for the bread of God’s Word, a thirst for the river of His Spirit, and a desire to emulate and please Him. This is why I say revival must feed and steer reformation.
GOD USES UNBELIEVERS
A word of caution: When we speak of reformation, it is unbiblical to suggest that God uses only believers. Many of His principles and laws work regardless of who applies them. God spoke of Cornelius as “devout” before he was born again. He acknowledged Cornelius’ prayers and generosity, saying they had built a memorial in heaven, and used his home in which to pour out His Spirit on the Gentile world. (See Acts 10)
Jesus does not reject unbelievers, nor did He suggest that they shouldn’t be leaders, whether in government, business, or any other endeavor. Certainly, the ideal and God’s desire is for everyone to be born again through Jesus. But while on earth, Jesus demonstrated God’s heart to all people. He loved them, ate with them, ministered to them, treated them respectfully and kindly, and even blessed them. (The exception to this was the proud, hypocrites, and those who oppressed others.) Matthew 9:9-13 (NASB) tells us:
“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s office; He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’ And he got up and followed Him. Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, ‘Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’ But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Now go and learn what this means: “I desire compassion and not sacrifice,” for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”
Benjamin Franklin called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on June 28, 1787. Franklin proposed that the Assembly begin each morning with prayers, asking for God’s assistance and blessings. He also requested that a member of the city’s clergy officiate. His motion was made during a contentious period when the Convention was at risk of breaking up over a dispute between large and small states. Franklin believed that God governs human affairs and that the Convention would fail without His help. He also referenced daily prayer during the contest with Great Britain.(1) Though many believe Benjamin Franklin became a believer later in life through the ministry of George Whitefield, he was probably not yet born-again when he called for this prayer! God can and will use individuals in our government who do not know Him - from Trump downward - to reform our nation. I do believe many of them who don’t know the Lord will become believers, but they do not have to be born-again for Him to use them. Pray for God’s wisdom to flow through ALL of them, AND for their salvation.
As we enter this great season of change, we must be diligent to fervently pray for our nation, calling forth the promised revival and reformation.
Pray with me:
Father, we continue to join our hearts in agreement for the things You laid on the hearts of Lou Engle and Matt Lockett [see yesterday’s post]. We pray once again for the Jehu anointing to rest on President-Elect Trump, his cabinet, and all working with them. We ask that You give them the determination, wisdom, and strategies necessary to sweep away the “house of Ahab” and its ungodly ideologies in America. Give them Your agendas, not their own.(2)
We ask that President-Elect Trump have a powerful encounter with You, and that he be filled with Your Spirit. Make him a man of prayer, just as the prophetic word from Kim Clement said.(3) Place an insatiable hunger in him for Your Word. Teach him to hear Your voice, and to know Your ways.
And we ask You for a Third Great Awakening, a spiritual revival the likes of which has never been seen. We cry, “revival, revival, revival!” Pour this out, not only on America, but throughout all the earth. We ask for Ezekiel’s river to increase until it flows at its deepest level (Ezekiel 47). And we ask this all in the great and holy name of Jesus.
Our decree:
We decree that America is being revived and reformed by the power of Holy Spirit.
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
Revival: God's move with a calling home!
Restoration: God's move in us to go out and bless others with His character within!