A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:1-2
Habakkuk is one of the minor prophets about whom we have little information. We know he prophesied some time before the Babylonian invasion. It is presumed that he lived during the time of King Josiah (640 to 609 B.C.), and he gave his prophecy during the reign of one of Josiah’s successors.
The book of Habakkuk has only three chapters. The first two chapters of Habakkuk capture the prophet’s question and answer time with God. In the third chapter, the prophet closed the book with a prayer for revival.
A revival is what the world currently needs. We need God to revive our economy so people will not lose their jobs. Only God can revive the health of people who are infected with COVID-19. Many churches are going to need God to revive their membership when life is back to normal. Most of all, we need God to revive our souls, so the kingdom of God can expand, and the people of the world can return to God.
“The prayer of Habakkuk shows us that revival is a work of God, not the achievement of human beings.” Even though the U.S. government has poured over $2 trillion in the economy, we are still on our way to a recession. Notwithstanding the great innovations in medicine, there is still no effective vaccine for COVID-19. “There is something human beings can and must do for revival – simply cry out to God and plead for His reviving work.”
While the people of the world are pleading with their governments for economic relief, and with the medical community for a cure for COVID-19, believers should cry out to the Almighty and plead for his reviving work. We should plead with God to revive our passion for evangelism so the gospel can be spread throughout the world more fervently and consistently. Our plea should be for God to revive the marriage institution, so there will be less divorce, and fewer wives will be abused by their husbands.
I am pleading with God for a revival from the Whitehouse to Wall Street. In verse 2, Habakkuk says, “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deed, Lord. Repeat them in our day.” We need God to repeat his Passover protection over our land as he did for the Israelites in Egypt, so COVID-19 can pass over our homes.
In our time, I want God to make known the wonder-working power he demonstrated in the book of Exodus. Many people doubt that the God of the Old Testament is the same God who reigns in our world today. They have forsaken the Lord and put more trust in celebrities, or athletes, or government leaders, or Wall Street.
Lord, revive our reverence for your great name. In your mercy, revive our worship of your Holiness. Stir up our spirits so our praises for your mighty acts can be revived. Repeat how you brought an end to the Plague of Justinian (541-542) that killed 25 million people. In your wrath, please remember mercy. Dispatch angels to protect young children that are being molested at home and protect women that are forced to stay at home with their abusers.
I stand in awe of your deeds in the Old and the New Testament. However, I need you to repeat them in our day and stop COVID-19. In our time, make known your power and spare the poor and working-class who are facing a financial crisis. Most of all, Lord, I need you to repeat the Great Christian Awakenings (revival) of the 18th and 19th Centuries that saw millions of souls accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in Europe and America.
Prayer- Blessed Lord, I cry out to you and plead for your reviving work during these times of crises, in Jesus' Name!