CAN WE PRAY FOR REVIVAL?
Towards a theology of revival
By Brian H. Edwards. Evangelical Press. 213 pages. £7.95
ISBN 0 85234 465 1
This very readable book of seven chapters seeks to answer two more grammatically relevant questions hidden beneath the title, namely, may we pray for revival and should we? The answer to both is a re-sounding, though carefully qualified, 'yes'.
In the first five chapters, which focus on the Old Testament, the author seeks to justify his contention that revivals not only occurred in the Old Testament but were prayed for as well. Chapter 1 surveys the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament; chapters 2 and 3 deal respectively with examples of revival and the experience of revival in the Old Testament, while chapters 4 and 5 examine the Old Testament expectation of revival. Chapter 6 looks at the expectation of revival in the New Testament, and the final chapter contains helpful practical advice on praying for revival. The author concludes wisely by pointing out that revival is not the be-all and end-all of the church's existence, and that the regular on-going work of the church, and even persecution could well be its most blessed times.
