David McCasland wrote: "When a whitewater raft guide shouts, 'Eddy out!' he doesn't mean, 'Throw someone named Edward out of the boat!' It's the command for the people on one side to hold their paddles against the current while the other's stroke. This turns the raft out of the swift water and into the quiet eddies along the river's edge."

"Shooting the rapids is exciting but tiring . When the guide sees that everyone needs a break, he says, 'Eddy out!'"

While those are not the words, that is the message I have sensed from God, again and again. In the midst of the swift current of life, even in pastoral ministry, I need to "Eddy Out," to move over close to the Lord and take a break of special time in prayer.

Our Lord set this example for us in the midst of His very demanding ministry. He packed a lot of fast paced activity into His three years of public ministry. He gave Himself to much teaching, healing, and caring for the needs of hurting people. I suppose He could have had plenty of work to keep him busy every hour of every day. However, Jesus set the example for us of taking time out to pray. With Christ as my guide on the river of life, I need to take the time to paddle on with the work He gives to me as I also take the time to pray. You too, need to listen to your guide.

We need to do this for ourselves, for our families, for our church, for our community, for our friends, for our society, for our nation. This coming Thursday we have opportunity to observe our National Day of Prayer. Our nation, our society needs our prayers for revival. I read that the number of violent crimes in the US has increased 570% since 1960, while the population has increased only 43%. During that time there has been a 400% increase in illegitimate births. SAT scores dropped 67 point from 1960 to 1993. Lest you become discouraged and think praying for revival is too simplistic a solution, let me remind you that this is not the first time a nation has faced a similar crisis. This morning as we confirm four fine young people in their faith in Christ we realize that it is not necessarily easy to live for our Lord each day.

Wellington Boone wrote: "In 1735, Wales was in decline politically and spiritually. There was an upsurge of the occult and renewed practice of divination and black magic."

"In that same year, a young man named Howell Harris was converted to Christianity. Soon after, Harris was praying in the village where he was a teacher, and God met him in a powerfully way. He began to travel everywhere, preaching, until all of South Wales was awakened. Even notorious criminals were converted and changed their ways."

"The secret of Harris' influence on the masses was prayer. He understood that nothing would be accomplished, either in himself or in his troubled nation, without prayer -- personal, private communion with God."

For years I have been praying for revival and I ask you to join me in praying for God to bring revival. Perhaps, like me, sometimes you have grown weary in your praying and seeking to live for God. It may be time for us to return to real prayer until something for which we are praying takes place. Recall the words of the prophet Hosea, "Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you." (10:12) I believe that God may be waiting for His people to really get serious enough to do what it takes to bring about another great spiritual awakening.

There are a variety of models for prayer. In the ministry of Bishop Wellington Boone, they have an acronym for the type of prayer life that is necessary to bring about change. The word is P.U.S.H., which stands for: Pray Until Something Happens. For a few moments more this morning I want us to think about this acronym as steps for us to take personally as we look forward to revival.

I.     "P"     Purify Yourself

Are you and I willing to become pure and clean in the sight of our awesome and holy God? Then we should allow God to purify us, as we search our heart and repent of any sins that God points out to us.

Hosea said, "Sow for yourselves righteousness," RSV, or "Sow with a view to righteousness," NASV. Our prayers must include confession, not just of the sins of others, but an acknowledgement that we too are sinners. God calls those who respond to the salvation that He offers to be righteous. Our sin separates us from God. Confession of sin and subsequent pure living puts us in right relationship with God. I believe what James tells us in the 5th chapter of his epistle: "The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with."

How do we sow righteousness? We need to read the Word of God often so that we see ourselves as sinners under the searchlight of the scriptures. When we sin, we should be quick to turn away from it and call out to God for mercy. This leads to our next step.

II.     "U"     Understand God's Mercy

How many people outside of the church do you think understand God's mercy? Do you? How might you explain it to them from your own understanding and experience?

Webster defines mercy as a refraining from harming or punishing offenders, a disposition to forgive, relief of suffering, etc. How then do we understand God's mercy? All of us have sinned and broken God's law. Everyone of us has failed to measure up to God's standards. We have disobeyed God by commission and omission. As a result, each of us deserves the penalty of death, of separation from God and eternal punishment.

Understanding God's mercy is a realization and appreciation that God chooses to NOT give us what we deserve. As sinners who confess their sin to God and receive His mercy, we also are to share mercy with the lost. We must be willing to forgive all who have wronged us and seek the forgiveness of any we have wronged.

III.     "S"     Sanctify Yourself

While we are in this world, our Lord wants us to know that we are NOT of this world. We are to be separated from sin and separated to God. Hosea said, "Break up your fallow, that is, unplowed ground." The ground of our hearts is to be prepared to receive the seed of God's word, to obey Him and have a heart turned toward Him.

Others may have other ideas about what it is to be righteous, but we are to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world, according to James. We, who claim to follow Jesus are to live in personal accountability to God.

Wellington Boone wrote, "Separation for God does not mean we leave the world or neglect our families. Just the opposite. It means that our commitment to the living, righteous, holy God becomes evident to all those around us."

IV.     "H"     Hold Fast in Prayer

We have been thinking about an acronym for P.U.S.H.: "Pray Until Something Happens." Hold fast in prayer. Do you realize that real serious prayer is hard work? I am not saying that it is hard to offer a few second prayer to God, to quickly tell Him what you want. But persistent praying until something happens may call us to give up some of our own pleasures to give pleasure to God.

I read that the chief sin of the church today is laziness, laziness in prayer, laziness about changing ourselves, laziness in prayer through, holding fast in prayer for a great revival in our land.

Hosea told the people, "It is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you." I believe that is as true for us today. Are we willing to seek the Lord, to pray until something happens?

Conclusion

Does the word P.U.S.H. describe your prayer life? Remember Howell Harris, a man God used in a spiritual awakening in South Wales 273 years ago? "The secret of Harris' influence on the masses was prayer. He understood that nothing would be accomplished, either in himself or in his troubled nation, without prayer--personal, private communion with God." Do we understand this? What are we doing about it? Are we praying for our children and youth, including those being confirmed today?

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