Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God's Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People

by Jim Cymbala

God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power. I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him.

“You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. “You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night. “But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting.” And with that, he walked off the platform. That was all. I never saw him again.

“Revive us, and we will call on your name.” The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer. Only when we are full of the Spirit do we feel the need for God everywhere we turn. We can be driving a car, and spontaneously our spirit starts going up to God with needs and petitions and intercessions right there in the middle of traffic. If our churches don’t pray, and if people don’t have an appetite for God, what does it matter how many are attending the services?

The book of Revelation says that when the twenty-four elders eventually fall at the feet of Jesus, each one will have a golden bowl—and do you know what’s in the bowls? What is this incense that is so fragrant to Christ? “The prayers of God’s people” (Rev. 5:8). Just imagine . . . you and I kneel or stand or sit down to pray, really opening our hearts to God—and what we say is so precious to him that he keeps it like a treasure.

This one really got me.