I've been praying lately for the people around me to be awakened... to have their eyes be opened. I recently went to a prayer conference in Germany and, though there were some kick ass speakers there, two of the most random moments stick out to me...

One was after a long day. Charl Young (i.e. old house mate, good friend, shameless dreamer) and I were sitting in the lobby of a typical German youth hostel talking about expectations and current life issues, when in breezed Mike Mawhinney (i.e. husband's old house mate, nurse, and recent sheesha smoker) and in the course of 5 minutes I found myself saying "I don't pray for revival"...

Fast-forward to the next day when Brian Heasley was introducing the new couple (Abby and Charlie) that would be taking over for the 24-7 Ibiza Boiler Room Community. Lots of great spiritual things were said, but the moment Abby leaned over and said her prayer in and for Ibiza was "God I am jealous for more in my time" my ears perked up.

One week later. Back in Colchester. Getting back to the preverbal "grind". I find myself entering prayer space with the words of Abby's prayer burning on my heart. These words pounded on my heart begging me to pray for revival, but then like an annoying freckled-faced bully from school I would see my twisted 'German-hostel-lobby-face' saying, "I don't pray for revival".

Its not that I don't want the love, knowledge and acceptance of Jesus to spread wildly through out this world... its just that I've heard of revival... no... I've heard of revivalS... and they just don't seem sustainable. They come as quickly as they go and leave in their path nothing more then old stories of other times and other places.

But what about his time? What about this place!?!?!? I want change to came... God I pray that it comes swiftly, but I want it to come and LAST... from Age to Age.

How can I pray Abby's prayer to be jealous for God to do more in my time and also not pray for the type of revival that crashes lower then it ever went high?

I don't know, but lately I find myself praying a prayer that says I am jealous for more in my time... followed by a plea for my town, my people, my neighborhood to be awakened. For their eyes and ears to be opened to see and hear what has been around them all along. But more and more I am realizing how uncomfortable waking up is.

Every morning I hear an annoying alarm, the sting of the morning sunlight hits my eyes, and the cold hands of the morning air send shivers down my spin. I hate waking up. Today as I laid in bed wishing the wakeful world away... I remembered the prayers I have been saying for my town, neighborhood, and people to be "awakened"... I scrunched my face...

Why would I pray for anyone to have to experience the torture of waking up... I wouldn't wish it on an enemy... would I?

In my half awake, half asleep self I tried to remember just one morning I really enjoyed waking up... it was hard at first because my brain was so set in thinking that being awakened was simply torture... but slowly I started to remember happy times waking up... the smell of my dad's coffee brewing in the morning, or  the smell of my mom's famous cinnamon rolls wafting into my bedroom, or Christmas morning when I knew there were gifts to be opened, or the days I had made plans with friends to go on grand adventures, or the recent mornings when I woke up because my husband was rubbing my back and giving me kisses...

I guess there were lots of times I wanted to wake up, was excited, and found the experience comfortable, enjoyable, inspiring and lovely.

I mean, the very idea of people coming awake, being alive, being revived... hmmm

Maybe as I am jealous for God to do more in my time I do pray for revival... but not a hyped up, one season of life type of revival, but the kind that starts with a generation being coxed to wake up...

I realized I can try and wake up the people around me harshly with annoying alarms, cold showers, and blinding righteous sunlight...

Or I could consider compassion... and as I pray for an awakening for this generation maybe I should consider putting on the morning coffee, turning up the bedroom heat, baking some tummy grumbling cinnamon rolls, and gently rubbing backs and giving loving kisses....

Maybe then we would see a revival spread through out the land... the kind that last from age to age... the kind that awakens a generation with a smile and joy-overflowing.

Now that kind of revival I totally pray for!