David Wilkerson Devotions

What is missing in multitudes of churches today is the thing most needed by the lost: genuine, soul-satisfying joy.

I often hear Christians say, “We prayed down a revival in our church.” But I say that this cannot happen by prayer alone. There can’t be any such awakening unless both the pastor and the people hunger diligently for God’s Word. And they must wholly commit their lives to being governed by the Scriptures. We can’t obtain heaven’s joy until the pure Word has convicted us of sin, breaking down all pride, prejudices and false dignity.

“I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground” (Isaiah 44:3).

Has the Lord brought you His thirst-quenching Word? Has He come to you in your dry spells and flooded you with His Spirit? Are you drinking the pure water of His Word?

If so, you are ready to claim another covenant promise: “I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses” (verses 3-4).

One day we all are going to stand before the judgment seat and answer to the Lord for how we raised our children. And in that moment, none of us will be able to offer excuses or blame anyone else. Therefore, we have to examine ourselves today, asking: Have we brought up our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord? Have we modeled for them a life of love and reverence for God?

Scripture makes it very clear that if you raise your children on the authority of God’s Word, they will not depart from that training in their later years. They may veer away from it for a while—even for years—but ultimately it will bring them back to truth. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

The beginning of true revival comes when a godly company of believers takes on the Lord’s burden for a church or a city trapped in sin. This godly company fasts and prays, pleading with God to begin rebuilding the walls and gates that will protect His people from every enemy.

The book of Nehemiah offers a vivid picture of what happens to the church in times of ruin and apostasy. When Nehemiah and 43,000 other Jewish patriots returned to Jerusalem, they found the city lying in total ruin. The walls were torn down and the gates removed, so the inhabitants had no protection from their enemies . . . and a whole parade of antagonists plundered the city as they pleased.

Recently, our ministry received a heartbreaking letter from a prisoner. He wrote:

“Pastor Dave, I’m in prison because of my sexual addiction. I know I wasn’t born this way, but it’s what I’ve become. I have been married three times and I have four children.

“The truth is, I want to stop, yet I don’t. I quit smoking cold turkey and that was no problem but I’ve never been able to stay away from pornography. I truly believe in the healing power of God and I’ve cried and begged Him for help. But I just can’t seem to find the door to escape from my perversion problem.

God can restore whatever has seemed dead in our lives with just a single word. Are you having financial problems, unable to pay your bills? So it was with the Lord’s disciples—and He fixed their situation supernaturally.

Mark 5 tells the story of Jairus, the desperate synagogue ruler who asked Jesus to heal his daughter. The twelve-year-old girl was dangerously near death, and Jairus pleaded with Christ to come to his house and lay hands on her.

In the days to come, you are going to hear incredible messages about loving Jesus. They will sound holy and Christlike, but they will be tainted with an error that will rob the saints of the very thing that produces steadfastness. These messages will lack an urgency for preparation or a longing for His coming! Their preachers will chop away at the glorious truth of this event and get you to look for an earthly kingdom. And if you look eagerly to His coming, you will be labeled an escapist!