Sustained Prayer for Sustained Prayer
A program of sustained prayer for revival is not self-sustaining. Revivalists have never understood this. They have never instituted programs of sustained prayer for sustained revival. So, no revival has ever lasted in history.
To promote such a program requires sustained prayer: prayer for sustained prayer. The prayers must be specific: helping this or that group in its prayer program.
Sustained prayer is unlikely to become more than a minority effort in any church. I estimate that the familiar 20% of the 20-80 law will be common in uncommon churches that adopt a policy of promoting sustained prayer. About 20% of the congregation offer up 80% of the prayers.
Part of any program must be specialists who pray for the sustained prayer of others. These people provide back-up. They may constitute only 5% of a congregation. They pray widespread acceptance of the program
These groups must keep praying permanently, decade after decade, generation after generation. This is a permanent program.
If people want sustained revival, somebody must pray for it. A call to God to sustain a prayer group is important. So are specialists who pray for the others who are praying for specific people and institutions.
If 20% of a congregation prays for an hour a day, thereby representing the 80%, then 20% of them (4%) should pray exclusively that the others will not grow weary. They should pray for dedicated prayer groups all over the zip code -- not just the local congregation.
There must be prayer for those who pray only 30 minutes a day, or 15 minutes a day. There will be degrees of commitment. There always are. The goal should be to pray for ever-increasing degrees of commitment to the program. Maybe a congregation can break through the 20-80 rule. Maybe they can get to 30-80. About 30% of the congregation will offer up 80% of the prayers. More is better. If 40% of the congregation offer up 80% of the prayers, a larger percentage is getting with the program. That will help the degree of commitment. It is like getting a larger turnout at the mid-week prayer service today.
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