The gap is the place a Christian fills between God's purpose and a non-believer's under-standing of, and receptivity to, the gospel message. David Bryant contends that all Christians are in the gap, whether they want to be or not. It is how Christians respond to the gap that determines, in part, their usefulness in God's ultimate redemptive work through Jesus Christ.
The gap is also the space Christians occupy between the world around them, their nation and their neighborhood. Again, Bryant says a Christian's place is in the gap. He calls his book, subtitled How to Prepare for the Coming World Revival, more than a major revision of the work's original 1984 release. The evidence of that is Bryant's observance of the surge in worldwide prayer and revival trends. Additionally the book has a 12-session, small-group Bible study and a resource section in its appendix.
Part of the appeal of Stand in the Gap is that it is not merely theory. Bryant tells of ministry to homeless where "Jesus bags" were always prepared and ready to be given away. There are more than enough practical ideas to help Christians find an approach to evangelism that will help them fill their gap.
"When we discover that each of us is personally vital to a global cause for world redemption, our motives for staying morally pure begin to change. Bitterness, greed, lust or pride cannot be tolerated any longer by those who want God to make their lives count significantly to usher in a historic Great Awakening," writes Bryant. It is typical of his no-nonsense style. Like: "Boxed up spirituality turns stale fast. No outlet means no uplift!"
Bryant has two key questions. "Now, will I stand in the gap? That is, will I fully assume the privilege Christ has given me to be an agent of revival in my fellowship ... A second question is of equal concern: In what part of the gap will I stand? That is, what will be the width of the gap where I serve Christ's cause?"
And what would Bryant have gap-fillers do? His charge is for Christians to become informed, lift prayers for revival, to be accountable for their role, study and bring others along by giving away the vision for revival.