God's Requirements For Revival: Prayer Series

Pastor Rick Flowers

First Baptist Church of Flushing

(Second in a four-part series on Revival)

"God’s Requirements For Genuine Revival: Prayer"

2 Chronicles 7:11-15

Review:

Charles G. Finney defined Revival as:

“Nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God. Just as in the case of a converted sinner, the first step is a deep repentance, a breaking down of heart, a getting down into the dust before God, with deep humility, and a forsaking of sin.”

Remember Also:

Evangelist Gypsy Smith was once asked how to start a revival.

He answered: “Go home, lock yourself in your room, kneel down in the middle of your floor. Draw a chalk mark all around yourself and ask God to start the revival inside that chalk mark. When He has answered your prayer, the revival will be on.”

R.A. Torrey gave a prescription for revival:

“I can give a prescription that will bring a revival to any church or community or any city on earth.

“First, let a few Christians (they need not be many) get thoroughly right with God themselves. This is the prime essential. If this is not done, the rest that I am to say will come to nothing.

“Second, let them bind themselves together in a prayer group to pray for a revival until God opens the heavens and comes down.

“Third, let them put themselves at the disposal of God for Him to use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all!

“This is sure to bring a revival to any church or community. I have given this prescription around the world. It has been taken by many churches and many communities, and in no instance has it ever failed; and it cannot fail!”

Revival must begin with me… it must begin with you!

"Pride Hinders Genuine Revival"

· God Hates Pride

· Pride Harms Self And Others

· God Chastens The Proud

· Pride Blinds Us To Our True Spiritual Condition

"Humility Is To Make A Right Estimate Of One’s Self." -

Spurgeon

Results Of Heartfelt Humility"

· God’s Grace

· God’s Forgiveness

· God’s Blessing

· God’s Ear

(Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 & Pray)

2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If My People Who Are Called By My Name Will Humble Themselves, And Pray And Seek My Face, And Turn Form Their Wicked Ways, Then I will Hear From Heaven, And Will Forgive Their Sin And Heal Their Land."

"God’s Requirements For Genuine Revival: Prayer"

Humility is a key, because apart from humility, other than for religious practices, we would never even see the need to kneel in prayer before a Holy God!

However, prayer is what gets things done. Asking and receiving from God! "…Yet, you do not have because you do not ask." - James 4:2

"Prayerlessness Is A Sin And A Hindrance To Genuine

Revival!"

"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way." - 1 Samuel 12:23

· Samuel Confirms Saul as king.

· Israel had requested a king, and in doing so rejected the LORD as their King.

· He had always raised up judges to deliver the people and lead them to spiritual revival.

· He allows them to do this, but warns of judgment should they continue in their rebellious ways.

· Samuel calls upon God to send rain at a time when it normally does not rain to prove He is serious about this matter.

· The People fear God and Samuel, and request Samuel’s prayers on their behalf.

· He acknowledges that it would be sin for him to cease to pray for them!

We see four things in this passage:

1. Samuel must have been praying for Israel all along, or he could not be tempted to cease or to stop praying for them.

2. To stop praying for Israel would have been sin.

3. There is no reason why we should stop praying for or fail to pray for those who have wronged us!

4. God is here answering Samuel’s prayer by sending the thunder and rain out of season, instilling the fear of God in Israel once again and warning them of impending judgment should they fail to obey.

While in Israel a few years ago, I could not help but notice the devotion of the men and women who knelt and prayed daily at the Wailing Wall in the city of Jerusalem. As I pondered this for a few minutes, the question came to my mind:

"If Orthodox Jews, Who Reject The Deity, The Blood Atonement And The Bodily Resurrection Of Christ Are So Devoted To Prayer, Then Why Do Most Christians View Prayer As An Option Rather Than As A Necessity?"