2 Chronicles 7:1 - 16 A Royal Recipe For Revival 2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 1. THE PREPARATION FOR REVIVAL: Notice the words "if my people". The solution lay in the hands of God's people. In calling them to repentance notice there needed to be a putting away:- a) Of Their Corruption: v14 “If my people..... seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways”. I. PRIDE IS THE ENEMY OF REVIVAL shall humble themselves A. The word translated “pride” in the Old Testament means “to rise or to swell up.” It refers to the rising of the waves of the sea. It speaks of men thinking more of themselves and their abilities than of God. God hates pride! Ill. Pro. 6:16-19. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Here are the evidences of pride in a life: 1. Pride refuses to listen. 2. Pride likes to talk about itself. 3. Pride likes to be noticed. 4. Pride believes that it deserves everything it gets. 5. Pride is not thankful. 6. Pride cannot be corrected. 7. Pride criticizes others 8. Pride puts itself first. "Mr. Ali, you'll have to take a seat and fasten your seat belt because the plane is about to take off." Well, Mohammed Ali looked at her with a snarl, and said, "Honey, superman don't need no seat belt." She looked at him and said, "Yeah, and superman don't need no airplane either. Now sit down and buckle up.") B. God's Way is to “humble themselves”. The word “humble” means “to bend the knee; to bring down; to place self under another.” Pride will not allow the prideful person to bow their knee to the Lord! b ) Of Their Coldness: v14 and pray II. PRAYERLESSNESS IS THE ENEMY OF REVIVAL and pray A. The people of God are challenged to “pray”. Prayerlessness is the first cousin to pride. Prayerlessness says, “I do not need to call on the Lord,
B. It is a fact that we can pray and not have revival; but we will never have a revival apart from prayer! Prayer is the ultimate statement of inability. Prayer looks to God and says, “I can’t, but you can!” Finney, “Prayer is the essential link in the chain of events that leads to revival! (Ill. Dwight L. Moody, in England. "Come back. Revival has broken out." So Moody got back on the train, went back to that church and preached 10 straight nights. And 400 responded to the invitation. Mary Ann Adelard had read one of his sermons in the newspaper and had started praying every day that God would bring D. L. Moody to her church. Ravenhill, “The church is dying on its feet because it is not living on its knees c) Of Their Conceit: and seek my face III. PRIORITIES ARE THE ENEMY OF REVIVAL and seek my face A. The word “seek” means “to search out by any method; especially by worship and prayer.” The word “face” refers to “the countenance; to turn toward His direction.” This little phrase is a call for God’s people to stop looking for help and purpose in every other thing in life. They are called upon to make God their primary focus and their first priority. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Revival does not come to people who seek revival; but to those who seek God B. When God is our first priority, He wants us to love what He loves, hate what He hates and do what He does. John 5:19-20. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 1.) On what activity do you spend most of your time? 2.) On what do you spend the bulk of your money? 3.) On what do you focus your thoughts? d) Of Their Concealment: and turn from their wicked ways IV. PRESUMPTION IS THE ENEMY OF REVIVAL and turn from their wicked ways A.That is, they are to forsake their sins and embrace holiness. Isa. 59:2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. B. James 5:16b says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” The key word in that verse is “righteous”. The word refers to a person who is “holy, upright and keeps the commandments of the Lord.” “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart,” Jer. 29:13.
In 1904 Evan Roberts preparing himself for the work of the ministry suddenly became burdened for the lost. Going back to his home church he emphasised four things.
1. The past must be made clear by confession of every known sin to God, and every known wrong to man.
2. Every doubtful thing in the believer's life must be put away.
3. Prompt and implicit obedience must be rendered to the Spirit of God.
4. Public confession of Christ must be made within and without the church". Isaac Watts wrote :- "I'm not ashamed to own my Lord, Or to defend His cause". over 100,000 were converted within 5 months. 2. THE PRAYER FOR REVIVAL: shall humble themselves, and pray, a) They Were To Pray Selflessly: In the Hebrew there are twelve different words used to express the single verb "pray". The one used here is on at least two separate occasions rendered 'to judge'. Robert Young tells us it means to "to judge self habitually". In other words coming to pray for their land they were to judge their prayers making sure they were not selfish.
James 4:3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”. b) They Were To Pray Earnestly: and seek my face".Luke 11 v 5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. c) They Were To Pray Definitely: v14 His face speaking of his favour
Pleading his mercy and not our merits. 3. THE PROMISES FOR REVIVAL: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” a) The Promise Of Favour: v14 then will I hear from heaven The word "hear" in this verse means 'to listen to a point where you are moved to action'. In other words he was promising to respond to their cries.
Where there is a movement towards God there will be movement by God. Coming he will answer your prayers. G. Muller said "I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk about, when I lie down and when I rise up. And the answers are always coming".
b) The Promise Of Forgiveness: and will forgive their sin, v14 Repenting, humbling themselves and praying he promised to forgive all of their sin.
Before there can be revival there must be remission. Sin has to be taken away.
c) The Promise Of Fruitfulness: v14 and will heal their land
Revival not only purifies but prospers the land. Woodrow Wilson's last words to the America people were these: "Our civilisation cannot survive materially unless it is redeemed spiritually."
