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?"
It is always considered sin when we choose to neglect to Obey the revealed will of God in our lives.
God Commands His People To Pray!
· Pray Always - Luke 18:1 - 1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - 17Pray without ceasing,
· Pray Everywhere - 1 Timothy 2:8 - 8I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
· Pray In Everything - Philippians 4:6,7 - 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Prayer Should Be As Natural As Talking With Your Best Friend!
God Sometimes Simulates Us To Pray By Using Circumstances In Our Lives
· God Uses Times Of Need To Stimulate Prayer
Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
He has made the way available and welcomes us with open arms!
· God Uses Troubles And Problems To Stimulate Prayer
Psalm 102:1,2 - 1Hear my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You. 2Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
May be relationships, money, job, etc. problems that God may use to get our attention.
· God Uses Physical Sickness and Problems To Stimulate Prayer
James 5:13,14 - 13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 - 7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
· God Uses Persecution To Stimulate Prayer
Exodus 2:23-25 - 23Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
Luke 6:27-28 - 27“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
· God Uses Physical and Spiritual Weakness to Stimulate Prayer
Judges 16:28-30 (Samson) - 28Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
Matthew 26:40-41 (Disciples in the garden) - 40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
· God Uses Our Relationship With Others To Stimulate Prayer
Job 42:10 - And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
· Prayerlessness Is A Sin and A Hindrance To Genuine Revival!
· God Commands Us To Pray!
· He Will Sometimes Stimulate Us To Pray By Using Our Circumstances!
Invitation:
What Will It Take To Get You To View Prayer As A Necessity, and Not Just An Option That Is Available To The Believer?
Why do loved ones remain unsaved?
Why do problems (Physical, spiritual, financial, etc.) continue to plague our lives?
Why do our efforts to live the Christian life seem to end in futility and continued defeat!
Someone once said, "All of our failures are prayer failures!"
Christian: Will you commit yourself to being faithful in your prayer life?
Unsaved: Will you "Pray" to accept Christ as your Savior right now?
Prayer is a sure evidence that one is truly saved. It is one of the marks of a Christian. Jesus said that believers cry unto God day and night (Luke 18:7). He admonished, Men ought always to pray, and not to faint (Luke 18:1). The apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit, who regenerates us and indwells us, causes us to cry out to our heavenly Father (see Romans 8:15). Praying is as much a part of our new nature as crying is for a child. We must pray!
As soon as Saul of Tarsus was confronted by the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he called out in prayer (Acts 9:5-6). When God sent Ananias to visit Paul, He gave him no other evidence of Paul’s change of heart than the simple words, Behold, he prayeth (Acts 9:11). No matter how sinful or unworthy you may think you are, if you will call on God you can be forgiven.
Promises of prayer. The Bible has much to say about the promises of God to those who pray. Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray when He said, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). He indicated that prayer involves asking and receiving specific answers from God. It also involves discipline and persistence. We must ask in faith initially and then keep on asking.
Our Lord also said, All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22). He undoubtedly meant that prayer is the vocalization of our faith. When we pray and believe, we will see God at work in our lives. Look at the incredible answers to prayer recorded in the Bible. Prayer opened the Red Sea, brought water from a rock, and brought bread from heaven. Prayer made the sun stand still, and it brought fire from the sky to consume Elijah’s sacrifice.
