THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN CAUSING REVIVAL
FINDING GOD LEADS TO DESTROYING IDOLS IN OUR LIVES
March 3, 2015WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT AS A LEADER
April 1, 2015SERIES: REVIVAL
GCC Message
Recently we talked about idols and the idols we often have in our lives, we found that idols can be like Moses’ bronze snake. Things that are seemingly good but when we over focus on them they can become our priority instead of God.
After we have gotten rid of Idols we should continue on the journey of seeking God for revival.
What is Revival?
Revival’ is when God reveals Himself in awesome holiness and irresistible power. It is when He visits the world of men to impart a fresh vision of His glory and grace.
In our series on revival we are going to share about prayer and how God uses it to bring about revival.
What is Prayer?
Prayer is an activity of the soul and the spirit. It is engaging with God in a supernatural way.
“Ps 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”
It is deeper than human intellect.
· It is Pouring out of our hearts to God
It is the complete unburdening of our hearts to God. Feelings, earnestness, sincererity.
You may pour your joys, your praise, your troubled thoughts, your groanings to God.
1 Peter 5:7 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you
· It is being with God
Our Father delights in our coming to Him in prayer, just to be with Him.
· It is communing with God
It is to confer, it is to share. It relates to the word fellowship. Un-hurried time with a person you love, openly sharing what is on your heart.
“1 John 1:3 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
· Prayer is all about access to our God
James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded”
This un-hindered access comes when we have peace with God, when we have openly shared our short comings with God.
Last Sunday we talked about removing the road blocks of idols, today we should add the road blocks of sin.
ACCESS relates to being allowed in the inner chambers of the king. It is like having permission to visit the president at his home in the statehouse.
Jesus has given us a right to access. He calls himself the door to the sheepfold.
“Romans 5:2 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God”
Ephesians 2:18 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
We can be Bold! “Eph 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”
· It involves waiting upon God
This is being still and quiet as we think of God.
It is spending an elongated time in His presence.
Psalms 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Isa 40: “29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. “
Waiting puts us in a position of exchange, our weakness is exchanged for his strength. His character gets into us. His anointing gets into us also.
· It is approaching the throne of God
A throne is a symbol of authority. It is the command post. It is where power is got, it is where matching orders are given. It is a place of judgment before we received salvation but now it is throne of GRACE.
· It is calling upon God’s name
It is talking to him from place of knowledge. What we know about his name, his power, the things he has said about himself and the things he has done for us in the past.
Ø El Shaddai: The almighty
Ø Jehovah Jireh: God the provider
Ø Jehovah Rophe: The God who heals
Ø Jehovah Nissi: God our Banner ( He gives us the victory in battle)
Ø Jehovah Shalom: The God of Peace
Ø Jehovah Rohi: God my Shepherd
· It is Seeking God. Ps 24: 3-6
This points to our consulting with God. When I am in need of wisdom. Desiring to know his will. Laying your situation to him.
· It is Seeking His Face.
It relates to fellowship, it is to have God’s attention, it is to be a place where I see Him and He sees me. It is going to God not to get things from Him but to give and get love.
Psalms 27:8 “You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” 9 Hide not your face from me.”
Why Prayer?
John Wesley said: “It seems God is limited by our prayer life, that He can do nothing for humanity unless someone asks Him.”
God has decided to work with us and in prayer we partner with God and engage the enemy.
Prayer is a place where man and God are interacting. Prayer gets us to fellowship with God.
God gets to be with us.
ISA 43:7,21 “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
Individual Prayer
All great people in the bible were men and women of prayer. The heroes of our faith were heroes because of their prayers. Abraham prayed, Moses prayed, Elijah prayed.
1 Samuel 1:15, 16
Hannah, was deeply troubled, she was in great anguish. And she called on God.
Result: God gave her a son Samuel. Miracles born out of prayer have a lasting impact on society. Samuel was a prophet whose arrival changed the whole course of Israel’s history.
Corporate Prayer
It is collective prayer by either a nation, a city or a church.
We see this during the reign of Jehoshaphat, during the reign of Josiah during the call of Jonah to Nineveh and we see this during the church in Acts.
2 Chronicles 7: 13-14
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will 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.”
Revival Prayer always involves a call to repentance.
When people become relaxed in their spiritual lives, sin creeps in and sin drives prayer out of lives.
Corporate prayer results in revival.
During times of revival God’s people are restored from backsliding, carelessness and inactivity. They become preoccupied with the things of God. They become intensely prayerful, attending God’s house more frequently for fellowship and worship. They develop a hunger for the preached word which illuminates and powerfully penetrates the hearts of it’s hearers, bringing conviction and response. Believers develop a passion for souls and become deeply concerned about the spiritual welfare of the lost.
By D. M. Panton
RESULTS;
GOD fought for Israel, after prayer and fasting.
God’s anger for Nineveh turned.
The church prayed when they were threatened and they were filled with power.
The church prayed in Acts 13 and God sent them to the nations
The joy of the Lord fills God’s people.
