[PP] [PREACHING LESSON 7:] THE PRAYER OF GOD'S PEOPLE THAT BRINGS THE CHURCH TO TOTAL REVIVAL.

 

THE PRAYER OF GOD'S PEOPLE THAT BRINGS THE CHURCH TO TOTAL 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."

 

Introduction:

a. True spiritual revival does not happen by accident; it begins when God’s people get desperate enough to pray according to His conditions.

 

b. The local church desperately needs the reviving fire of the Holy Spirit to awaken believers, stir passion for soulwinning, and bring spiritual growth.

 

c. God is always ready to send revival, but He is waiting on His church to align their hearts with His holy requirements.

 

Four (4) great actions on the part of the church:

 

I. A PRAYER WITH HUMBLENESS

 

(JAMES 4:6-7) "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

 

a. God promises to give grace to a humble Christian who comes to God in prayer.

b. God is the God of all grace who will strengthen and establish the Christian.

 

(1 PETER 5:10) "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

 

c. True humility requires a broken and contrite spirit, which God will never reject.

 

(PSALMS 51:17) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

 

II. A PRAYER WITH A HEART TO SEEK THE FACE OF GOD

 

(1 CHRONICLES 16:11) "Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually."

 

(1 CHRONICLES 22:19) "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD."

 

a. Christians are commanded by God to seek God first in their Christian life.

b. Great and multiple blessings God has promised to Christians who seek God first.

 

(MATTHEW 6:33) "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

 

c. God promises that those who seek Him wholeheartedly will always find Him.

 

(JEREMIAH 29:13) "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

 

III. A PRAYER HATING THE SIN COMMITTED

 

(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."

 

a. The evidence of true revival inside the local church is when Christians separate from worldliness.

 

(ROMANS 1:1) "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,"

(JOB 11:14) "If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles."

 

b. God is willing to forgive our sin if Christians will confess their sin before God.

 

(1 JOHN 1:9) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

 

c. King David acknowledged his sin before God.

 

(PSALMS 32:1-5) "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah."

 

d. Hiding or harboring sin in the heart completely blocks God from hearing our prayers.

(PSALMS 66:18) "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:"

 

IV. A PRAYER WITH HOPE OF FORGIVENESS: GOD'S HEALING

 

(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."

 

a. God promises to heal the land of God's people if we only turn back from our sins and obey God's will for us.

 

(PSALMS 103:1-3) "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;"

 

b. The spiritual healing and restoration of the church brings a fresh downpour of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

 

(ACTS 3:19) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

 

Conclusion:

a. When the church answers God's call to humility, seeking His face, and turning from sin, heaven will always respond with power.

 

b. Total revival will manifest through restored lives, a unified church, a greater love for God's Word, and a sudden harvest of precious souls saved for Christ.

 

c. Let us not stop praying with a righteous heart until the windows of heaven open and a great spiritual awakening fills the local church.

 

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!