Kingdom Revival #5

Posted on FaceBook Dec 2, 2020

KINGDOM REVIVAL #5 Proper Prayer

Hello, Kingdom!

“and pray . . .”The next ingredient in our recipe for Revival is prayer. After recognizing that God is in control and humbling ourselves in surrender to Him, we continue that journey towards revival in offering our prayers to God. For some of us (very few, unfortunately), well tuned into our walk with Christ, a simple “Thank you, Jesus,” might fit the bill. But for most of us, it will take more, much more. Brother Lawrence, a 17th century friar, spent every waking moment praising God in everything he did and saw, whether slopping pigs, cooking, cleaning, whatever (The Practice of the Presence of God.) These are two examples from opposite ends of the extreme, but that’s not enough for what God is asking in 2 Chronicles 7:14.He wants more than prayers from each of us. Yes, scriptures tell us to ask that we might receive (Matt 7:7, Mark 11:24, Luke 11:13, John 16:24.) Individual prayer can sometimes go wrong. James 4:2-3 tells us, “You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James is telling the 12 tribes that they are praying wrong hearted. They are praying for their own selfish, lustful desires. This paragraph ends by referring to what I talked about in the last segment, the first ingredient in our recipe for Revival: “God resists the proud, but gives Grace to the humble.” (Verse 6) Look closely at 2 Chronicles again. God is talking to Solomon and tells him He has heard his prayer. Then He addresses Verse 7:14 to the people of Israel by saying “if my PEOPLE will humble THEMSELVES,” “turn from THEIR wicked ways,” “will forgive THEIR sin and heal THEIR land.” As Christians, we are grafted into all God’s promises to the people of Israel as His adopted children. God wants His people to come together in one accord to pray for one common theme: revival of their hearts and land. Prayer not for any individual lustful wants or desires, but universal prayer for communal healing. That is a clear ingredient for revival, yet as a people we are stuck.

I’ve commented several times concerning this pandemic. God may not have created it, but He is surely using it for His good. As churches were shuttered many months ago, and people were told to “shelter in place,” we should have been focused on God, drawing closer to Him, humbling ourselves and surrendering to His will. Then as churches began to meet again, we should have been giving Him all the praise and glory in Thanksgiving. Yet many of us grumbled at having church doors shuttered, then complained (and still are) about social distancing and mask wearing in church as churches were allowed to open again. As a whole, we have missed the boat. But it’s never too late.At the onset of this pandemic, Pastor Jimmy Evans, Gateway Church, and others joined together in UNITE714, centered around 2 Chronicles 7:14, calling for everyone to join together at 7:14 am and 7:14 pm every day to pray this scripture, the scripture that calls us to join together in communal prayer for healing. There are roughly 24 time zones in the world, which means that there would be two time zones praying in unison every hour of each day across the world. The US is included in 6 time zones, which means prayers would be lifted up half the day, two six hour stretches. That’s a lot of prayer going on. Do you think God would hear those prayers? If you think this ingredient is such a difficult one to add to the mix, wait until we look at the next ingredient. God is asking us to do the impossible: seek His face. Until next time,

Be Blessed!