Revival Prayer

Read 2 Chron 34:29-33 parrallel in

King Josiah the fifteenth king of Judah began to reign at 8 years old.

He had a tender heart after God and after a reign of 8 years (16 years old) began to make drastic spiritual reforms

2 Chronicles 34:3-7 tells about the purging and cleaning that took place.

When Josiah turned 18 Israel had a revival - he sent some of his people to go repair the temple. As they are repairing the temple they find the Sacred Scrolls. God’s Law that had been sitting around collecting dust.

Can I just say God’s Word doesn’t do us any good if its just sitting around collecting dust on our shelves, or just taking taking up ram on our computers or phones.

It needs to be read - in this case reading it brought about reform and revival.

We pick up from here in our reading...

2 Chronicles 34:29–33 KJV 1900

29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. 31 And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. 32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Now two things I want us to notice -

First - I already alluded to it earlier Reading God’s word brought about revival - now prayer is often the key to revival - but its prayer bathed in God’s word - God’s promises

Second - The sad part of this story - is that this revival seemed to only have a spiritual impact on one person - King Josiah

Notice how the people did what Josiah said - but they didn’t fully agree - because as soon as Josiah is gone - they go right back to what they were doing before they were interrupted.

I don’t want a revival like that

I don’t want to just be challenged but unchanged

I don’t want to just be stirred but not spiritually renewed

I don’t want just reform without true revival

I will take a personal revival - but my prayer is for revival that goes beyond one or two people through this entire congregation and beyond the walls of this church into our communities

Revival is blessing or renewal

Dr. E.V. Hill wrote in his book, A Savior Worth Having that “when you have Jesus, you become subject to receive at any moment fantastic, unbelievable divine supplement.” (Hill, p110)

Prayer is often key to revival

Charles Finney wrote in his Revival Lectures: “a prayer-meeting is an index to the state of religion in a church.” Charles Finney, Revival Lectures, Lecture VIII p 51

what he is saying is that it tells the story as to the spiritual state of the church. -

He says in another place in another lecture “Generally, a revival is more or less extensive as there are more or less persons who have the spirit of prayer.” - Charles Finney, Revival Lectures, Lecture 2 p29

Christian men should never speak of

‘getting up a revival’. Where are you going to get it up from?

Charles Spurgeon

“No one can predict revival, no one can program revival, no one can earn revival. We cannot generate revival by faithfulness, busyness, or spiritual activities. God is the only source of revival. (Wesley Duewel, Touch the World Through Prayer ch 23 p 172)

Wesley Duewel defined Revival this way:

Revival is a manifestation of the holy, sovereign, almighty God. It is God visiting His people with specail and renewed blessing… Revivals are sudden interventions of the sovereign supernatural working of God in the life and witness of the church. (Wesley Duewel, Touch the World Through Prayer ch 23 p 173)

Close with gathering around the altar and praying and seeking for revival

Sure pray for people on our prayer list and for each other - but lets lift especially for revival