God, Can You Send Revival?

Introduction

Habakkuk 3:1–2 KJV 1900

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make known; In wrath remember mercy.

We have been in this little book for a few weeks now and we have worked our way to the final chapter…

I began with a simple question and what I thought would be a single message out of chapter 1, but it’s turned into several questions and a series through the entire book.

In the last three sermons, we have seen two complaints of Habakkuk and two responses from the Lord. In today’s passage, we see that Habakkuk prays for a revival of God’s work...

Andrew Telford wrote speaking of chapter 3, “This is one of the great chapters in the Bible relative to the needs and conduct of the child of God in a world of war and sin. Let us keep in mind the outstanding truths in each chapter.”

In Chapter 1 - Faith is tested.

In Chapter 2 - Faith is trusting.

In Chapter 3 - Faith is triumphing.

Here in chapter 3, we find that God turns sighing into singing...

We stopped last week with the last phrase in chapter 2...

Habakkuk 2:20 (KJV 1900)

20 ...Let all the earth keep silence before him.

Habakkuk has no more questions…He has learned that God is just and holy, so in complete submission, what does he do? He bows in prayer.

We, like Habakkuk must learn to wait before the Lord in prayer, and listen to His Word.

After receiving the promises and predictions in chapter 1 and 2, Habakkuk concludes his prophecy with prayer and praise. This chapter takes the form of a psalm.

Notice with me...

A Prayer of Habakkuk

Habakkuk 3:1 KJV 1900

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.

Now that God has answered his questions, Habakkuk brings a prayer to close the book.

The word "Shigionoth" refers to a unique musical term used to describe the style or genre of the prayer that follows.

Scholars suggest that "Shigionoth" denotes a mournful or lamenting melody, indicating the solemn tone of Habakkuk's prayer. This makes sense considering the overall context of the book, as Habakkuk is grappling with the impending judgment and destruction of Judah.

The use of this musical term might signify the prophet's emotional state and his deep longing for spiritual revival in the midst of challenging times. It is a loud cry in a time of danger or joy!

In other words, the heart of Habakkuk is stirred to its very depths at everything that he has seen and heard. He has been moved by the revelation God gave him in the previous chapter. And now he turns to the One who is their only help or hope. And he cries out to God!

George W. Hervey wrote, “The foremost means of getting ready for an awakening is prayer.”

W. B. Pearce wrote, “Prayer is the starting point of revival.”

Dr. C. E. Autry wrote, “Prayer is the one feature which is found in every great move of God.”

Habakkuk is getting down to business with God in this prayer.

At this point studying through the book, I can almost hear Habakkuk if he was here today:

“Oh Lord, I’m so sick and tired of the wickedness around me, I’m so sick and tired of the spiritual wretchedness. I’m so sick and tired of the way things are! I’m sick and tired of seeing your Word rejected, I’m sick of seeing people that couldn’t care any less about your will. I’m so sick and tired!”

The prophet pours his soul out to God according to Shigionoth…or you can say it like this, according to the pain he felt for his people...

You want to know something? You don’t have to beg a desperate man to pray.

You let money disappear, you let food disappear, you lose your insurance and have the kids get sick, you let your job disappear…You don’t have to beg someone in that situation to pray!

They’ll pray like they’ve never prayed before, you know why? They are desperate! When a man gets desperate, he will call upon God from the very depths of his soul to solve the problem, meet the need, and answer the prayer.

Our problem today is we aren’t desperate!

Circumstances are God’s way of getting our attention. Many times, God moves things and people to bring about a search for God.

What does he pray? Look at verse 2:

Habakkuk 3:2 KJV 1900

2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make known; In wrath remember mercy.

Now, his prayer goes on through the end of the chapter, but I want to stop right here because in verse 2, we find the only petition that Habakkuk makes in his prayer…The remainder is praise to a God Who delivered His people in the past, and Who will deliver them in the future, but right here in verse 2, we have a petition, the only petition in the prayer.

He says,

O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid:...

Habakkuk had heard the Word of the Lord and it shook him to his core.

He had come to the realization that the Chaldeans would defeat Judah and that others would in turn defeat the Chaldeans. Habakkuk was seeing a series of wars, and he knew that wars lead to famines, hardships, and death; therefore, he was afraid.

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...

We should be afraid for the millions that are headed for an eternal hell.

We should be afraid for the church that is like the Laodicean church, “increased with goods and have need of nothing.”

We should be afraid for the apostasy in the Church that is leading it to ecumenicalism.

We should be afraid for the blood of souls that will be required at our hands.

The next part of verse 2 says,

…O LORD, revive thy work in the midsts of the years,...

Habakkuk simply prayed for revival. He knew how God once worked and how His people once responded, and Habakkuk wanted to see that again.

We see the only solution right here…Habakkuk says, “O LORD” - It’s to the Lord that we must carry both our own and our church’s troubles!

Habakkuk didn’t turn to a brother, a nation, or an educator, he turned to the Lord! Why is this, well, God’s church is God’s work and therefore God is needed!

The word revive here comes from two words literally meaning, “To live again”

In other words, when revival comes, God will bring back to life something that has died. There was once life, but the life has withered away. Thus, God blows the breath of revival and the dead bones in the valley begin to live again.

I was reading a portion of Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, the other day, he writes, “It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we mistake panic for inspiration. That is why there are so few fellow–workers with God and so many workers for Him. We would far rather work for God than believe in Him.”

A.W. Tozer writes, “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”

We desperately need God to bring back the life that has withered away in our Churches! We need God to breathe a breath of revival on these dead bones so they can live again!

In the words of the song “Send The Rain” from The Rochesters:

“I'm tired of just the same old thing, of tradition wearing out your name, I'm tired of a man-made worship hour, I'm tired, I'm tired of a song without any praise, Where worshiping You is out of place, I'm tired of religious formality, I'm tired”

Only the power of God can bring the church out of the rut that it’s in!

That is why Habakkuk refers to revival as “thy work,” or only a work that God can do. It cannot be worked up. It cannot be made up. It cannot be propped up. It is a work that only God can do for us, in us, and to us.

He goes on to say,

...In the midst of the years make known;...

Habakkuk longed for God to do a work that was evident to everyone as a work of God.

Dr. Ronnie Simpson writes, “He does not want to wait, his prayer is for a present and immediate revival.

He is saying, in the midst of chastisement, let it not be killed.

In the midst of bondage, save a remnant alive, to be a seed of another generation.

Whatever becomes of us, though we be as dead and dry bones, Lord, let thy work be revived, let it not sink, go back, or come to nothing.

Though we be buried in obscurity, yet, Lord, make thyself known; whatever becomes of Habakkuk, let not the God of Israel be forgotten.”

Here’s the point!

God always reveals Himself “in the midst of the years”...

It was in the “midst” of the fiery furnace that God revealed Himself.

It was in the “midst” of the “den of lions” that God revealed Himself. It was in the “midst” of the “thieves on the cross” that God revealed Himself.

It was in the “midst” of the “seven churches” that Jesus revealed Himself.

It is in the “midst” of two or three that are gathered in His name that He will reveal Himself.

It was in the “midst” of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus that He revealed Himself.

Verse 2 concludes:

…In wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk prayed knowing well that they didn’t deserve revival, so he prayed for mercy. The idea is, “LORD, I know that we deserve your wrath, but in the midst of your wrath remember mercy and send revival among us.”

He prays, “Lord, if you will not withdraw your punishment, then please do not withdraw your power, your presence and your pardon.” He begs God to remember mercy when He is judging the nation.

He knows that his own people have sinned and that God is going to punish them for it. He trembles as he thinks of what the outcome of the judgment of God might be. He knows God is Holy and must punish sin.

In 1996, at the Opening Session of the Kansas state Senate. Pastor Joe Wright was asked to open the new session in prayer, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but instead, this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"

That is a prayer which echoes what we see in these verses from Habakkuk.

It is a prayer that God, “in wrath,” will “remember mercy.”

Conclusion

Habakkuk 3:1–2 KJV 1900

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make known; In wrath remember mercy.

Friends, we are in desperate need of revival in America…

We are in desperate need of revival in our Church…

We are in desperate need of revival in our own hearts…

“God, can you send revival?”

Before you say amen! Before you say, of course He can! I believe the answer lies in these questions that we must ask ourselves...

Are you willing to pay the price?

Are you willing to let God have His way with your life?

Are you willing to let God do His work in your life?

Are you willing to allow Him to revive everything that is in your circle?

If so, you will experience His power, His presence and His pardon in a whole new way.

That was the only hope for Judah, that is the only hope for America, that is the only hope for the church; and, that is the only hope for you and me.