Instrument of Revival

Elijah was a man with the same nature as us (James 5:17-18) and yet he prayed with such faith that the abundance of rain fell!

How can we align ourself with God’s purposes to pray for revival - for the former and the latter rain together to fall in our generation ? There are three stages we see in Elijah that we can take heed of...

(2) THREE STAGES FOR REVIVAL

(a) Stage 1 - Hear the Prophetic Word of God in Your Spirit.

See 1 Kings 18:1 - Elijah knew it was time for rain! He was like the sons of Issacar that discrned the times and seasons.

Every revival has been prophetically foretold. Mike Bickle and Bob Jones predicted there would be a New Wine outpouring in 1994 in 1984! Paul Cain even had the names John & Carol (not Wimber) many years later (J & C Arnot of Toronto Airport CF).

(b) Stage 2 - Birth it in Prayer with perseverance.

Elijah took the birthing position on top of the mountain. Ahab went up, but not up to pray - he went to eat, satisfying his own lusts. Elijah was praying and probably fasting according to the word of God (no other way).

He prayed until the cloud (God’s Presence) was seen coming out of the sea (lost humanity). Until there were signs of revival!

We are to keep on praying in faith until the revival is seen! (even before the rain came, Elijah heard the ’abundance of rain’ in His spirit - by faith!).

(c) Stage 3 - Running in His strength.

When the rain came Elijah was supernaturally empowered to do Run for God.

He even overtook Ahab’s chariot (representing human strength). Only after the rain falls and we have been travailing in prayer can we run in His strength! (Think of example of John Wesley - 250,000 miles on horseback, travelling & preaching (10 circles of the globe), preached more than 40,000 sermons to crowds

of sometimes more than 10,000! He was only 5 foot 3 inches!).

(3) CONCLUSION.

Do you want to be an instrument of revival ? Then start praying for God to open the eyes of your understanding about what He is doing prophetically in this day and age! Get excited about what He is saying and take it into deep prayer and fasting. Don’t give up! Persevere until you see the rain! Then run in His strength like never before!

QUESTIONS:

Customize this sermon

(1) Elijah was such a super-saint, can we be like him in the mighty things he did ? Explain.

(2) What are the three stages for revival and how can you be a part ?

(3) What can we learn about how Elijah prayed ?

(4) Is there anything stopping you doing what Elijah did ? Discuss and be very honest with each other. This can lead into a time of prayer.

The Supernatural Characteristics of Revival “Part your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.” - Psalm 144:5

Spontaneous and unexpected working - The Welsh revival came dramatically in November 1904 on the exact day in both the north and the south of the country.  “A movement bears the mark of spontaneity when men cannot account for what has taken place in terms of personalities, organizations, meetings, preaching, or any other consequences.” Winkie Pratney "And suddenly there came…" (Acts 2:2) Supernatural manifestations - God can do in a moment what man’s strivings can never achieve. It is God’s divine supernatural work and not man’s. In one revival in 1859, there were sudden, supernatural, and extraordinary manifestations.  “They were still taken by surprise, so sudden, so powerful and extraordinary were the manifestations of the Spirit’s Presence… about one thousand people were suddenly, sensibly and powerfully impressed and awakened.” Winkie Pratney There came… from heaven…” (Acts 2:37) Divine drawing - There is a divine consciousness in revival, a divine drawing from God.   “As one man was praying, all present became aware that the prayer was heard and that the Spirit of God was being poured out on the village. They left their house to discover the villagers also were leaving their cottages and making their way, as though drawn by some unseen force, to one point in the village. There they assembled and waited. When Duncan Campbell commenced to preach, the word took immediate effect. In a few days, that small community had been swept by the Spirit of God and many souls truly converted.” Winkie Pratney ”And when this sound occurred, the multitudes came together” (Acts 2:6).

Will your testimony of love toward Jesus and your fervent prayer spark the end-times revival? Or will it be all of us together testifying to our love for God and earnestly praying in unity that will prepare the way for God to spread the supernatural flame that will touch the world? On an unexpectedly cold day, I had to start a fire in our wood stove to keep warm. The big logs wouldn’t catch fire, but it was the tiny twigs broken together that seemed to catch hold of the match’s flame. Quickly the fire blazed. Let us each realize that we must be broken, united in prayer, and bent on God’s glory alone to be prepared for the release of the fire of God and His supernatural workings. May God personally touch each of us so that we might be the twigs broken together in prayer before Him. Let us do our part, and our Sovereign God will do His in His own timing and way.   “Revival is divine intervention in the normal course of spiritual things. It is God revealing Himself to man in awful holiness and irresistible power. It is such a manifest working of God that human personalities are overshadowed, and human programs abandoned. It is man retiring into the background because God has taken the field. It is the Lord making bare His holy arm and working extraordinary power on saint and sinner.” Winkie Pratney