Revival for our hearts

Intro: I read a story about a man who suffered a heart attack while walking in the park. He collapsed, lifeless as people scrambled to help. Among the crowd was a woman trained in CPR. She rushed to his side, immediately pressing on his chest, breathing life into his lungs, and refusing to give up. After several tense minutes-what felt like an eternity- his heart began to beat again and his eyes fluttered open as he regained consciousness.… Many of us have experienced a spiritual heart attack, our hearts have stopped beating for Jesus and we lay collapsed, spiritually lifeless, and in need of resuscitation. I’m talking about being revived, renewed spiritual life!

In our text God tells Solomon what must be done when His people turn away from Him, He clearly tells the king the secret to bringing about national revival, but it is also to personal revival.

CPS: Personal revival will come when we humble ourselves, seek God’s presence, while repenting from our sin. (THESE 3 THINGS BUILD UPON EACH OTHER WHERE ITS JUST ONE THING (HUMBLE PRAYER OF REPENTANCE)

I. Humility in Heart

Does your relationship with God feel distant and strained? Perhaps its because we are not living in humility before God. If we are not humble before God we stand proudly against God! James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Notice we are to humble OURSELVES. Humble (kā·nǎʿ) means to have a lowly attitude in relation to an authority. Humility is the Idea of bowing the knee to someone greater and there is no one greater than Jesus. The difference in being prideful and humble is submission.

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction—or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.

Yield before its too late! Give Jesus the helm of your life! D.L. Moody once said “Be humble or you will stumble.” That is, stumble out out of harmony with God!

ILL: Leonard Bernstein, the late conductor of the New York Philharmonic orchestra, was once asked to name the most difficult instrument to play. Without hesitation, he replied, “The second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem. And if we have no second fiddle, we have no harmony.”

Are you out of harmony with God, are you merely His acquaintance? Play the 2nd fiddle, submit your desires, your plans, your entire life to Him. Keep yourself nailed to the cross and Him where He belongs, the throne of your life.

Humble yourself to the point habitual prayer

II. Habit of Prayer

A. Pray

Part of being humble is to know that you need help. In Hebrew Prayer (pā·lǎl) means to mediate, to arbitrate. It is the Idea of asking God to intervene. This intercessory prayer, asking God to intervene in the lives of the nation, but perhaps we need to ask God to intervene in our lives. God show me where I fail you, point out the reason why our relationship is strained. When left to ourselves we wander astray therefore we must develop a habit of prayer.

ILL: When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Mueller’s reply was, “Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming. We must live in the Spirit of Prayer! To know what God wants, to know where He wants to lead us, to know the right decision to make.

B. Seek

While praying we must also seek God’s face. Seek (bā·qǎš) Is the idea of looking for the presence of God. Prayer is the ticket to the throne room of God, as Solomon saw God’s glory fill the temple on earth, its through pray that we too witness the presence of God! Perhaps the reason for our spiritual collapse is that we have not been in the presence of our Lord!

The intimacy of my relationship with Hope, is tightly related to spending time with. her. When Hope is a way I crave her presence. The intimacy of our relationship with God is tightly related to spending time Him is presence. Jesus gave us life and salvation how much more should we crave His presence! Psalm 105:4 and seek His presence with all of heart.

ILL: Diamond hunt, how people seek for my diamond, funny stories, (Social Security, The Agerama)... If we could seek God like that!

III. Honesty in Repentance

We can’t storm the gates of heaven and demand that we see Jesus, demand that He revive our heart, but once we humble ourselves and seek Him through prayer the obstacles that lay in the way of personal revival will come to light. The promise of God to forgive our sin is proof that sin has caused our collapse, therefore we must turn from our wicked ways. Turn is the Hebrew verb (šûḇ) return, to make linear motion back to a point previously departed.

Its the idea of Repentance, that is to have a change of mind, that leads to a change of heart, that leads to a change in direction. Repentance is to realize your guilt before God, seeing your sin from His point of view and turning away from it while in faith turning back to Him.

Corrie Ten Boom survived the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. She traveled Europe speaking of forgiveness and God restoring grace. One day, while giving a talk, a man approached her - the very Nazi guard who had terribly mistreated and humiliated her and her sister at Ravenesbruck. He extended his hand and asked for forgiveness. She paused as she faced an inner struggle, flooded with anger she silently prayed “God help me forgive.” She then extended her hand and felt the sanctifying power of repentance as she repented of her bitterness.

We must repent now, If we put off repentance another day, we have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in. What do you need to repent of?

Con: Personal revival will come with this one single progression, Humble yourself, seek God, and repent.