Revival Is Coming If....

Revival Is Coming If....
By Wesley L. Duewel

God at His own initiative voluntarily gave us, His people, the covenant of revival. No human being begged God until He promised to revive. Because He is the God of revival, He voluntarily gave us His covenant as His invitation to us to seek revival. God is more hungry to give us revival than we are hungry to be revived.

God stated His covenant of revival in various forms throughout the Bible, especially in these Old Testament passages: Isaiah 41:18; 44:3; 62:1,6-7; and 64:1-2,4-5. But probably the most well-known and often-quoted promise is 2 Chronicles 7:14:

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

God wants us to remember and reflect on how He has worked in the past. He wants this remembrance to make us hungry to see Him work again in all His historic power. If God's people hunger deeply enough, God will hear and send revival.

Let us fulfill our part of His revival covenant. Let us accept His holy challenge in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

1. "If My people will humble themselves." How many of God's people do you know who take God's covenant seriously? How many are truly humbling themselves? Humble yourself in private prayer. Humble yourself in prayer meetings and solemn assemblies before God. Humble yourself with fasting like David did (Psalm 35:13).

2. "And pray and seek My face." Every time in the history of the church revival has come, it has followed extensive prayer and seeking of God's face by some of His children. When we study the history of God's work on earth, we will always find faithful praying saints, often hidden, holding on before Him in prayer, pleading for God to revive His people. Always there were people--often many--who in the privacy of their hearts cried out to God over and over.

God requires more than casual prayers for revival. He wants His people to hunger and thirst for His mighty working. To seek God's face is far more than occasionally mentioning revival in our prayer. It involves repeated and prolonged prayer. It requires holy determination in prayer, examining ourselves to see if anything in our lives is hindering God. A revival seeker is prepared to take any step that can help to bring answers. A revival seeker is eager to obey God in everything. Seeking God's face often requires asking forgiveness from others (Matt. 5:23-24; 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37; Col. 3:13). It often requires resolving friction that has hindered prayer from being answered (1 Peter 3:7). Are you seeking God's face?

3. "And turn from their wicked ways." Anything that grieves God--whether things we did or things we failed to do--will hinder our efforts to respond to God's revival covenant. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to His efforts to point out areas in our lives that hinder His working and rob us of God's full blessing. The Holy Spirit may at times with His strong voice correct us with deep conviction of our failure. At other times, His is a gentle touch to direct us more fully into God's will.

Instant obedience to anything the Holy Spirit shows us, instant repentance for anything that has grieved God--this is what prepares the way for revival. No one is as quick to sense the Spirit's reproof, no one is more sensitive and responsive to God than a Spirit-filled person. So it follows that no one should be as quick to repent over any failure as a Spirit-filled person! That is why God needs Spirit-filled people to play key roles in His revival strategy.

The above are the three essential steps in preparing the way of the Lord for revival. These are God's covenantal conditions if we would see His mighty working. But as sure as God is in heaven, when we fulfill His clear conditions, God will do two things: forgive us for any way we have grieved Him and give gracious healing to our land.

The whole world is wounded by Satan and sin. Every nation today is desperately in need of healing. Many churches, groups, and families need healing. Revival always brings healing to homes, churches, communities, and nations. "Oh God, heal our land" should be the heart-cry of every Christian.

Will Another Great Revival Come?

It is never too late for God. If we will fulfill God's covenantal conditions, we will see God's covenantal promises fulfilled. So the question is not so much, "Will revival come?" but rather, "Will we meet God's covenantal conditions for revival?"

Is it God's time? Just as it is always God's time to save, it is always God's time to give revival. Just as surely as "now is the day of salvation," so surely now is the day of revival, for now is the day of grace. It may take time for us to meet God's conditions, to prepare the way of the Lord, and to pray until we win the battles in prayer warfare. But God does not delay revival because He is arbitrary. He does not need to be begged.

Over the past several centuries God has given many revivals, large and small. The Finney revivals were perhaps more extensive than the Wesley-Whitefield revivals. The 1858-59 revivals were far more extensive than the Finney revivals and may even be considered God's follow-up to the Finney revivals. Certainly the 1858-59 revival was the first truly international one.

The 1905-1909 revival was probably preceded by prayer and hunger on a more international scale than any previous revival. God's blessing was poured out in more nations than in any previous revival movement.

But never in Christian history has there been such a longing for revival in so many parts of the world and by people from so many denominational backgrounds as there is today!

Surely this hunger is the result of the Holy Spirit calling God's people to prayer. There have been more books written on prayer than ever before. More organizations and more denominations have called for a year of prayer or a year for revival than ever previously known. Undoubtedly the Holy Spirit is calling God's people to their knees. Undoubtedly He is guiding His people to join Christ our great High Priest in His great longing and holy determination to see another great revival. Undoubtedly the Holy Spirit Himself is groaning in prayer today for revival in the church (Rom. 8:26).

The Holy Spirit does not play games with us or with our prayer lives. When He gives us hunger and prayer burden for revival, He Himself and our beloved interceding High Priest are one with us in that holy desire. Ours is but a faint echo of the deep yearnings and desires and intercessions on their parts. Will their intercession be in vain? God's prayer call in our hearts proves the Triune God is longing to send revival. It is God's time.

Why should we not expect God to give one more great outpouring of the Holy Spirit before our Lord's second advent? Why should this not be the most widespread revival the church has ever known? Of course the millennium will be the greatest revival of all. God has used the media in the past to help spread hunger and expectancy and news of revival. Why should God not do this in even greater dimensions in this age of radio, television, and international communication?

More Prevailing Intercession Needed

But we are still too careless and ineffective in our prayer lives. We need to recruit many more of God's children for serious prevailing intercession for revival. It will probably be the regret of millions of Christians throughout eternity that they failed so tragically in their prayer lives.

How ashamed they will be when they stand before Christ's judgment throne. But, oh, the joy of those who wake up now and invest quality time and an adequate quantity of time in earnest intercession, particularly for revival.

Praise God for His revivals over the centuries. Praise God that He is still the same today. Praise God that He has promised to send revival if we meet His stated conditions. We cannot earn revival; it is given through grace. But we can share in preparing the way of the Lord, if we choose to do it.

Make a new prayer commitment to God. Join God the Son and God the Spirit in revival intercession. Set apart time regularly for prayer. Fall on your knees now and pray.

It seems that the articles that reference the "if my people” passage in Chronicles never state or even hint at what that means. Presumably "what” people now means Christians (although not in the original text). But how many Christians? Most? A small majority? A super majority? All? A large minority? A small minority?

Presumably a small minority is meeting the requirements so it must mean more than a small minority. How much more? How will we ever know what is required? What if God requires 70 million Christians meet the requirements before sending revival but there are only 69.999 million?

Does the Chronicles passage even apply to us today?

What has happened in the Church in America is that many Christians have prayed, but have used 2Chronicles 7 to repent so that President Trump would be reelected. The scriptures are very plain as to what the Lord requires, and if these conditions are met, then God will hear from heaven and heal our land. True repentance is repenting for our sins. It is the Church repenting. As to how many does it take to repent so that God will send revival, only God knows. There have been revivals take place when there were relatively few that were fulfilling 2 Chronicles 7. God is shaking the Church and the nation, and true repentance involves God getting His way with us, not just us repenting to get our own needs met.

Amen , one thing he missed, Revival is coming, so break up the fallow ground now, so the seed will penetrate deep.

I'm not mocking or minimizing the need for a revival in the church or for a healing in the land. I would say that a spiritual revival is the far more important. However, shouldn't we be repentant for God's name sake even if that is the only outcome in itself ? God's glory is the highest priority but I just don't hear that as the primary purpose of repentance in the Church often. Perhaps the lack of that heart is the most important reason to repent ?

Revival? Healing of a nation? Glory of God? Isn't the last far more supreme and sufficient for God's people to do what He commands ?

"Revival? Healing of a nation? Glory of God? Isn't the last far more supreme and sufficient for God's people to do what He commands.”

Brother, I agree with you that God’s glory should be what the Church is seeking. We are to do all things for the glory of God.

God is not glorified in a Luke warm church, in which there is no fire, little prayer, repentance, and seeking the Lord’s face. God is not glorified through believers that live in defeat and have no victory, and this is the reason that we pray for revival. As Brother Gary alluded to, the fallow ground must be plowed up, the seed must be planted, and the rain must come down to cause the seed to grow and the harvest to take place.

God will be glorified through a revived Church that is repentant and grieved with those things that break the heart of God. God will be glorified when the Church rises up in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives.

In every true revival God has been glorified, Jesus has been exalted, backsliders have been restored, and many have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ which has affected whole cities and regions.

A Grain of Wheat by Major Ian Thomas

http://ia800901.us.archive.org/8/items/SERMONINDEX_SID0281/SID0281.mp3

I have not listened, nor thought of this sermon in a very long time. Reading your posts I felt led to put it here for everyone!

Powerful sermon! If only ears could hear the words coming forth within the message! That’s what I see the word revival meaning. It’s within that message! It’s death to self!

Todd asked:

It seems that the articles that reference the "if my people” passage in Chronicles never state or even hint at what that means. Presumably "what” people now means Christians (although not in the original text). But how many Christians? Most? A small majority? A super majority? All? A large minority? A small minority?

Todd, who's our maker? aren't we all Gods people? this is my take, but you know me, I like to interject some common sense and scripture into most all my posts. :-)

How many Christians must follow 2 Chron. 7:14 before God sends revival? It doesn't say but how about doing what we can, let us, you and me follow the command. It's all we can do. I don't think God is pleased to see us sitting back and speculating on exactly how many must respond to get a result and then if that percentage looks reasonable then we will do something.

-Daniel

Yes Daniel but there is a huge question whether the verse can be properly applied to America today. Read the context of the passage.

Hi Mike,

The OT church was upbraided and ultimately punished by the removal of His Glory for profaning HIs Name among the nations for their disobedience.

I personally don't have a sense that the church generally feels any sense that she may be profaning His Name among the nations.

The Chronicles passage is often used as a means to heal our nation. Perhaps used by some as a means to bring life to the church. I rarely hear people praying for repentance because we have profaned His Name. Even more rare is a repentance that says even if our land is not healed, even if revival never comes, we repent with whole hearts for dishonoring your name. No personal goal in mind, no self serving consequence sought.....just we weep for the profaning of His name by His bride where His Glory is comparatively all that is desired and sought.

Thank you Robert,

Sorrow because we have profaned the Lord's name is an insight far too rare or spoken about. There is no nationalism in this godly brokenness, only the true reason for the deep godly sorrow (sorrow according to God) that leaves no regret. The repentance that this type of sorrow according to God brings about produces fruit worthy of repentance in any individual or group who experiences it.

Nehemiah experienced this godly sorrow and look where it led.

mak

The Lesson of the Lamp
(Luke 8:16”“18)

21Jesus also said to them, "Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand? 22For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24He went on to say, "Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you. 25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Hi Robert,

Can you elaborate on how the church is profaning the Lord's name?

Also, if someone asks, "What is the glory of God?" how would you reply?

Blessings

We profane His name when we call ourselves by it in word but deny it in deed,.. that is to say when we are so patently disobedient that even our repentance is selfish and for our own ends (not His).
"Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say?”
By and large the people who "identify as Christians” bear no likeness unto that name... this has a form of godliness but denies the power - meaning they have never stopped feeding from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and if God were to answer their prayers it would only serve to give them more opportunity to further indulge themselves on the "good” side of the wrong tree 🤷🏽”â™‚️ This profanes His Holy name -

God gets glory when someone believes unto obedience,... this obedience by faith allows the Lord Himself to lead this yielded vessel and over time, conform it into the image of Christ- God gets glory when we are conformed into the image of Christ- which is to say that we live unto, and minister unto the LORD.

The distinction ‘tween the two couldn’t be greater, one lives in and unto themselves in the world, and tho they oft don’t realize it, they add "Jesus” to their lives in name only much like how one would add salt to a dish. This is primarily due to the fact they love His cross but hate theirs and refuse to bear it, this is obvious because wherever you find them they have their phones, their financial cards, etc... but no cross to bear 🤷🏽”â™‚️ They are citizens of this world and as such their prayers are for more time and resources to enjoy it😳

Those whom are being saved, being conformed into the image of Christ, are citizens of His Kingdom, being dead to this world they live and minister unto the LORD. Tho they may also have a phone or a card giving access to financial resources, these are secondary (at best) and their cross and armor are of far greater value to them which is to say they wouldn’t leave home without them. Their prayers are characterized by two things, firstly that the Lord (no matter the cost to themselves) would help them to know Him better (their first love) and secondly that He would spend their lives (no matter the cost to themselves) to be profitable for the cause of Christ, that like a lamp, the light of Gods love in them, would shine bright enough to help others also find Him. This brings glory to God ✝️🙏🏻😇

Hi Jade,

I think Fletcher did a nice job of addressing the issue. When I look at the OT, I see the people of God who had leadership that engaged in hypocrisy as the representatives of God among the nations. David was accused by God of despising Him by his spiritual pride, sexual immorality, and covetousness. As God's king, so much more was expected of David and the temporal consequence God imposed on David was severe. In the. broader context of Israel God was very angry with HIs people for the exact same hypocrisy that David showed as God's kingdom people.

In today's context, we have supposed leaders, well known leaders, speaking for God who have fallen into the same exact hypocrisy. They, however, are just emblematic and very representative of that problem that is pervasive in many churches. Spiritual pride, covetousness and sexual immorality or at least guilty of a tolerance of it in the church. Just as David departed for a season from a sincere devotion and love to His Lord that had been evidenced by doing all that was in God's heart, many today have a similar divided heart mingling devotion to Jesus with devotion to worldly things and ways, a most hated form of idolatry and hypocrisy. The same path was followed by David's son Solomon.

If you look at the 7 letters to the churches in Revelation you will likewise see Christ's warning to repent of these exact same hypocrisies of representing God's name but having divided hearts because of these sinful attitudes and tolerances in the midst of the church. In those letters, Jesus threatened to take His lampstand out of the offending churches, the lampstand representing the light of His manifest presence and the revelation of His Name in their midst ( His Glory)

God's Name is in His temple in the OT and in His gathered people in the New. IF we don't reflect it well because of our habitual and overt hypocrisy, despite repeated warnings, then we are profaning His Name.

At least that is my understanding in a blending of the OT and the NT revelation of God. There is much Scripture to back up all that I've alluded to and more that could be said about Hallowing His Name by obedience to Jesus, walking in the light, and a being a pure reflection of Him and His Glory by holy lives that look like Jesus and faithful hearts proclaiming Jesus without fear of man ( which is tantamount to being ashamed of His name) , but that was covered by Fletcher.

Hi All,
I think it depends on who intiates revival,is it God or is it man?or who intiates repentance?
When Jesus came their hadnt been a move of God for hundreds of years and that revival was intiated by God.
So I would think that God would have to kick start repentance in the Church as we are arent able to do it ourselves.The repentance is of course up to us but its God who starts and fuels the process.
So I would say revival will come "when" rather than "if".
When the Church has come through a season of repentance kickstarted by God.
urs staff

"No personal goal in mind, no self serving consequence sought.....just we weep for the profaning of His name by His bride where His Glory is comparatively all that is desired and sought."

We should be going after the fulness of God, and being willing to receive all that the Lord has for us.

It is a false humility to say that we are seeking the glory of God, but are indifferent to God's promises and blessings.

God has said that if we seek Him first that all of the things that we need in life would be added to us.

Mike, you pose an interesting question. I always thought that true humility was confessing that God is right, I am wrong, period. He is therefore justified when He judges me. I repent. Full stop. Period.

Such repentance is, I believed, genuine and sincere and well received. I think the point I was communicating is that it seems sometimes we pray repentance with the primary motive of receiving something or restoring something in return. Of course there is no problem with praying for mercy, grace or for God to move in response to our repentance. But, the primary motive cannot be that kind of seeking as a primary motive or it really isn't true repentance. Godly sorrow is what I'm addressing which I always believed is sorrow for offending God and not sorrow for doing something that cost me some benefit from God. I don't see that as false humility but I'm certainly open to being instructed otherwise.