Yearning for Divine Revival: A Call to Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Yearning for God's Transformative Presence

In Isaiah 64, there is a profound cry for God to "Rend the heavens and come down," a plea that transcends personal renewal and seeks a transformation that impacts nations. This yearning for God's presence is not a passive desire but an active pursuit that requires fervent prayer and a heart open to divine intervention. The call is for a revival that shakes the foundations of the earth, a divine upheaval where God's presence becomes palpable, and lives are radically changed. This longing is not just for personal renewal but for a sweeping revival that touches nations and transforms lives. [10:59]

Isaiah 64:1-2 (ESV): "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!"

Reflection: What specific area of your life or community do you long to see transformed by God's presence, and how can you actively pray for this transformation today?

Day 2: Revival is for Everyone Who Desires More of God

Revival is not reserved for pastors or the spiritually elite; it is for anyone who feels an ache in their heart for more of God. This call to prayer is a simple yet profound plea for God to break open the heavens and come down. It is an invitation to all who desire a deeper relationship with God, regardless of their spiritual status or qualifications. If you feel this yearning, you are called to join in prayer for revival, trusting that God will respond to the prayers of His people and exceed our expectations. [07:20]

Joel 2:28-29 (ESV): "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit."

Reflection: Identify one way you can actively participate in seeking revival in your life or community, and commit to praying for this daily.

Day 3: Expecting the Unexpected in God's Revival

Our expectations for revival should be expansive, trusting that God will do things beyond our imagination. Just as parents cannot fully anticipate the changes a new child will bring, we cannot fully grasp what God will do when He moves in revival. This requires a posture of openness and trust, believing that God will exceed our expectations and do things we never imagined. As we pray for revival, we must be prepared for the unexpected and embrace the changes that come with God's divine intervention. [17:32]

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV): "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to let go of control and trust God to do the unexpected? How can you begin to release this to Him today?

Day 4: Meeting the Conditions for Revival

There are conditions for revival: rejoicing, doing righteousness, and remembering God in all our ways. These are not passive states but active pursuits that prepare our hearts for God's move. We must cultivate joy, pursue righteousness, and keep God at the forefront of our lives. By actively engaging in these pursuits, we create an environment where God's presence can dwell and bring about the revival we long for. [26:43]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: Reflect on one area of your life where you can actively pursue righteousness or cultivate joy. What practical steps can you take today to align your life with God's ways?

Day 5: The Incarnation as the First Answer to Isaiah's Prayer

The Incarnation was the first answer to Isaiah's prayer for God to rend the heavens. As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded that God delights to dwell with us and desires to bring about a mighty revival. This season, let us pray for God to do it again, to rend the heavens and come down in a powerful way. As we gather with family and friends, let our hearts burn with a desire for revival and a longing for God's presence to transform our lives and communities. [33:10]

John 1:14 (ESV): "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Reflection: As you celebrate the Incarnation this Christmas, how can you invite God's presence into your gatherings and conversations? What specific prayer can you offer for revival in your community during this season?

Sermon Summary

Isaiah 64 calls us to a profound yearning for God's presence, a yearning that transcends our daily routines and objections. In this passage, Isaiah cries out for God to "Rend the heavens and come down," a plea for divine intervention that shakes the very foundations of the earth. This cry is not just for personal renewal but for a sweeping revival that touches nations and transforms lives. As we gather today, I urge you to pray for revival—not just in our churches or our state, but across the world. Revival is not merely a series of meetings or events; it is a divine upheaval where God's presence becomes palpable, and lives are radically changed.

Many of us may feel too busy or unqualified to pray for such a monumental move of God. Yet, revival is for anyone who longs to see more of God. It is not reserved for pastors or the spiritually elite. If you feel an ache in your heart for more of God, then this call to prayer is for you. Revival is when God steps down in response to the prayers of His people, exceeding our expectations and doing things we never imagined.

As we pray, we must have the right expectations. God often does things that we did not look for, things that surpass our understanding. Just as parents cannot fully anticipate the changes a new child will bring, we cannot fully grasp what God will do when He moves in revival. We must pray with the expectation that God will do awesome things beyond our imagination.

In the meantime, we are called to meet certain conditions for revival. Isaiah tells us that God meets those who rejoice, do righteousness, and remember Him in their ways. These are not just passive states but active pursuits. We must cultivate joy, pursue righteousness, and keep God at the forefront of our lives.

Finally, as we enter this holiday season, let our hearts burn with a desire for revival. As we gather with family and friends, let us pray for God to move in our midst. Remember that the first time God answered Isaiah's prayer was in the Incarnation, when He tore open the heavens and came down in the form of Jesus. This Christmas, let us pray for God to do it again, to rend the heavens and come down in a mighty revival.

Key Takeaways

1. Revival begins with a deep yearning for God's presence, a cry for Him to "Rend the heavens and come down." This longing is not just for personal renewal but for a transformation that impacts nations. We must cultivate this yearning in our hearts and pray fervently for God to move. [10:59]
2. Revival is for anyone who desires more of God, not just pastors or the spiritually elite. If you feel an ache in your heart for more of God, then you are called to pray for revival. This prayer is a simple yet profound plea for God to break open the heavens and come down. [07:20]
3. Our expectations for revival should be expansive, trusting that God will do things beyond our imagination. Just as parents cannot fully anticipate the changes a new child will bring, we cannot fully grasp what God will do when He moves in revival. [17:32]
4. There are conditions for revival: rejoicing, doing righteousness, and remembering God in all our ways. These are active pursuits that prepare our hearts for God's move. We must cultivate joy, pursue righteousness, and keep God at the forefront of our lives. [26:43]
5. The Incarnation was the first answer to Isaiah's prayer for God to rend the heavens. As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember that God delights to dwell with us and pray for Him to do it again in a mighty revival. [33:10]
** [33:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Introduction and Greetings
[01:37] - Call to Pray for Revival
[03:01] - Reading from Isaiah 64
[04:35] - Overcoming Objections to Prayer
[06:03] - Personal Testimony and Encouragement
[07:36] - Revival is for Everyone
[08:25] - Defining Revival
[10:05] - Three Aspects of Revival
[11:15] - The Heartache for More of God
[14:50] - Praying for God's Presence
[16:58] - Expecting the Unexpected
[20:37] - Historical Examples of Revival
[25:50] - Conditions for Revival
[29:01] - Signs of Revival in Maine
[32:11] - Personal Revival and Holiday Season
[33:10] - The Incarnation as the First Revival
[34:30] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Isaiah 64:1-5

Observation Questions:

What is the significance of Isaiah's plea for God to "Rend the heavens and come down" in Isaiah 64:1? How does this reflect a deep yearning for God's presence? [03:01]
According to Isaiah 64:4, what is unique about God’s actions towards those who wait for Him? How does this verse emphasize the unexpected nature of God's intervention? [17:15]
In Isaiah 64:5, what conditions are mentioned for God to meet with His people? How are these conditions described as active pursuits rather than passive states? [25:50]

Interpretation Questions:

How does the sermon describe the role of personal yearning in initiating revival? Why is this yearning not limited to pastors or the spiritually elite? [07:20]
What does the sermon suggest about the nature of revival and its impact on both individuals and nations? How does this align with the historical examples of revival mentioned? [20:37]
How does the sermon interpret the Incarnation as the first answer to Isaiah's prayer for God to rend the heavens? What implications does this have for our understanding of revival today? [33:10]

Application Questions:

Reflect on your personal yearning for God's presence. How can you cultivate a deeper longing for God in your daily life, especially during this holiday season? [32:24]
The sermon emphasizes that revival is for anyone who desires more of God. How can you overcome feelings of being too busy or unqualified to pray for revival? [05:18]
Consider the unexpected nature of God's actions in revival. How can you expand your expectations and trust that God will do things beyond your imagination? [17:32]
The sermon outlines conditions for revival, such as rejoicing, doing righteousness, and remembering God. What specific steps can you take to actively pursue these conditions in your life? [26:43]
As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, how can you incorporate prayers for revival into your celebrations and interactions? [32:40]
Reflect on the historical examples of revival shared in the sermon. How can these stories inspire you to pray more fervently for revival in your community? [20:37]
The sermon suggests that personal revival should start in one's prayer closet. What changes can you make to your personal prayer life to invite God's presence more fully? [32:11]

Sermon Clips

I want to ask you just one thing today that you would pray for Revival, that you would pray for Revival. Some of you might hear this message today, and it might, you might say I already do pray for Revival, amen praise God pray more. Some of you might say I've never really thought about Revival, amen praise God go think about it go watch a documentary on it. [00:02:51]

Revival is for any Christian who longs to see more of God. Are there any Christians here today who long to see more of God? Then this prayer is for all of us. You don't need to be a pastor you don't need to be some super spiritual person, but if you feel an ache in your heart if you feel a need for God then praying for Revival is for you. [00:07:07]

Revival is not just a series of special meetings, but a genuine spiritual upheaval in which the interests of Christians are raised to Great Heights and large numbers of Sinners are converted. Amen. It's not just a meeting it's not something where we can just work up a bunch of excitement, but Revival is when God comes down to his people. [00:08:56]

If you want to pray for Revival you need this o in your heart. This is the heart ache of the Christian who knows that he needs more of God. Does anybody here have that o in their heart that that sense of oh Lord, we need more? Look at the state of the World Christian, look at how sin is accelerating in the world around us. [00:11:00]

Brothers and sisters what are you asking God for? We can get into a pattern of asking God for things that are lesser than himself. We can ask him to put a few conservatives into government, we can ask him to clean up a few minor problems in Portland Maine, we can ask him to change a few things in our families but what does Isaiah pray for right here? [00:14:12]

When Revival comes, it will exceed our expectations. Our God will give us things that we didn't even look for he'll do things that we didn't even imagine. Let me try to explain this to you because this can really enliven our faith in our Lord and in what he can do in Revival. Some of you might know that my wife Kiara and I are expecting a baby boy in January. [00:17:38]

Isaiah tells us right here God meets a certain type of people God meets a certain type of Christian and Isaiah actually puts conditions on Revival right here and this is very important if anybody here gets stirred today to pray for Revival tells us there are conditions that we have to meet if we want Revival to come. [00:26:12]

If anybody in this room wants to go home and get serious about Revival I would ask you to go home and meet these conditions, rejoice in the Lord, do righteousness, remember God in all of your ways. Let me close with a few thoughts, first of all let me just ask you this, have you seen any signs of a Bible in the last year? [00:28:11]

Start with personal Revival, start with personal Revival, we're praying for the Lord to tear open the heavens and come down, but pray for him to do that in your prayer closet pray for him to do that when you're alone, pray for him to take over in your heart before he takes over in this church and before he takes over in Portland Maine. [00:32:06]

Meditate on the first time that God answered Isaiah's prayer. Look again at Isaiah chapter 64 verse 1. What does he say? Oh that you would Rend the heavens that you would come down that the mountains might shake at your presence. When was the first time that God answered that prayer of Isaiah? It was in a little manger in a place called Bethlehem. [00:33:01]

As you look at Christmas as you celebrate Christmas for the next month could you see Christmas in the time that Jesus became incarnate and dwelt among us see that as the first Revival in the church, and now we're praying for that to happen again we're praying that for that to happen again we know from what happened in the Incarnation that our God comes down. [00:34:00]

This message will have been useless unless you by your spirit stir up your Saints to actually get on their knees and to actually pray for Revival. Lord we desperately need it, and we ask you to hear the aching need of our hearts please God, please God, please make your people humble and put us on our knees and set us about crying for Revival until you hear us Lord until you hear us. [00:34:48]

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Yearning for Divine Revival: A Call to Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Yearning for God's Transformative Presence

Day 2: Revival is for Everyone Who Desires More of God

Day 3: Expecting the Unexpected in God's Revival

Day 4: Meeting the Conditions for Revival

Day 5: The Incarnation as the First Answer to Isaiah's Prayer

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Yearning for Divine Revival: A Call to Prayer

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