Yearning for God's Presence: A Call to Revival
Summary
In reflecting on Isaiah 64:1, the heart of the message is a call for a profound and earnest prayer for revival, a plea for God to "rend the heavens and come down." This prayer is not just a request for God's blessings but a deep yearning for His presence and power to be manifest among His people. The context of Isaiah's prayer is a time of desolation and spiritual barrenness among the Israelites, a condition that resonates with the church's current state. The prophet Isaiah, recognizing the dire situation, pleads with God to intervene as He has done in the past, reminding us of the mighty acts of God throughout history.
True prayer, as illustrated, is characterized by a deep longing and a recognition of our own limitations, driving us to seek God's intervention. It involves a fervent desire for God to reveal His glory and power, not just for the benefit of His people but so that His adversaries may know His name and tremble at His presence. This is a call to move beyond routine prayers and to engage in a prayer that takes hold of God, much like Jacob wrestling with the angel, refusing to let go until he received a blessing.
The sermon emphasizes the need for the church to remember the mighty acts of God in history as a source of encouragement. The God who parted the Red Sea and brought down the walls of Jericho is the same God we pray to today. The ultimate encouragement lies in the character of God—His mercy, compassion, and love, which endure forever. Despite the church's current state of apostasy and rebellion, there is hope if we truly repent and seek Him with all our hearts.
Key Takeaways:
- True prayer is characterized by a deep longing for God's presence and a recognition of our own limitations. It is not a casual expression but a fervent plea for God to intervene in our lives and the world. This kind of prayer takes hold of God and refuses to let go, much like Jacob wrestling with the angel. [06:09]
- The ultimate prayer for revival is a plea for God to "rend the heavens and come down." This is not just a request for blessings but a deep yearning for God's presence and power to be manifest among His people, as it was on the day of Pentecost. [07:08]
- The church must remember the mighty acts of God throughout history as a source of encouragement. The God who performed miracles in the past is the same God we pray to today, and He is capable of doing the impossible. [29:32]
- The primary reason for praying for God's intervention is for His name to be known among His adversaries. The world will never be interested in the Christian message until it has some knowledge of God, and this knowledge comes through a manifestation of His power and glory. [20:19]
- The character of God—His mercy, compassion, and love—is the ultimate encouragement to pray. Despite the church's current state, there is hope if we truly repent and seek Him with all our hearts. His anger is temporary, but His mercy endures forever. [42:10]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:12] - Introduction and Context
- [00:51] - The Importance of Prayer
- [02:13] - Historical Reflections
- [03:23] - The First Petition
- [04:30] - The Second Petition
- [06:09] - True Prayer: Taking Hold of God
- [07:08] - The Ultimate Prayer for Revival
- [09:23] - God Coming Down
- [11:38] - The Power of God
- [13:34] - Historical Examples of God's Power
- [15:38] - The Greatness of God
- [19:30] - Reasons to Pray for Revival
- [29:32] - Encouragement from History
- [36:01] - The Limitless Possibilities of Prayer
- [42:10] - The Character of God
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Isaiah 64:1
- Exodus 19:16-20
- Psalm 99:1-3
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Observation Questions:
1. What is the significance of the phrase "rend the heavens and come down" in Isaiah 64:1, and how does it relate to the concept of revival? [07:08]
2. In Exodus 19:16-20, what were the physical manifestations of God's presence on Mount Sinai, and how did the people react to them?
3. According to Psalm 99:1-3, what is the response of the people and the earth to the reign of the Lord?
4. How does the sermon describe the nature of true prayer, and what biblical example is used to illustrate this? [06:09]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon suggest that the church's current state of spiritual barrenness is similar to the condition of the Israelites in Isaiah's time? [00:51]
2. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between God's past mighty acts and our current prayers for revival? [29:32]
3. How does the sermon interpret the purpose of praying for God's intervention, particularly in relation to His adversaries? [20:19]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the character of God—His mercy, compassion, and love—serves as an encouragement to pray? [42:10]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually barren. How did you seek God's presence during that period, and what was the outcome? [00:51]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of remembering God's past acts as encouragement. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily prayer life? [29:32]
3. Consider the idea of praying for God's name to be known among His adversaries. How can you make this a part of your prayer routine, and what specific situations in your life could benefit from this type of prayer? [20:19]
4. The sermon describes true prayer as taking hold of God and not letting go. What practical steps can you take to deepen your prayer life in this way? [06:09]
5. How can the church today move beyond routine prayers to engage in fervent prayer for revival? What role can you play in this transformation? [07:08]
6. Reflect on the character of God as described in the sermon. How does His enduring mercy and compassion influence your approach to prayer and repentance? [42:10]
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel limited and in need of God's intervention. How can you specifically pray for His power and presence to be manifest in that situation? [05:13]
Devotional
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Quotes
This men you have to pray and we all need instruction about prayer prayer is not easy prayer because we are what we are is difficult and we need instruction if we've never felt what our Lord's disciples felt when they turn to Him one afternoon and said Lord teach us how to pray it is probably because we've never really played at all. [00:01:38]
True praying is always characterized by the use of that word all that thou wouldest when even there's no word that's more expressive of longing than that word of oh it expresses of thirst a deep desire it's a confession of men at the end of his resources and waiting and looking for and longing for God. [00:04:35]
Prayer means taking hold of God and not letting go, you've got it all in the famous instance of Jacob you remember struggling with that men who appear to women that critical night before the enemy his brother Esau he started with him II wrestled with him and when the day broke and the men said that he must go Jacob said I will not let we go taking hold of God marrying hold upon him pleading with him reasoning arguing beseeching. [00:06:02]
The ultimate prayer in connection with a revival it is right of course all the ways to pray to God to bless us and to look upon us and to be gracious unto us that is a prayer we should always be offering but this goes beyond them this goes further and it is here I say we see the difference between what the church should always be praying for and the special peculiar urgent prayer for a visitation of God's Spirit for revival. [00:07:08]
It is a consciousness of the presence of God the Holy Spirit literally in the midst of the people probably most of us who are here never learned that but that is exactly what is meant by a visitation of God's Spirit it's over and above and beyond the highest experiences in the normal life and working of the church suddenly those present in the meeting become aware that someone has come amongst them they're aware of a glory that aware of a presence they can't define it they can't describe it they can't put it into word they just know that they've never known anything like this before. [00:10:19]
The primary reason for praying for God's intervention is for His name to be known among His adversaries. The world will never be interested in the Christian message until it has some knowledge of God, and this knowledge comes through a manifestation of His power and glory. [00:20:19]
The arrogance of the pride of these nations and people and rulers who defy him if they but have a glimpse of his glory they tremble in his presence he's going to shake them he's going to shake their world there'll be nothing left not a rack behind it's all going to be dissolved everything will vanish you read the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelations and at the manifestation of his glory you find that the kings and the great of the earth will cry out into the rocks into the mountains fall on us and hide us from what from the rock of the land the Lord reigneth let the people tremble that the nations may tremble death I present. [00:25:40]
The greatest tonic to a drooping spirit is to read the history of the church read the history of the church my friends it didn't start you know when moody first came to this country it goes back for the running centuries go back read the story of the church consider what God has done in ages past there's nothing so stimulating to prayer as death and you notice the interesting way in which he puts it when thou didst terrible things which we look not for you know since this man in his prayer O God in the best you surprised your own people you did things that they never imagined. [00:29:32]
The God whom we are worshipping and to whom we are praying with hings which we look not for and again in the desert there they are it's a howling barren wilderness and there's nothing to eat suddenly God begins to send them bread from heaven no waffle dying of starvation thirst vs. strikes the rock out comes the gushing water things that we look not for that's our God my friends Jordan at last how can they enter into the land of promise Jordan in club what's Jordan to our God he divides it the conquest of the land and the many deliverance is that he gave them when thou didst terrible things which we looked not for that's the encouragement to pray. [00:31:43]
The possibilities when you're praying to God every notice verse 4 or since the beginning of the world men have not heard not perceived by the earth neither at the I see no God beside thee what he has prepared for him that waiteth for him oh what an encouragement is it what should i pray for somebody my dear friend there's no limit to what you should pray for no limit at all since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the in either of the I see Oh God beside thee what he has prepared for him that waited for him. [00:36:01]
The gracious character of God have you been puzzled by this strange expression in verse 5 behold thou art rock for we have sinned in those days continuance and we shall be safe what does it mean it means justice Oh God says this men you've averted your face from us because we have sinned you're displeased with us thine anger and thy wrath are against us because of our sinfulness I know it says the men and then he says this daring thing he says that you know Oh God that isn't really you. [00:42:10]
God's displeasure is upon the church because of the sin because of a apostasy and rebellion but if she truly repents and really seeks him he will yet meet with her if with all your heart you truly seek me you shall surely find well seeking spoil yourself up the pole upon his name take hold upon him plead with him as your father as your maker as your father as your guide as your God read his own policy and try under him and say oh the wood is rending that there would've come oh when the hippies come quickly down and make a thousand heart die. [00:45:43]
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