Learning How To Pray: On Our Faces “The descendants of Israel…confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” Nehemiah 9:2 Nehemiah 9:1-4 I don’t know what your definition of revival is. The Bible’s definition is when people commit to God’s agenda and live in light of His holiness. That’s why there can be no revival without a serious understanding of our sinfulness. People say, “There’s so much Christian activity going on; America must be getting ready for a revival.” I think not. Prayer is the lifeblood of revival. In order to have a national revival, God’s people have to go on their faces before Him. I don’t see many believer’s doing that. Serious, expectant prayer is also the key to revival in the church. You can’t have a church revival unless the church is willing to go on it’s face before a holy God. You can’t have a societal revival unless society is willing to go on it’s face before a holy God. And, of course, you can’t have a personal and family revival unless we are willing to go on our faces before a holy God together. If you want to see an example of personal and national revival, read Jonah 3 where the people of Ninevah repented from the king on down. They even put sackcloth on the animals. God saw their repentance and spared the Ninevites. It can happen here if “My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This is what we see unfolding here in Nehemiah 9. Notice the elements of this revival as the people of Jerusalem come before God in confession and repentance. Sackcloth was rough, uncomfortable cloth that would definitely keep you alert. Putting dirt or dust on the head was another sign of sorrow for sin. Fasting is giving up a craving of the body because of a greater need of the spirit. It is closely tied with prayer because you pray during what would normally be mealtime. Now I don’t know about you, but for most people giving up eating to pray is taking prayer seriously. I often tell people that until you fast and pray about a need, you haven’t done everything you can do. You may look better than others around you, but they’re not the standard. God is the standard, and He demands holiness. Posted by David Coleman of The DC Ministry “Sharing The Gospel.”
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:11:59 +0000
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