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Sun. 27/7/2014

Quarter’s Theme:REVIVAL IN THE CHURCH

Unit 2 Theme: Agents Of Revival (Lessons 7-13)

RESPONSIBILITY MONTHS

27/7/2014 LESSON 9

PRAYER AS THE INSTRUMENT FOR REVIVAL

Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 113, 266

Devotional Reading: ACTS 16:25-34

Topic For Adults

PERSISTENT PRAYER PREVAILS

Topic For Youths

PRAYER MAKES IMPOSSIBILITY POSSIBLE

Scripture Lessons

PS. 85:6; PS. 110:3. 2 CHRO. 7:14. LK. 18: 1-8; 1 THESS. 5:17; JAM. 5:17.

 

Memory verse:    And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31) NKJV

DAILY BIBLE READING

Sun. 27/7/2014

Prayer For Knowledge of God

Eph. 1:15-23

Part of the goal of revival is the spiritual growth of the members of the Church. A believer can only be spiritually strong as he gets deeper knowledge of God. Many people in the Church have only the head knowledge of God and not the experiential knowledge while many others just know what their Church commands. We need to pray for the eyes of our understanding to be enlightened so that we may know the hope of His calling and the exceeding great power that has been made available for us. It is this enlightening that will keep the eyes of members focused on God. Train them to be victorious Christians. You cannot last in this Christian race without deep knowledge of God.

Point of Emphasis:    Do not cease to pray to have deep knowledge of God.

Prayer Point:             Father, enlighten the eyes of my inner man, so that I may have deeper knowledge of You.

BACKGROUND

The men that caused revival in the Bible were ordinary men like any of us. They
were born the way we were born. Despite their human nature, God used them
mightily to achieve great work that we are referring to in our days. Many of them were not educated. Some were not rich, yet God used them. If we can learn from them and follow their lifestyle of holiness and prayers, then God will use us as well. What God did in them, through them, for them and with them, he can do with us also.

Revival does not happen by human effort or strategies neither will it occur by chance. God will not release revival on the individual whose mind is not prepared for it. All the men that experienced revival in the Bible were men of prayer. Revival will only come when you ask for it. It will only be experienced when men agonise for it. God gives revival in response to the heartfelt prayers of a believer. Pray Always: It is a command of God that we should pray always, without ceasing.

 

NOTES ON THE TEXT

 

1. PASSION FOR REVIVAL: PS. 85:6, 110:3.

There has never been a revival without passion. If revival must occur, believers must thirst for it. Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father. Everyone must desire the outpouring of the Holy Spirit before it can happen. You must be expecting revival before God will release it. Revival means awakening, stimulating the life, bringing it to the surface again. It is a spiritual reawakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation in the life of a believer. When there is revival, men will move towards righteousness, evangelism and social justice. Believers are once again able to spent time in prayer, reading and obeying God’s word. Believers are endowed with spiritual gifts and they are able to use the gift to edify the body of Christ. There will be confession of sins and genuine repentance when revival comes. But God will only release revival when believers yarn earnestly for it.

1. PREPARATION FOR REVIVAL: 2 CHRO. 7:14.

There are steps a believer must take before he or she can experience revival. The first step as seen in the passage is prayer. Prayer is the process of making our request known to God. It is a means by which we commune with God. Men of old who succeeded in their walk with God gave prayer a priority. The will of God for us is to depend on Him, to trust in Him and not to lean on our own understanding. God does not want us to trust in our own strength to provide for our needs or to solve our problems. Hence the need to pray. God always gives revival in response to prayers. The second step is genuine repentance. A sinner cannot experience revival because God will not pour His spirit upon a dirty soul. Repentance involves turning away from sins and turning to God. Repentance is beyond being sorry or sorrowful for sin. Remorse and tears often accompany repentance but they are not repentance in themselves 2 Cor. 7:10. Many people are sorry, not for what they have done but for the penalty or consequences of their sins. Esau showed sorrow for sin but he did not repent (Heb. 12:17). Genuine repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of conducts (Matt. 21:28-32).

1. PERSISTENCE IN FERVENT PRAYERS: LUKE 18: 1-8; 1 THESS. 5:17; JAMES 5:17.

God’s instruction to the Thessalonian Church is “pray without ceasing”. God commanded us to pray always. No amount of sacrifice we make at the expense of praying, can please God. We must continue to pray for the fire of revival. The prayer that will attract revival must be fervent. We must earnestly pray to experience genuine and lasting revival. A day prayer is not enough. Prayer must be our life style.

CONCLUSION

If you pray with the right attitude, you will discover that God answers prayers. If your prayer is passionate and fervent enough, God will respond with revival.

QUESTIONS

1. Why did Jesus instruct His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father?
2. What are the steps a believer must take before he or she can experience revival?
3. Why is it that sinner cannot experience revival?
4. Is sorrow for sin and repentance the same? Explain.
5. Explain the type of prayer that will attract revival.

 

French

DIMANCHE 27/07/2014

PRIERE POUR LA CONNAISSANCE DE DIEU

EPH. 1:15-23

Une partie du but du réveil est la croissance spirituelle des membres de l’église. Un croyant ne peut être spirituellement fortifié que lorsqu’il acquiert une connaissance plus approfondie de Dieu. Beaucoup de gens dans l’église n’ont qu’une connaissance superficielle de Dieu et non pas sa connaissance expérientielle tandis que beaucoup d’autres savent tout juste ce que l’église revendique. Nous avons besoin de prier pour que les lentilles de notre entendement soient illuminées afin que nous puissions connaître l’espoir de son appel et la très grande puissance qui a été mise à notre disposition. C’est cette lumière qui continuera à faire fixer les yeux des membres sur Dieu. Exerce-les à être des chrétiens victorieux. Tu ne peux pas rester longtemps dans cette course chrétienne si tu n’as pas une connaissance approfondie de Dieu.

Point essentiel : Ne cesse pas de prier pour avoir une connaissance approfondie de Dieu.

Axe de prière : Père, illumine les yeux de mon homme intérieur afin que je puisse avoir une connaissance plus approfondie de toi.