I do not talk a great deal about revival, though in my very soul I long for it. I do not talk much about it, simply because I am convinced that the thing God uses to bring revival to his church is not talking about revival, but talking about his Son. I do not dwell much on revivals of the past because those things that are commonly viewed as evidences of revival (emotionalism, visions, legalism, and idleness) are, in my opinion, more likely evidences of a satanic delusion than of a revival. But tonight I want to talk to you about revival. The title of my message is simply, A Prayer for Revival. My text will be Isaiah 63:17 - 64:12.
When I talk about revival, this is what I am talking about - God manifesting himself to his church and people in such a way that he shows them his power, his goodness, and his favor in Christ, delivering them from their enemies, for the glory of his own great name. This is what Isaiah prayed for in our text. Such revival...
I know this, the Lord God promises to grant revival, to grant his manifest presence and power to his people, if we earnestly seek his face, praying toward his holy temple, that is praying with our eyes of faith and hope fixed upon the Mercy-Seat, the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrifice
Tonight, I want to show you by inspired example how to seek revival. Hold your Bible open at Isaiah chapters 63 and 64, and pray that God the Holy Spirit will speak by your pastor to your heart.
Without question, this was a prayer uttered by God’s prophet for the deliverance of Israel from the hands of their great enemies. Because of their sin, God had left them, sent them into bondage, and sore afflicted them. Now, the prophet of God pleads with God for the nation. Remembering what God had done, he has hope that he might again intervene for his people and show them his favor. In so doing, he gives us an example of how we ought to pray for revival.
Proposition: Past experiences of grace ought to inspire us with hope for future grace and give us arguments with which to plead with God for more grace.
It is as though the prophet were saying, Where is the God that brought us up out of Egypt? Where is he that put his Holy Spirit in our midst, brought us into the land of Canaan, drove out our enemies, and caused us to dwell in safety, to make himself a great and glorious name? (See 63:11-14.) Isaiah’s prayer reminds me of Cowper’s old hymn:
As we go through these verses, I do not intend to expound the meaning of every line and word. I want to simply show you seven things in this prayer for revival which I believe will be instructive and helpful to you who are concerned for the glory of God and the revival of your own soul and of his church in this day.
I. In chapter 63, verses 17-19, we see AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GENUINE FAITH.
Be sure to take notice that throughout this prayer, Isaiah (speaking for the people of God) carefully and constantly acknowledges God’s sovereignty and their guilt, God’s gracious redemption and their utter helplessness.
A. "O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear?" (v. 17) Here the prophet acknowledges...
B. "Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance" (v. 17). This is a prayer for God’s gracious intervention. Isaiah is saying, Lord God, build up your kingdom. Save your people. Gather the outcasts. Gather your elect. Reveal again your mighty arm of grace. Make yourself known as our God.
C. Take pity upon us, O Lord. (vv. 18-19).
II. In chapter 64, verses 1-3, Isaiah pours out his heart in earnest prayer, A PRAYER FOR GOD’S MANIFEST PRESENCE, POWER, GOODNESS, AND GLORY.
This is an earnest, I might say, desperate, desire that God would come down and show himself to be their God. Oh, that God would this day show himself clearly and distinctly as our God, the God in whose eyes we are precious, as he did at the Red Sea, upon Mt. Sinai, and when Israel drove their enemies out of the land God gave them.
NOTE: Isaiah pleads what God has formerly done as an indication of what he is always ready to do for his people.
III. In verses 4-5 the prophet expresses AN ADORATION FOR AND AWE OF GOD’S GRACIOUS PURPOSES TOWARD HIS PEOPLE.
A. He was overwhelmed at the thought of what God has prepared for his chosen (v. 4; Ps. 31:19; I Cor. 2:9).
B. He then acknowledges that though God meets the righteous and receives them, we have no claim upon his goodness by virtue of our own goodness, "for we have sinned."
C. But notice this - Even in the acknowledgment of God’s holiness and the people’s sin, their constant sin, Isaiah’s hope is not diminished. His eye of faith and hope was not cast upon himself or the people, but upon God's grace, God's Son, and God's salvation. He says, "We shall be saved!"
IV. Here is A COMPLETE CONFESSION OF SIN THAT VINDICATED GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL JUDGMENTS (vv. 6-7).
A. "We are all as an unclean thing." Unfit for God's acceptance!V. In verse 8 I see A GENUINE HUMILITY AND SUBMISSION OF HEART.
Blessed are they who understand and acknowledge the truth contained in this verse of Scripture. It is taught throughout the Word of God.
VI. Now read verses 9 and 10. Here is A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS AND DELIVERANCE. It is a prayer based upon three things.
VII. In verses 11 and 12 the prophet makes A PLEA THAT ALWAYS CARRIES WEIGHT WITH GOD.
We do not just need you. Lord God, we must have you. Without you, we can do nothing and we are nothing!
I Kings 18:36-37 - This is my prayer. I have absolute confidence that it shall be done. I do not know how he will do it; but I know that the Lord our God will let it be known that...
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