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The Interceders Encourager No. 30

The Prayers of Scripture in relation to Revival

A previous Interceder Encourager, (No.16), was issued, on ‘The Promptings, Provocations and Promises of Scripture in relation to Revival,’ in which Bible verses were given to use in prayer for revival and awakening; as the history of revivals shows that we need to pray back the words of Scripture to God. That theme is continued in this Encourager, in which we look at the prayers of the Bible in relation to revival.

Using these prayers, in conjunction with Encourager No.16, will give you all the Bible verses that, as far as I know, have been used to bring people into the right attitudes of heart and mind before the Lord , for Him to use them as channels of power; and all the verses that have been used and claimed in prayer to bring down revival.

My prayer, therefore, for everyone of you reading the material in these two Encouragers, is that you will use all these sacred words, and make them your own. Ask the Holy Spirit, who inspired them in the first place, to enable you to pray them back to God with confidence, fervency and consistency, and to pray through you to victory.

A. Preparing our hearts and minds.

"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of the one whose heart is loyal to Him." (2 Chron.16: 9)

"For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake, I will not rest, until her righteousness shines out like the dawn and her salvation as a burning torch." (Is. 62:1)

"I will recall the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord. I will remember your wonders of long ago. I will also meditate on all your works, and talk of all your deeds. Your way, O God is holy.

What god is so great as our God? You are the God who does wonders. You have displayed your power among the people. With your mighty arm, You redeemed Your people." (Ps.77:10-15)

B. Prayers admitting our true situation before God, and seeking his forgiveness.

"Look down from heaven, and see from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and Your might? The yearning of your heart and Your compassion are withheld from us…But you are our Father….Our Redeemer from of old is your name. For a little while, your people possessed Your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. We have become like those of old, over whom you have never ruled, those who have never been called by your name. (Is. 63: 15-19)

The situations then and now are not the same, but we can still apply these verses, to a large extent, to Britain and the Church in Britain today.

"O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and rebelled. We have turned away from your commands and laws…. Lord You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame…because we have sinned against You… All this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favour of the Lord our God, by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth…O Lord, turn away Your anger and your wrath……

We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen, O Lord forgive. O Lord, hear and act. For your sake, O my God, do not delay because Your people are called by your name." (Dan.9: 1-19)

"O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to you, because our sins have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. And now, O our God, what shall we say after this, for we have forsaken your commandments….And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this,……would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? O Lord God, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant as we are this day. Here we are before You in our guilt, and none can stand before You because of this." (Ezra 9: 6-15)

C. Prayers seeking God’s mercy and restoration.

"Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation towards us. Will You be angry with us for ever? Will You prolong your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your mercy, God, and grant us your salvation. (Ps.85:4-7)

"O God, You have cast us off. You have broken us down. You have been angry. O restore us again… You have made your people suffer hard things. You have made us drink the wine of confusion. You have set up a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed to show the truth, that those You love may be delivered. Give victory with your right hand, and answer us…Give us help against the foe, for vain is the help of man. With God we will gain the victory, for it is He who will tread down our enemies." (Ps.60: 1-12)

"Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock, You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth….Stir up your strength, and come and save us. Restore us O God. Make your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved. O Lord God Almighty, how long will You be angry against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure. You have made us a source of contention to our neighbours, and our enemies laugh among themselves…. Return to us, O God Almighty. Look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine, the root your hand has planted and the branch You have raised up for Yourself. Revive us, and we will call on your name. (Ps.80:1-18)

"Return, O Lord. How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your deeds be shown to your servants and your glory to their children." (Ps.90:13-16)

"You, O Lord, remain for ever. Your throne endures from generation to generation. Why have you forgotten us for so long, and forsaken us for so long a time? Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored. Renew our days as of old." (Lam.5:21)

"I lift up my eyes to you, to You whose throne is in heaven….Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. For we have had enough of contempt. We have endured much ridicule from those who are at ease, and contempt from the proud." (Ps.123:1-4)

"O God, how long will the enemy mock you? Will the adversary revile your name for ever? Why do You hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment, and destroy them. For You, O God, are my King from of old, working salvation upon the earth. You divided the sea by your strength…..You dried up mighty rivers…..You established the sun, the moon and the stars. You set all the boundaries of the earth. You made summer and winter…

Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how fools mock you all day long. Do not forget the voice of your enemies. The tumult of those who rise up against you increases continually." (Ps.74:10-23)

"Lord, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day. In our time, make them known. In wrath, remember mercy." (Hab.3:2)

D. Prayers asking for God to act and show His power.

"It is time for You to act, O Lord, for they have broken your law." (Ps. 119: 126)

"You will answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God of our salvation; You, who are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power; being clothed with strength; You who still the roaring of the seas, the noise of their waves and the tumult of the nations; so that those who live at earth’s furthest bounds are afraid of your signs." (Ps. 65:5-8)

"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord. Awake, as in the days gone by, as in generations of old…..Are You not the One who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over." (Is. 51: 9-10)

"O that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might shake at your presence. As fire sets twigs ablaze, and causes water to boil, come down, to make your name known to your enemies, that the nations may tremble at your presence. For when You did awesome things, for which we did not look, You came down, and the mountains trembled at your presence. For since the beginning of the world, no one has heard or perceived by the ear, and no eye has seen a God besides You who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. You meet him who rejoices and does what is right, and who remembers You in your ways." (Is. 64: 1-5)

"Bow down your heavens, O Lord, and come down. Touch the mountains so that they smoke. Flash forth lightnings and scatter your enemies. Shoot out your arrows and rout them. Stretch out your hand from above." ((Ps.144: 5-7)

"Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered. Let those who hate Him, flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be joyful. Let them rejoice before God. Let them be jubilant with joy." (Ps.68: 1-3)

"Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before you." (Nu.10: 35)

"Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men." (Ps. 9: 19-20)

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth." ((Ps. 57: 5)

"Rain down, O Heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, let salvation spring up, and let righteousness grow with it." (Is.45: 8)

"Gird your sword upon your thigh, O Mighty One. Clothe yourself with glory and majesty. In your majesty, ride forth victoriously on behalf of truth, humility and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies. Let the nations fall beneath your feet." (Ps.45: 3-5)

Conclusion.

When we pray in complete honesty, acknowledging the greatness and holiness of God, and our sinfulness and inadequacy; seeking God’s mercy and restoration, and asking Him to act according to the way He has shown His power in the past, using the Word of God; we are praying according to the will of God, so we can know that He will hear us and will answer us. (I Jn.5: 14-15)

Behind all this must be an absolute confidence in the trustworthiness of God. In Lewis, Duncan Campbell found "a group of people who were living on the high plane of implicit confidence in God." Ask God to make you like them.

For we can say these words from the Bible again and again, but it will achieve nothing unless we believe:

that God is faithful, (Deut.7:9, 1 Cor.1:9, Tit.1:2 Heb.10:23. Rom.4:18-22, Heb. 11:11, Jer.32:42, 1Thess.5:24) ;

that He will answer prayer, (Ps.92:14-16, Ps.99: 8, Is.58:9, Is.65:24, Jer.33:3, Joel 2:19);

and therefore, that if we fulfil the conditions, He will do, and must do, what He has promised, because He cannot break His word.

"Desire for revival is one thing. Confident anticipation that our desire will be fulfilled is another." (Duncan Campbell)

"Let us, therefore, draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive." (Heb.4: 16)