Tag Archives: Brokenness

Worship Is Giving Your All

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Worship Changes Us

When it’s genuine, worship CHANGES us! It seems to me that when Paul defines our “spiritual worship” as presenting “…your bodies as a living sacrifice…”, he interprets worship as a personal meeting with God that has such a redemptive and sanctifying impact on us that it CHANGES us (Romans 12:1-2). That’s what genuine worship does to us! Worship is not an exchange where we check it off of our spiritual “TO DO” list so God becomes obligated to give us something in return!

An Encounter With The Living God

Worship is nothing short of an encounter with the living, active, covenant-keeping God! It’s seeing how He humbled Himself and came to the planet that He created as a vulnerable baby, and gave His all on the cross for us so that He might gain our redemption! Worship is being so moved by His action that, in brokenness and humility, we seek nothing more in return; but, in the likeness of our Savior, we give our all back to Him—a living sacrifice! We’re undone! All of life becomes worship!  The Latin phrase “coram Deo” means “before the face of God,” and it’s used in the context of our worship because genuine worship is lived out everywhere and anywhere we find ourselves! Whether it’s our work, leisure, or family time, there is nothing “secular” that is outside “the face of God” or outside His authority or realm. All of life is sacred!

Don’t Compartmentalize Your Life

We cannot compartmentalize any sector of our life and claim it as ours or as something out of God’s reach. Paul tells the Church of Rome that spiritual worship is an intentional presentation of our bodies to God—“…present your bodies as a living sacrifice…” To what is Paul referring? The most obvious answer is the Old Testament sacrificial system, where a lamb was slaughtered in faith, believing that God would pass over the sin of the one sacrificing. But I think Paul intends for us to go deeper in our meditation on this passage and see the Lamb of God who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was the final answer— “…once for all…” God said! “It is finished,” Jesus said. There would be no more dead sacrifices! 

The Mercies Of God

In these two verses, Paul says that it’s because of “…the mercies of God…” that we become “…holy and pleasing to God…” when we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice” to Him! Worship has everything to do with our redemption. To “redeem” something means to restore it or to reclaim it so it can once again be used as it was intended. When Jesus made atonement for our sin on the cross, He “redeemed” us. It means He “reclaimed” us from the sin that had owned us since Adam’s fall, and He began a “restoration” process in us to make us what He originally meant for us to be. And He’ll complete that process on the day of our glorification when we see Him. Paul seems to infer that “worship” will become our “default setting” when we truly grasp all that Jesus gave for us, and we’ll want to do nothing less but give our all to Him!

The Tension Between Your Flesh & Spirit

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Free From Sin’s Power

If you’re a genuine “born again” follower of Jesus Christ it’s a tension you live with every day! Your spirit longs to be rid of sin, and you know, from Scripture & intuitively, that you’ve been set free from the “power” of sin! It doesn’t rule over you as it once did! You’ve experienced victory over many sins that once controlled you! At the same time, your broken, totally depraved flesh continues to lust after sin.  Sometimes that tension between doing what your flesh demands & what your spirit wants is such a burden that the weight of it overcomes you and you slip back, temporarily, into an old sin!

Prisoner To The Law Of Sin

The Apostle Paul nailed it when he confessed:  “When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. For in my inner self, I joyfully agree with God’s law. But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?” Romans 7:21-24. It’s in that tension— in the battle between our spirit & our flesh— that God progressively sanctifies, or, changes us.  An “unchanged” believer is a contradiction in terms! If you’re not changed; and being changed, you’re not saved! You’re not a genuine believer; or, follower of Jesus. Jesus, Himself, said there will always be “fruit” to evidence genuine faith (Matthew 13). 

Put Self Back On The Cross

If your faith is real, God is moving you toward the completion of your faith! He’s moving you toward the Day of Glorification when you become like Jesus permanently! Until that day, God will continue to transform you into the image of Christ by overcoming our remaining sins in the same way that Jesus overcame sin— on a CROSS! Jesus said we must die to self—  “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” Luke 9:23. You have to continually put “SELF” back on the cross! EVERY DAY, Jesus said; or it will rise up & wrestle back control from you.  And, THAT is how you grow spiritually! You ARE sanctified, and you’re becoming MORE sanctified! You’re experiencing more & more freedom from the power of sin as you DENY & CRUCIFY self! 

Put The Flesh To Death

The Apostle Paul followed up his dilemma, expressed in Romans 7, with these words from the very next chapter:  “For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live “ Romans 8:13.  The old King James Version said we must “…MORTIFY the deeds of the body…” A huge part of God’s sanctification work, in us, is to strengthen us in our efforts to “MORTIFY” or “put to death” the works of our flesh. The old Puritan, John Owen, made famous this quote about killing sin: “Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”  I like to say that spiritual growth is ultimately becoming more like JESUS; and, less like YOU! Do you look more like Jesus today than yesterday? If so, that’s evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in you! If not, you best “…examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith…” 2 Cor. 13:5.
 

God Makes You New, Part II

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No Condemnation Now Exists

One of the most powerful Scriptures for a believer to hold onto is this:  “Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  God no longer condemns you if you’ve placed faith, for your salvation, in Jesus’ work on the cross! So, we need to quit condemning ourselves! When you mess up & sin, CONFESS it— that means you AGREE with God that what you did was sin! (1 John 1:8-10) But after you confess it, thank Him for forgiveness; and, get back into fellowship with Him! God has adopted you into His family; and, no one is going to overpower Him and rip you away! You belong to Him!

It’s Who You Are

That’s your “identity”— it’s WHO you are! Until you live by faith, knowing who you are in Christ, you will struggle to experience spiritual growth! Unlike “JUSTIFICATION”— which is an instantaneous judicious act of pardon by God; and, a passing from death to life— ”SANCTIFICATION” is a process that God begins IN YOU the moment you’ve been JUSTIFIED! God frees us from the power of sin as He SANCTIFIES us! But it’s a progressive work of God in our lives. Little by little, with each new day, God gives us the grace we need to overcome sin.

We Were Chained To Sin

The Apostle Paul, in Romans, speaks of our sin as DOMINATING us BEFORE “JUSTIFICATION”— i.e. we were chained to sin; and, we couldn’t help but sin! But, at the moment of our “JUSTIFICATION”, the Holy Spirit indwells us; and, empowers us in a battle to “mortify”— or, “put to death”— the deeds of our flesh; or, the “old man” Paul calls it! So, at “JUSTIFICATION” we WERE saved; and, “regenerated” or made alive! In our “SANCTIFICATION,” we are BEING saved! Don’t be concerned by that! It’s a good thing! Theologically, we mean that God’s “SANCTIFICATION” work, in us, is ACTIVE!

The Capacity To Overcome Sin

The Holy Spirit is not passive about purging sin from our lives! He’s aggressive! In the Spirit, we now have the power or the capacity to overcome sin; and, at the same time, a growing DESIRE to be rid of it! That is one of my greatest PASSIONS— to BEAT SIN! If you have no desire to overcome sin, your “salvation” is in question! Perhaps you’ve been deceived! It’s in the “SANCTIFICATION” process that you are progressively becoming MORE like Jesus; and, LESS like you! It’s a work that only God can do in you!  So ask for His help regularly to overcome sin! 

Trying Harder Doesn’t Work

Unfortunately, it’s pretty typical for believers to try hard, do good & FAIL. That didn’t work; so, try HARDER, do BETTER & FAIL again! Until they stop trying so hard; and, just give in and FAKE IT. Can you relate to that? I know I can!  Listen, God’s “SANCTIFICATION” process tells us to take off the masks & quit pretending we’ve reached perfection! We’re all broken! We all need to be made complete in Christ! So, make yourselves accountable to each other to strengthen the Spirit’s effort to crucify your flesh! And, finally, one day we will all become who we already are “positionally” in Christ—we’ll be “GLORIFIED”; and, set FREE from the very PRESENCE of sin! We’ll be like Jesus, Amen! No more corruption! No more sin! So live with that hope!

Sustaining Spiritual Momentum Part II

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The Old Way Isn’t Working

There’s a saying; and, I’m sure most of you have heard it— that, “Insanity Is Doing The Same Thing Over & Over And Expecting Different Results.” In other words, if you’re looking for different results, you’ve got to change the way you’re doing things! The American church is desperately in need of a “paradigm shift” in the way we do things! The old way isn’t working! It’s broken! You’ve heard the statistics— 9 out of 10 churches, in America, are in decline! And, of that,  in 10 experiencing growth (many are “Mega Churches”), 9 out of 10 have grown— NOT by adding new converts— but, by TRANSFER growth; or, people leaving the 9 out of 10 churches in decline!

The Same God

As for me, I’m unwilling to accept some sorry excuse that people just aren’t seeking God these days! The same God, who worked the sweeping revivals in the book of Acts, is alive and well today! The Bible offers us hope! And, there is a grassroots movement that is effecting change in the Church across our land. God is raising up modern-day “prophets” who refuse to preach the pragmatic “self-help gospel” with its self-absorbed, man-centered appeal to consumerism— that false gospel will not endure the coming persecution! It’s a movement that’s slowly building, gaining momentum, and, returning to “ground zero”— to where Jesus said, “I will build My church.” He would build His Church— NOT by appealing to the fleshly lusts of the world & the unregenerate heart; but on the WEAKNESS of man & the POWER of God! “Not by man’s might or power; but, by MY Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6). 

Empowered By His Spirit

Jesus built that early church, in the book of Acts, out of broken men who were empowered by HIS Holy Spirit to simply obey His “commission” to make disciples! This post is about sustaining the spiritual momentum necessary to continue making new disciples.  In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer is addressing a falling away of some of the believers. Somehow, the momentum of the early church, in Acts, had stalled! Earlier, in the letter, the writer had warned them that they needed to learn, all over again, some of the elementary truths of faith— so, this is basic stuff! If it was a class it would be “Basic Discipleship 101.”  The text says, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our gatherings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” 

Don’t Do Life Without It

If you had only 2 words to summarize those verses, they would be “relationships” & “gatherings”; and, that’s Church!  The writer is saying, “Church: Don’t try to do the Christian life without it!” And, his 1st point is to “be concerned about one another.” If the Church is to sustain the momentum necessary to make disciples who make disciples we have to quit making Church about ourselves! God calls us to look after one another! That Church is attractive to unbelievers! Can you point me to one like that? The narcissism that defines the current culture will not produce spirituality, nor does it have the ability to sustain any kind of spiritual momentum. This comes from the Spirit of God alone! And His Spirit tells us to concern ourselves with “relationships” & “gatherings.” May God help us move away from our self-absorbed selves!

Sustaining Spiritual Momentum Part I

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Looking For Different Results?

There’s a saying; and, I’m sure most of you have heard it— that, “Insanity Is Doing The Same Thing Over & Over And Expecting Different Results.” In other words, if you’re looking for different results, you’ve got to change the way you’re doing things! The American church is desperately in need of a “paradigm shift” in the way we do things! The old way isn’t working! It’s broken! You’ve heard the statistics— 9 out of 10 churches, in America, are in decline! And, of that,  in 10 experiencing growth (many are “Mega Churches”), 9 out of 10 have grown— NOT by adding new converts— but, by TRANSFER growth; or, people leaving the 9 out of 10 churches in decline!

The Same God

As for me, I’m unwilling to accept some sorry excuse that people just aren’t seeking God these days! The same God, who worked the sweeping revivals in the book of Acts, is alive and well today! The Bible offers us hope! And, there is a grassroots movement that is effecting change in the Church across our land. God is raising up modern-day “prophets” who refuse to preach the pragmatic “self-help gospel” with its self-absorbed, man-centered appeal to consumerism— that false gospel will not endure the coming persecution!

I Will Build My Church

It’s a movement that’s slowly building, gaining momentum, and, returning to “ground zero”— to where Jesus said, “I will build My church.” He would build His Church— NOT by appealing to the fleshly lusts of the world & the unregenerate heart; but on the WEAKNESS of man & the POWER of God! “Not by man’s might or power; but, by MY Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6).  Jesus built that early church, in the book of Acts, out of broken men who were empowered by HIS Holy Spirit to simply obey His “commission” to make disciples! This post is about sustaining the spiritual momentum necessary to continue making new disciples. 

A Falling Away

In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer is addressing a falling away of some of the believers. Somehow, the momentum of the early church, in Acts, had stalled! Earlier, in the letter, the writer had warned them that they needed to learn, all over again, some of the elementary truths of faith— so, this is basic stuff! If it was a class it would be “Basic Discipleship 101.”  The text says, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our gatherings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” 

Don’t Do Life Without It

If you had only 2 words to summarize those verses, they would be “relationships” & “gatherings”; and, that’s Church!  The writer is saying, “Church: Don’t try to do the Christian life without it!” And, his 1st point is to “be concerned about one another.” If the Church is to sustain the momentum necessary to make disciples who make disciples we have to quit making Church about ourselves! God calls us to look after one another! That Church is attractive to unbelievers! Can you point me to one like that? The narcissism that defines the current culture will not produce spirituality, nor does it have the ability to sustain any kind of spiritual momentum. This comes from the Spirit of God alone! And His Spirit tells us to concern ourselves with “relationships” & “gatherings.” May God help us move away from our self-absorbed selves!


Your Good Works May Offend God

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Jesus’ Sacrificial Act

Being a disciple of Jesus does not begin with something we do; but, with something Jesus has already done! When Jesus went to the cross, He redeemed our relationship with the Father that was broken by our sin against Him! By Jesus’ death on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins that we should have paid so that the Father would be just to grant us forgiveness, grace, mercy & love.  By Jesus’ sacrificial act, He made a way for the Father to adopt us into His family when we accept the work of His Son & His payment on our behalf. 

Quit Trying To Earn God’s Favor

But Jesus’ work, on our behalf is only effective when we quit trying to work our way into the Father’s favor! We must accept God’s offer of salvation through Christ alone by grace alone; and, cast aside any hope that our good deeds might impress the Father.  Can you see how offensive it is to God when we try to make ourselves presentable to Him? We trample on His Son’s sacrifice when we try to impress God with our “perceived” good deeds! We spit in His face & tell Him His Son’s work on the cross wasn’t good enough; that, we need to “add” our own.

What God Requires

What God requires of us is nothing more than humility & brokenness, along with a confession that we’re not worthy & incapable of ever becoming worthy of the salvation He offers us! What we need is a new start; a new beginning; a new birth! “You MUST be born again,” Jesus said. He was referencing a “SPIRITUAL” birth. Your “physical” birth makes you a citizen of this world; but, only your “spiritual” birth can make you a citizen of heaven! That becomes your new identity! You’re no longer a citizen of this world; rather, Scripture calls you a “temporary resident” here! Your citizenship is heaven! And, that’s where we have to begin when we start a conversation about “spiritual growth.”

Your Identity In Christ

You have to be sure of your identity— in Christ— before you can ever hope to mature as a disciple of Christ. That is what Paul said happens at the moment of faith. Here’s how the Amplified Bible expands on the meaning of Paul’s words:  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, all things have become new [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

You’re Not The Old You

If you’re a believer; or, a disciple of Jesus, you’re no longer that OLD you. You’ve become; and, are becoming the NEW you— the spiritually born-again you! And, one day God will finish the work He began in you that day you were converted— that’s the coming day of your “glorification”! Until that day, God will be at work in you, sanctifying you. That’s a big word— SANCTIFICATION— but, break it down to its simplest form & it’s the process by which God makes you more like Jesus and less like you! He does that, in part, by revealing to us our sin, convincing us to forsake it, and, empowering us to overcome it! The Apostle Paul summarized it well for the Church of Philippi when he wrote:  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6. What God started at your salvation; and He continues to do in your sanctification, He will complete at your glorification!

God Punishes Because He Loves

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-God So Loved The World!

The most well known verse, in all of Scripture, is John 3:16. It says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” In this way, God proved His love— He sent Jesus to atone for our sin by His death on the cross! That’s really the end of the argument against God! For all the doubters of God’s love, mercy & grace there is the One & Only “Exhibit A”— His Name is Jesus! And, He bore God’s judgment against sin so we wouldn’t have to! So that we could be saved!

-Brokenness To Openness!

But, it’s only as we experience our brokenness that we become open to God’s overtures to save us! And, punishment is often the tool He uses to expose our brokenness! So, ultimately, it is because God is love that He punishes us to bring us to the place of brokenness; where, He can redeem us! And, there is perhaps no better Biblical example of that than God’s judgment of Judah & Jerusalem as they are overrun by Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar; and, taken into captivity & exile! The Biblical narrative reveals that God first warned them; then, punished them; and, finally, in love, He redeems them! To accomplish God’s purposes in our broken world, He first warns!

-A Skirmish You Can’t Win!

Disobedience to God & His Word will never turn out well for you! When you fight against God, it’s a skirmish you can’t possibly win! When I was young & very foolish I loved to get into fist fights out on the school playground! But, I always sized up the other guy first! There were some guys that I just knew I couldn’t take! So, I would find a way to wiggle out of that fight! I was foolish; but, I wasn’t stupid! I would do everything I could to avoid getting into a fight I knew I couldn’t win! So, why would anyone ever pick a fight with God! You can’t possibly win against a God who is all-powerful! You can’t outwit a God who knows everything there is to know! And, you can’t run away from a God who is everywhere!

-They Despised His Warnings!

And, yet, the Biblical account shows that Israel tried multiple times & lost! So, God warned them & warned them & warned them again! In 2 Chronicles, chapter 36, God reminds them of this:  “But Yahweh, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of His messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy” (vs. 15-16)

-God’s Compassion Toward Us!

Did you notice why God said He sent them prophets? Look at the end of v.15. It says He sent messengers to warn them, “…because He had compassion on His people…” God warns because of His great compassion toward us! He warns because He is Love! When you  disobey God’s word you expose yourself to great danger! Sin lies to you! It promises pleasure! But, it always delivers pain! Sin is a destroyer! It destroys lives, families & nations! Just go back and read God’s 10 Commandments; and, consider the pain and suffering that comes to those who break them! The one who steals will be incarcerated! The one who lies will never be trusted! The one who sleeps with someone they’re not married to destroys relationships & families & brings hatred & disease upon themselves! Listen when God warns!

More Like Jesus, Less Like Me

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Where Is Your Walk With The Lord?

Have you ever tried asking someone, “How are you doing spiritually?” They always say, “Good, Good,” right? Probably not a very good question. It’s not likely to get the real answer you’re looking for! Next time, try this instead: “So, where are you at in your walk with the Lord? And, on what criteria do you base your answer? How are you measuring your walk with Christ?” When we enter into that kind of conversation with someone, we need those “qualifying” or “follow-up” questions too! On what basis can we say we’re doing “good” when someone asks us how we’re doing spiritually?

If You Love Me

Do we measure our spiritual progress by the things we DO? Be careful! Don’t quickly dismiss the things we DO & SAY, that, “it’s only what’s in the heart that matters!” If our heart is right with God, it will impact the things we DO, right? Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will KEEP my commandments.” At the same time, we can DO all the RIGHT things for the WRONG reasons, can’t we? We can DO things to be SEEN of men; and, Jesus called that hypocrisy! I received a phone call, some time ago, from a young man who was saved years ago in my youth group in Colorado. He was on the pastoral staff of a church in Oregon; and, he called to ask if he could conduct an interview with me for a seminary class he was taking! The interview was based on how I lived my life according to the “spiritual disciplines.”

Habits Of Devotion

If that’s a new term to you, suffice it to say that “spiritual disciplines” are practices found, in Scripture, that can promote spiritual growth. They are “habits” of devotion, like prayer, fasting, public & private worship, meditation & making disciples— all activities that we’re commanded to do, right? Jesus practiced them! But, I prefaced my answer, in the interview, with this caution:  “We are NOT GODLY just because we practice certain spiritual disciplines!” That was the great error of the Pharisees! They believed they were godly BECAUSE they did certain things! You can’t separate what you’re DOING on the OUTSIDE by who you ARE on the INSIDE! What you do matters! But, WHO you are matters even more! Here’s the point— spiritual growth happens as you become more like Jesus; and, less like you!

Become Like Your Teacher

It is our goal, as a local church, that our community of believers would become mature disciples of Christ in their personal spiritual development. That’s a core value! That we’d all grow in spiritual maturity! As disciples of Christ, that we’d all become more like Him! That’s what a disciple does! He becomes like his Teacher! And, we believe that individual spiritual development occurs BEST in the context of a local church! Faith grows best where it is challenged, not isolated! And, crucial to that is the realization that being a disciple of Christ does not begin with something we DO; but, with something that Christ already DID! He redeemed our broken relationship with the Father by His death on the cross! He took my sin! And, He paid the penalty that I should have paid so that I might receive forgiveness! That’s the Gospel! And we never graduate from the Gospel! We will always need a Savior! I have been a believer for 53 years, and I still need a Savior! Not until we have our resurrected, glorified, spiritual bodies will we be complete in Jesus!

Daniel: What Revival Looks Like

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(Note: This continues a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Admitting Brokenness & Public Shame

I don’t know that there’s a more beautiful & spiritually moving prayer than Daniel’s prayer in the 9th chapter of the book named after him. There’s a humility & a brokenness that’s often missing from the hurried & self-centered prayers of our day! When revival occurs in the hearts of believers, this is what it looks like! Prayer, uttered by a revived saint,  admits brokenness & even public shame over their sin, selfishness, and idolatry—  “Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but this day public shame belongs to us:  the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel— those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where You have dispersed them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward You. Lord, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.  Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against Him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following His instructions that He set before us through His servants the prophets.  All Israel has broken Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You” (Daniel 9:7-11). 

Sensitivity To Sin

Wow! What brokenness & transparency!  “…PUBLIC SHAME belongs to us…” he confessed in v.7; and, in v.8 he says it again, “…PUBLIC SHAME belongs to us…” Daniel’s greatness, in the eyes of God, was not because he was without sin! None of us are! It was Daniel’s sensitivity to his sin! He admitted the depth of his sinful depravity! He owned it! For our world— and, our NATION— to experience revival, it has to begin with the broken humility of God’s people! With us! We, the Church, have to take ownership of our sins— for our IDOLATRY; and quit pointing judgmental fingers at all the unbelievers around us!

Quit The Finger Pointing

We need to repent of our failure to love all the world’s people groups & every kind of sinner! Daniel didn’t just throw “…our kings, our leaders & our fathers…” under the bad sinner bus (v.8).  He said, “…WE have sinned against You… WE have rebelled against you…” (v.9).  I fear the American church has been too preoccupied with pointing fingers at political leaders when WE are the real problem! We should be looking in the mirror, spiritually speaking! God will only use a broken church to bring the world to revival! What this unbelieving world needs is for God to first revive church leaders across our land, as He did the Prophet Daniel, who will then faithfully call out the church to repentance! 

Concern For God’s Reputation

Daniel was concerned that Israel had hurt God’s reputation in the world! “LORD, bring revival to your people,” Daniel prays, “…for the LORD’S sake” (v.17);  “…make us a city called by YOUR name” (v.18);  “LORD, HEAR! LORD, FORGIVE! LORD, ACT…” (v.19). Did you notice that? “…for YOUR SAKE”, Daniel prayed, “We base our prayers on YOUR abundant compassion” (v.18). Do you pray like that? I’m afraid that, for most of my life,  my prayers sounded nothing like that! Is it possible that the reason so many of our prayers go “unanswered” is because we’re not offering “God-centered” prayers? Can we begin to pray, as Christ’s Church, that God would act in HIS own BEST INTEREST? And, for HIS GLORY? Will you trust Him? Trust Him that everything He does for His best interest is also in OUR best interest. He can be trusted!

How To Pray For Revival

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(This continues a series of posts on the life of the Prophet Daniel)

Prayer For Israel’s Well-Being

The 9th chapter, of the Book of Daniel, opens with a significant prayer for Israel’s revival & restoration to the promised land! It’s significant because it means that Daniel had a copy of the Book of Jeremiah’s prophecy & he realized that the period of God’s divine judgment, against Israel, had ended! In v.2, it says that Daniel “…understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be 70.” It had been 70 years since the 1st chapter, of the Book of Daniel, began with Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem! Israel could begin to return to the land from which they had been exiled; and, they could begin to pray for Israel’s well-being again!

Parallels Between Israel & U.S.

I’ve often felt that there are parallels between Israel’s demise; and, that of our own nation! So, we would do well to consider Daniel’s prayer for revival; and, apply it to our own nation! Psalm 9:17 says, “The wicked will go down to Hell & all the nations that forget God.” Our nation has lost its way! We’re on God’s radar for judgment! If there is any hope to turn this thing around it has to begin with the Church! For the world to experience revival, it must begin with God’s people! Before continuing to read this post, I want to ask you to PLEASE do something FIRST! Open your bible and read the 9th chapter of Daniel’s book! PLEASE read it FIRST before going any further!

Wrong Thinking About Prayer

Many of us have absorbed some wrong thinking about prayer! Read the prayers in Scripture; like, Daniel’s prayer here! Prayer is not a personal shopping list we bring to God with thoughts that He’s some kind of benevolent Genie who can’t resist our selfish requests! Prayer is not meant as some communication device— with the Almighty— to coerce Him to give us the things we wish for or desire! No, God intends to use our prayers to make us partners, with Him, to bring HIS WILL— not our own— into force! Did you notice how Daniel prayed? He came before God fasting in sackcloth & ashes! Prayer begins with humility! He humbled himself, it says, “to SEEK” God! The prayer for revival is “God-centered”, NOT  “self-centered.” In v.4, we see Daniel praying in awe of God! The prayer of revival is worshipful & reverent!

Personal Confession Of Sin

Notice, that Daniel’s prayer gets personal (v.5). But, not in the sense of asking anything for himself! Rather, he confesses his personal responsibility for sin; and, for the nation— “…we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commands and ordinances. We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name …”  He confesses two types of sin! He confesses sins of “transgression” (v.9); and, sins of “omission” (v.10).  “We knew Your Word & we still rebelled against it,” he said. Daniel shows us that the prayer of revival admits “brokenness”—  “public shame belongs to us” (v.7); and, he repeats that in the next verse!  He was sensitive to sin! He named it; and, he owned it! How desperately does the church today need to respond to her sin the way that Daniel did in his day.  The Apostle Peter tells us where revival begins:  “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” 1 Peter 4:17.