Subject: Keys to Revival and Missions: Praying and Obeying
by Rick Welborne
Psalm 37:3-7 (NKJV)
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
1. We must be willing to pray for divine desire.
--If we will love missions and if we will pursue revival we must be willing to obey God’s Word and delight ourselves in the Lord…the word delight has the connotation of never being able to get enough.
--For some it is football, golf, tennis, shopping, shoes, etc. movies…Net Flix.
--We need to get to the point where we cannot get enough of the Lord in our lives…where we are delighting in Him all day long. We must be like Jesus:
Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
--The way up in the Kingdom of God is down…down on our knees humbling ourselves before God in prayer and worship. We must be like John the Baptist!
John 3:28-31 (NLT)
28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’
29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.
30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.
28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’
29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success.
30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.
John Alexander Dowie – “Power in the church is shown in this…that a man gets lower and lower.”
--For God to manifest in revival and in missions we must be filled with divine desire!
2. We must believe that we can hear God speak to us.
John 10:27 (NKJV)
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
--We just recently heard on the news how that person (not a lady) Joy on the View was mocking Vice-president Mike Pence for saying that he prayed and that God spoke to him.
--She tried to retract her statement by saying that she gives to her church…when you say that a person talks to Jesus…that is ok…but when Jesus talks to you…you call that mental illness!
--Jesus Himself said that My sheep hear My voice…the progression is that as you learn to hear His voice you get to know Him and He gets to know you…this is called relationship not religion.
--God can even speak to us about Faith Promises…all we have to be willing to do is to listen to His voice and follow Him.
3. We must be willing to constantly pray in Holy Spirit.
--If we are constantly praying in Holy Spirit there is no way we will not have a heart for missions and a heart for revival. Praying in the Spirit gives us greater intimacy with God.
Romans 8:26-28 (NKJV)
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
--Groaning signifies the agony (the labor pains) we have when we are before God believing Him to do what can only be accomplished by Him. We are trying to birth something thru God’s strong presence.
--We can pray in the Spirit for our missionaries and for each other knowing that we are absolutely praying God’s will for them.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12 (NKJV)
9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
--As we pray in the Spirit these verses reveal to us that God will give us great revelation about what He has provided for us. These are things only the Spirit of God can do.
1 Corinthians 2:12-16 (NKJV)
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
--Do you see how important Holy Spirit is to all of us and how important it is for all of us to pray in the Spirit?
A. We receive Him so that we may know the things He has freely given us…important!
B. We receive Holy Spirit so we have God’s wisdom instead of man’s wisdom…important!
C. We receive Holy Spirit so that we have the mind of Christ…important!
4. We must be willing to engage in Scriptural screening.
--No voice from God will ever contradict His Holy Word…when a personal revelation goes totally against the Word of God…reject it totally and kindly correct the person! They must be held to account!
--Lady years ago came to my office and shared something that totally went against God’s direct command…I read her the Scripture and tried to reason with her.
--She said to me…I know that is what the Bible says but I also know what God told me…I am going to do what He told me. Of course, I told her the voice she heard was not God…she was indignant!
--She said that she had served God a long time and that she knew His voice well and I again told her that God would never contradict His own written Word.
--I started not to go here but I am…how often is it when the voice we hear contradicts God’s Word that it has to do with inappropriate relationships. We hear a voice but it is not God’s, it is our own desire!
--We are led by the spirit but it is a spirit of lust and infatuation! Oh, how our flesh lies to us! Ten years later this lady comes back to me and says the Word was right! Of course! That relationship didn’t work!
James 1:12-16 (NLT)
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
--Charles Parham believed that the Azuza Street Revival died prematurely because there began to be words that were given that were not God’s Words. Our heart for revival and missions is tied to God’s Word!
Mark 16:15-20 (NKJV)
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
5. We must be willing to look for God’s divine timing.
Habakkuk 2:1-4 (NKJV)
1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
2 Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
2 Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
--We must watch and pray and then wait to see what He will say to us. God operates by seasons and we must be careful not to miss our time because of our impatience.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 &11 (NKJV)
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
--Our vision for another campus in the Villages, our vision to be a great Mission’s church, and our vision to experience Holy Spirit manifestations will come but we must wait for God’s time…His season!
6. We must be willing to boldly obey.
--Revelation has little value if we are not willing to obey what God reveals. Note: there is a difference between patience and passivity!
--We are believing God to grow us to one thousand, for another campus, for a half million in missions, for Holy Spirit presence but as we patiently wait we must, pray, seek, give, go, and send!
--For revival and missions to be relevant we must pray and obey!
Jeremiah 11:4 (NKJV)
4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,'
4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, 'Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,'
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