Burdens and prayer for revival

Last week I said that no one needs to teach children to do wrong; we must teach them to do right. One person responded by saying no one has any right to decide what is right or wrong, moral or immoral. This morning, I watched a news article where children were being introduced to a lifestyle the Lord condemns, taking place in a library and singing “the more we get together, the happier we will be.” What happens when we tell children that immoral is okay?

Yesterday we worshiped God, exalting righteousness and rejoicing in the One who has forgiven our sin and set us free from its penalty and power. Thinking about the contrast makes me thankful on one hand and extremely sad on the other. Jesus came to save us from our sinful selves, yet so many blaspheme His name and rejoice in their freedom to sin, not realizing that it has made them slaves.

Christians are accused of a holier-than-thou attitude and sometimes it is true. The reality is, sinfulness is a human condition. All fall short of the holy standard of God. We miss the mark. Our only hope is in the One who died for our sin, was buried, and rose again to give us His righteousness.

As for our children, I can see all around me the folly of not teaching them to trust in Jesus and walk with Him. Far too many of them seem to be on a slippery slope from cute little kids, to bratty little kids, to sinful adults who deny God and boast in their depravity.

What is the solution? Not for our sinfulness — God has provided that, but for the churning in my stomach and the ache in my heart? This morning, Tozer sends me to this passage. It begins with Solomon on his knees before God in praise. First he made a bronze platform, set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart . . . .” (2 Chronicles 6:13–14)

Tozer tells me to beware of routine prayer and singing songs that are not much anyway and have lost any significance by meaningless repetition. He goads me to reverent thought, to consider the Body of Christ, to sense God’s Presence in stillness, solemnity, wonder, and holy fear. He says Christians need a restoration of penitence, humility and tears. He tells me to follow Solomon and kneel in breathless, wondering adoration in God’s presence.

The rest of the passage tells me what to do about the burdens in my heart. I need to pray like Solomon did:

“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers. When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.” (2 Chronicles 6:22–27)

^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I’m going to pray like he did because we are all in a slippery slope world where one sin leads to another and soon Your people are oblivious to our calling, never mind those around us who curse You and call good evil and evil good. We need a revival and revival always begins with Your people. Forgive us. We need Your grace to walk worthy of the love You have shown us.