Are you ready?

Throughout the Bible, God brought revival and renewal when the people were willing to change.  We have been talking about revival for months and have been preparing for it through prayer, discipleship and evangelism.  We see the beginnings of revival occurring around us and in our church.  We just have to look at the changed lives and people giving their lives to Jesus to see God is at work in Liberty Hill!

 

This weekend, we are taking revival to the community and we are desperately seeking God to bring renewal…not just to Fellowship Baptist (revival has been here for some time), but to our homes, our community and our nation.   If we really expect revival and change to occur, we must follow Biblical principles to effect change.

 

First, there must be a vision for renewal and revival.  Fellowship Baptist has been praying and seeking revival for years.  The spirit and desire for change and renewal has been here for some time and God has been preparing us for His good works.

 

Second, we must confess.  Confess your shortcomings to God.  Name them.  Allow yourself to grieve those things that separate you from Him.  Turn from those things and recognize that God can overcome all things.

 

Third, we must be willing to change.  Even this morning, I see people changing their lives to move closer to God.  I see new activities to reach people.  I watched in wonder last night as our Youth swarmed neighborhoods and passed out fliers and talk to people about revival.  What an awesome sight to watch these kids walk up to perfect strangers and begin talking to them about church!  We are willing to change and change has begun to occur!

 

Fourth, we have to earnestly pray with conviction and lift our voices with expectation!  In our Sunday morning messages, we have discussed prayer and preparation for several months.  You have been encouraged to devote time to being alone with God.  I pray you have been praying for God’s revelation to come upon you.  I trust you are being faithful in setting aside time to be still and know he is God.  Now is the time!  Pray for change, pray for revival!

 

Fifth, the people fasted.  We see the connection throughout the Bible.  Whenever a person or a group of people had a deep spiritual need, needed protection, or were crying out to God for revival, they prayed and fasted.  Last Sunday, I called for the church to enter a daylight fast for Friday, September 5.  I challenged you to spiritually prepare to fast through prayer and seeking God’s will for your fast.  I challenged you to make a list of needs and people to pray for during your fast.  Are you ready?

 

Here are the rules to fasting:  there are no rules.  Fasting is a matter of the heart and is a relationship between you and God.  I have challenged you to abstain from solid foods from 6:00 am until 6:00 pm on Friday.  As you experience hunger, rejoice that God is your sole provider!  As you experience discomfort, find a quiet place to pray your list of needs and people. 

 

Hopefully you have been preparing all week and have been reducing your diet already.  If not, no big deal.  Remember – we rely on God to see us through.

 

Eat a salad tonight…nothing heavy.  When you wake up in the morning, pray with God to help you through the day.  Concentrate on the purpose of your fast.  Pray the list of names and needs.  Prepare for your day just as you always do.  (Read Matthew 6:16-18). 

 

Every time you think about fasting (and you will…it might even occupy most of your thoughts) lift a silent prayer to God and smile because of His strength and His providence.  Thank Him for allowing you to worship Him in this way. 

 

As the day goes on, you will several experiences.  First, there will be several times when you are tempted to “break the fast” early.  Hold strong!  Remember who it is that tempts us and rebuke him!  You will find that as lunchtime comes and goes, you will experience hunger but it will subside.  Drink TONS AND GALLONS of water!  Have a soda or a sports drink.  Smile to everyone.  Share a kind word with everyone you meet.

 

When you can, slip away for alone time with God.  Listen to His moving.  Feel His providence.  Think your prayer to Him.  Name names, identify needs, confess sins.  As you near the end of your fast, pray in victory!  Claim that God has heard your petitions and His Spirit is already moving in the people and needs you brought to Him.

 

When your fast ends, enjoy a salad…nothing big, nothing heavy.  Rejoice in the pleasure food brings and recognize it as a gift from God.

 

Remember, fasting is between you and God.  Follow Jesus’ example and do your fasting in secret, except for prayer partners who are supporting you through your fast:

 

Matthew 6:16-18  "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

 

Fall onto God’s promises during your fast:

Isaiah 58:6-10  "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
       to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke?

 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
       and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
       when you see the naked, to clothe him,
       and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness ^[a] will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
       you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
       "If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
       with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
       and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday.

Finally, believe God is faithful and prayer and fasting are sweet worship to Him.  Believe God hears our prayers and answers them.

 

James 1:2-6  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.