Preparing for the Lord's Day
Rebuilding the Kingdom
It is not uncommon to hear Christians express their desire for revival. They hope for a reawakening of Christian values and practice in our churches and the culture at large. A time when many come to faith and are deepened in their faith. This hope is not farfetched or unprecedented. Throughout history, the Lord has been gracious to pour out a spirit of revival upon His church. We have seen revival occur during the time of the Reformation in the 16th century. In the early 18th century, the Church experienced the First Great Awakening under the ministry of men such as John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards. In the 19th century, the Second Great Awakening swept across the United States. In the early 20th century the Lord blessed the Welsh church with a great revival that spread throughout Europe and eventually across the globe. And similar movements of God’s grace have occurred over the past several decades.
Currently, we wait, we hope, and we pray that the Lord will again stir a great revival in our generation. Nevertheless, we see in Scripture the foundation of such movements. As we come to Nehemiah 9, we see that the Lord brings revival to his people when his people are moved to true heartfelt repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14). This has been the pattern throughout history. God prepares the foundation for revival through repentant prayer. And what we will see this Sunday is that if we would experience an awakening in our own hearts, homes, church, and community we must lay the foundation of such an awakening with repentant prayer rooted in God’s Word. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Nehemiah 9, Psalms 78, 105, 106, Matthew 6:7-13, Acts 7, and this article on the Welsh Revivals.
As we gather to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “How Firm a Foundation,” the Acclamation of Praise “Blessing and Honor, and Glory and Power,” and the Hymn of Response “In Christ Alone.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives so that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
Sermon Information
Text: Nehemiah 9
Title: Foundational Prayer
Outline
- In Prayer, We Must Rehearse God’s Initiating Grace
- In Prayer, We Must Confess Our Habitual Sin
- In Prayer, We Must Trust God’s Covenant Mercy