True revival is always accompanied by the counterfeit

It is no new thing, that much false religion should prevail, at a time of great reviving of true religion; and that at such a time multitudes of hypocrites of spring up among true Saints. It was so in the great reformation, and revival of religion, that was in Josiah’s time… so it was in the great outpouring of the Spirit that was in the apostles’ days… and so it was in the great reformation from Popery. It is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and Kingdom of Christ all along hitherto.

Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, preface

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

What are we to do when they make void the law of God?; living in a decadent culture that not only sins against God, but sins in order to make void His law and set up its sins in place of it. The number one sign of a nation being under the judgment of God in Scripture is that he curses it with wicked and corrupt leaders. Which is precisely what we are experiencing in the USA today at the highest levels. We are nationally under the judgment of God.

This morning I went to church, where I heard a sermon on Psalm 119:121-128 (ayin).

The prescription of the psalmist applies to Christians in the USA today. We find ourselves un precisely that situation. It is to 1. Call upon God in prayer to act. v. 126 “It is time for thee, LORD, to work:
for they have made void thy law”, and 2. Pray for national repentance, reformation, and revival. Daniel 9 gives a model prayer. Won’t you pray it with me?

Psalm 119:121ff I have done judgment and justice:
leave me not to mine oppressors.
Be surety for thy servant for good:
let not the proud oppress me.
Mine eyes fail for thy salvation,
and for the word of thy righteousness.
Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy,
and teach me thy statutes.
I am thy servant; give me understanding,
that I may know thy testimonies.
It is time for thee, LORD, to work:
for they have made void thy law.
Therefore I love thy commandments
above gold; yea, above fine gold.
Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right;
and I hate every false way.

Let us pray for national repentance, revival, and reformation, with Daniel:

Daniel 9:4-19

And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Pray For the World and the Global Church Psalm 102:15

Pray for Awakening Week 4 March 2018 (Ligonier)

THE WORLD AND THE GLOBAL CHURCH

Pray that the nations and their leaders would fear the name of the Lord and seek His glory, not their own.

Nations will fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. — Ps. 102:15

Prayer by highplainsparson

O Lord, you sent your Spirit to produce a great harvest of souls in America and Britain during the 18th century. Men of you preached the glorious message of reconciliation far and wide, including such names as Whitefield, Edwards, Howell Harris, and the Tennents. Many souls were converted to Christ, and as result of their changed lives, people prayed for a great harvest of souls overseas. You raised up men and women to answer the missionary call like Adoniram Judson, William Carey, and Asa Thurston to far-flung places: India, Myanmar, Hawaii, and to the ends of the earth. The gospel of your Son Jesus Christ spread far and wide across the globe as the movement of your Spirit brought more laborers to the harvest. We pray for the churches that you have planted in all of these nations around the globe, that you would strengthen them in your word by your Spirit, and add new converts to their number. Empower and enable their witness for you, and protect them from persecution by their enemies, and yours. Smite their enemies to heal them by the balm of Gilead, or take them out of the way so that they do not hinder the spread of the gospel anymore. Let your love and transforming Grace be known where it is not yet known. Let every nation bow the knee to you and acknowledge you as Lord, as individuals, communities, and even nations submit to the loving rule of your Son Jesus Christ, kissing the Son. Let individual lives and families be transformed. Let new churches be planted. Let the morals and governments of communities and societies be reformed according to your word. Let the papacy, Islam, and every anti-Christian religion be discredited and shunned. Subvert irreligion and atheism, especially in the Western world. Let nations which have known you in the past repent and turn back from their wicked ways. Embolden your church to proclaim the Royal Dominion of Christ over the modern world. Let your glory fill the earth, expecting until that day when your son Jesus Christ will come to consummate his kingdom. Even so Lord, come. Amen.

Pray for Awakening Third week of March 2018

Pray for Awakening

Third week of March 2018, Ligonier ministries

YOUR CITY AND NATION

Pray that God would send renewal to your nation and turn the hearts of many to Christ.

That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. — Acts 3:20

Prayer by highplainsparson

O Lord of Hosts, you poured out your Spirit in power upon our forefathers in the faith in great awakenings and revivals that changed the character, course, and career of this land, the United States of America. You awakened and converted many dead sinners, and led your people by your Spirit, leading them to soak in the word deeply, inculcating in them the doctrines of grace, as our own general assembly testified, to amend their lives, and to make great impact in their communities and society. If it had not been for these great awakenings in history, America would be a much worse place. We have backslidden against you and squandered the blessings of your word that you have lavished upon our land more than almost any other. Revive and awaken your people. Let true churches of Jesus Christ be filled with weeping and repentant sinners, while people are trying to get in the door but finding there’s not enough room because the buildings are full. Let revival begin with us. Warm our cold hearts. Give us repentance, and let us take vengeance upon our pet sins that offend you greatly with a holy vengeance. May we cast them aside and seek your face. Send us to reach our neighbors and bring them in where they may be touched by you and changed forever. Do this work in and through us and have all the glory Lord, for it is yours now and forever. Let there be a great harvest of souls across our union. Let there be a great harvest in our land before that time that only you know, when you renew the earth when the Lord Jesus returns physically, to rule it in majesty. Amen.

Awakening Prayer Guide March week 2 NEIGHBORS, CHURCH, AND COWORKERS Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. — Rom. 12:11

Awakening Prayer Guide by Ligonier

March week 2

NEIGHBORS, CHURCH, AND COWORKERS

Pray that the members of your church would be full of zeal to serve Christ and bear witness to Him in your community.

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. — Rom. 12:11

Prayer by highplainsparson

Gracious God and Father, we confess that we have been lazy in doing the work that you’ve given us to do. We have not taken advantage of opportunities to share the gospel with all those that you have laid in our way. We have spent more time napping or with trifling entertainments than we have in actively working to advance your kingdom. We have lounged and coddled our bodies instead of loving our neighbor enough to spend time sharing the good news about Christ has done for us, with them. Teach us to stretch ourselves out of our comfort zone and proclaim Christ to a lost and dying world that is crumbling around us. Let this be a major focus of the ministry of your church where we gather. Give us fresh ideas on techniques and opportunities to share the message of reconciliation, God reconciling himself to sinful man through Christ the mediator. Give us a holy zeal according to knowledge, that we may study and work to show ourselves approved. And let this zeal be channeled by your holy Scriptures. Sanctify us, put away our laziness, and empower our work in your church by your Holy Spirit, that by your grace working in us many more souls might be gathered and added to the number. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ who is the Lord of the harvest. Amen.

Pray For Yourself and your Family, March 2018 Week 1, Pray For Awakening

Pray For Awakening (Ligonier)

March WEEK 1

YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

Pray that you and your family would know the love of Christ and respond in love and obedience to Him.

To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. — Eph. 3:19

Prayer by highplainsparson

O Lord, you have loved me and my wife and children and beyond our comprehension. You sacrificed your own dear Son for us. He gave his life for us and endured much affliction. No greater love has a man than to give his life for his friends. This is the love that you’ve given to us. There’s nothing that we can ever do to repay you. But let the love that you’ve given us be reflected in our words and actions, especially to one another. We ask your forgiveness for unkind words and actions. We ask for forgiveness for omitting duties of love that we owed to one another various times. Teach us to love one another as we ought to, by your Spirit working through your word preached and read as we are blessed that you have not left us to wonder what shape and form of our love is supposed to take in response to your love, but you have given a specific instructions in your word on how to die to self, to love you most of all, and others as ourselves. We tend to love ourselves only too much, but you’ve demonstrated your love toward us in sacrificing your Son Jesus Christ for us. Let us likewise put others before ourselves especially our family members. And may this love be reflected and exercised in your church toward others that you have loved with your eternal saving love, so the world may say, “See how they love one another,” and be drawn to you by your love working in us. We pray this in Jesus name, amen.

Pray for the nations

Ligonier awakening prayer guide February 2018

WEEK 4

THE WORLD AND THE GLOBAL CHURCH

Pray that people in many nations would join themselves to the Lord by faith in Christ alone.

Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. — Zech. 2:11

Prayer by Riley Fraas

O, Lord, we live in a glorious time when the prophecies that you spoke of through the prophets of old, of many nations coming to Christ are being fulfilled before our eyes. Hasten and spread the knowledge of the gospel far and wide to places in the world where it is not yet much known. Bless the endeavors of your people to proclaim Christ to the nations. Take away the fear that your people have even in persecuted areas of reaching those around them. Let them boldly proclaim you. Let them be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves in their situations knowing how to provide for their own yet also give good news to a dying generation. You have made a people out of every nation. You’ve made people for yourself in Jesus Christ to worship and glorify you joyfully forever. This people is made up of every tribe, tongue, and nation. Millions have come to know you in Africa, Asia, South America, and in the Middle East. We praise you for these mighty works look up on them joyfully. Thank you for the blessed occasions that we have to enjoy fellowship and communion with your people in multiple nations as you grant opportunity. Bring down the forces of secularism and anti-Christian political thought that stand against your word and impede missionary endeavor. Open the doors so that your good news may go what has not gone before, and many more people will be reconciled to you their creator through Christ Redeemer of his election every nation, by the Holy Spirit bring them from death to life in Christ, so many millions of our experience. Send the gospel forth with power in nations which have known you in the past, but have grown increasingly secular, such as Europe, Australia, and Canada, and the United States of America. Please send more godly Christian missionaries to those regions. Let the world be ours in Christ, amen.

Pray for your church, coworkers, and neighbors. Ligonier ministries awakening prayer guide week 2 February 2018

Ligonier awakening prayer guide week 2 February 2018

Pray for your church, coworkers, and neighbors.

Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write on to you of the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Prayer by highplainsparson:

O Lord our Father we are a people that you have made and we live here in the city of Babylon in a foreign and strange place which does not know you. We bear the reproach and shame that the world puts upon us for being your people, but let us glorify your name in everything that we do, in conversation with others that don’t know you to lead them to the way. Let our local church hold fast to the confession that was once delivered to the Saints and was handed down through our forefathers in the faith. Let us be like the early church that did not waver in her faith or morals but proclaimed them to the world. Let us be thankful Lord for your law and your gospel and proclaim both without equivocation or trying to soften it up, but let us soften up our demeanor in order to bring people to the truth of you. Strengthen our hearts for we are so weak and frail and afraid. Let us go boldly in our community and tell others the reason for the hope that we have within us that many souls may be converted to you where we work, where we live, and gathered to your church where we worship. Add to the number of your local church where we gather and stir up your people to seek the lost in the world. The contrast between the world and the church is real. Let us never be ashamed of it but to unashamedly stand firm. Let us show them that your love is better than any love the world can offer and that we have a better way, and let this firmness of confession be ours by your Spirit and your grace working in us. Use it effectively to build the local church where we are. We pray this in Jesus name.

Awakening Prayer: week 1 February 2018

From the Ligonier Awakening prayer guide. Week one February 2018: yourself and family

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. — Rom. 12:2

Prayer by highplainsparson

O Lord, the world around us is increasingly wicked and hardened in rebellion against you. Protect myself, my wife, and my children from the allurements, Temptations, and vanities of the world, that look good and taste sweet at first, but are bitter in the belly, leading to destruction. Awaken and revive us. Continue the work of grace that you have begun in our hearts. Give the new birth to my children if they do not have it yet. And continue the work of grace that you have begun in me, in my wife, and in my oldest child. Let us be witnesses of your grace in the darkness, and confirm us in your word. Transform our minds from the sinful ways of thinking that we have, by your Holy Spirit working through your word to change our thinking and make it like the thinking of Jesus Christ. Teach us to love you and one other. Let us cease fighting, argumentation, insults, and Unkind words toward one another, and instead compete in acts of love for the distinction of being the most loving to each other. Instruct us from your word on how to love; because of sin we do not know how to love each other as we should, So we need your law to teach us how to love. Write it on our hearts and minds and transform us by it so that we may be more like you.

Pray For Awakening in 2018-with Ligonier Ministries

It is highly encouraging that such a high profile reformed Christian ministry has caught onto the idea of prayer for revival/awakening! Ligonier’s prayer points are simple, to the point, and given for every week of 2018. And they have devoted their annual conference this year to the topic of prayer for awakening! I have decided that our family will be praying the points this year. Who is with us? Will you join us in this coordinated prayer? Many of us were praying for revival last year, and the increase of such prayer meetings is part of the answer to the prayers. And let’s spread the word. Download your free copy of the booklet with prayer points for every week in 2018 here: http://www.prayforawakening.com Edwards’s “An Humble Attempt” inspired a generation of prayer meetings that God answered powerfully with many conversions at home and abroad. With Jacob, will you not let go until the LORD blesses us?