WHEN GOD SHOWS UP

Lesson 5: The Role of Prayer in Revival

The final lesson in this course deals with the reality that all revivals have been preceded by prayer. Throughout history, prayer has been the catalyst for revival either when a godly leader leads the way, or when God’s people reach a place of desperation and realize their need to cry out for God’s mercy. Two of the kings of Judah have given us powerful lessons in prayer to emulate, teaching us that we have much to learn from the prayers of Scripture. Isaiah 60 gives us a picture of how revival reaches beyond the Church to bring in a great harvest of souls. As we conclude this course, we hope that you will have a renewed and passionate desire to seek God’s presence in your life, the life of your church, in our nation and across the earth.

Watch Video for Lesson 5

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you agree with Dave’s comment that the plans and programs of the American Church will not bring what is needed in this hour? Why or why not?

2. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Does it seem that sometimes the Church is trying to grow bigger and do things on its own that leave God out of the equation? What have you seen that might indicate this is true or false?

3. What do you think about this statement: “Prayer is ultimately an act of humility; asking God to step in and do something we are unable to do. Real prayer is an expression of dependence upon God because we lack the means and the ability to step in and change things on our own.”?

4. One of the greatest biblical revivals in history happened in the time of the teenage King Josiah. We don’t have any record of a prayer that he prayed; however, we have an incredible account of a young man who, like King David, longed for God Himself. After a time of deep repentance, he demolished all of the idols, restored his people’s reverence for the Word of God and repaired the temple so that worship could take place there once again. Does the account of Josiah’s revival in 2 Kings 22-23 stir a desire within you? If so, describe it.

5. We have already learned that King Josiah came to the throne at 8 years of age and was a young teenager when he began to seek the Lord in profound ways! How can we pray for the next generations to seek God as Josiah did?

6. 2 Kings 23:25 says, “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.” And, in 2 Chronicles 34:33, God’s Word says of Josiah: “As long as he lived, they [the Israelites] did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.” There is no other king in the history of the Israelites of whom this is said in Scripture. Discuss the importance of leadership and its relationship to revival.

7. Describe your reaction to these statements: “You will never find yourself longing for revival until you first find yourself desiring God Himself.” and “What are we truly seeking in our lives at this moment?…we may have a Christian veneer, but inside, we may be seeking the same things as our nonreligious neighbors.”

8. Simply being aware of who is on the other end of your prayers can change your prayer life forever. How did Dave’s description of the throne room of God affect you? When he said that prayer is about paying attention to Who you are talking to, and followed with a description from Scripture of the throne room of Heaven, did it awaken an awareness in you? Why or why not? (In the Supplemental Materials section for Lesson 5 you can find a short video of Dave teaching about the throne room of heaven).

9. King Asa of the kingdom of Judah pleased God with his holy living and guidance of his people to seek the Lord. However, later in his life when he depended upon himself instead of God, things went downhill. Unlike King David when the prophet Nathan confronted him with sin, King Asa threw the prophet Hanani in prison when he dared to tell the king that he had been foolish. Describe a time in your life when you depended on your own wisdom instead of the Lord’s. Or perhaps a time when you disregarded wise counsel or correction. How did it go and what did you realize?

10. Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, was perhaps one of Judah’s greatest kings. He prayed an astonishingly simple prayer when faced with an army much bigger and stronger than his own: “Lord, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” What would it take for you to trust God enough to pray this kind of prayer in the face of what seems like certain defeat?

11. Could you pray Jehoshaphat’s prayer of trust on behalf of our nation in this hour? Why or why not?

12. Do you think it is possible that God has removed His hand of blessing from our nation? Why or why not? If you think so, what should God’s people do?

13. On page 75, Dave says that Asa’s prayer was one of repentance, and Jehoshaphat’s prayer was one of desperation. Although remnants of believers have been crying out for God to revive His people, the Church of Jesus Christ in our nation in recent times has yet to come together in unity to repent of our sins. And, we have never been brought to our knees in a way that has caused us to pray from a place of unified desperation (apart from perhaps a very short-lived season during 9/11). Why do you think this is the case and what do you think God’s people must do?

14. When 9/11 happened, people flocked to the Church as never before, and many people prayed, “Lord, help us to get back to normal.” Many would say He did just that. What opportunity was missed in this moment, and what could the Church have done differently? Do you think this was an opportunity that could have sparked revival in our nation? Why or why not?

15. What was the most important thing you learned from the prayers of Asa and/or Jehoshaphat?

16. What do you believe revival will look like if and when God chooses to pour it out in your lifetime?

17. If God poured out revival in your church and many began to accept Christ, would your church structure be able to handle the spiritual and numerical growth? If not, what could your church do to prepare both physically and spiritually?

Download Lesson 5  Discussion Questions

Course Intro – Lesson 1 – Lesson 2 – Lesson 3 – Lesson 4 – Lesson 5 – Go Deeper