Has God Told You to Stop Praying?
We must continue praying for revival, unless we have received a clear message from God to stop praying, in order to lay aside discouragement and hopelessness.
David Smithers addresses the concern and hopelessness many Christians feel regarding the Church and the nation's desperate times, emphasizing the importance of not giving up on praying for revival despite the looming judgment. Drawing inspiration from the prophet Jeremiah, who remained steadfast in prayer and intercession even in the face of God's warning to stop, Smithers urges believers to return to their prayer closets and prioritize prayer over complaints and criticisms, highlighting the need to lay aside discouragement and hopelessness and fervently pray for revival.
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Today many Christians are becoming deeply concerned about the great needs facing the Church and our nation. In fact, some have become overwhelmed and hopeless about the Church's inability to deal with our desperate times. Many are convinced that judgment is inevitable for our nation. Judgment may very well be inevitable, but has the Holy Spirit told you to stop praying for revival? As a result of becoming hopeless, some have become prayerless! If any man of God ever had a reason to give up hope and become discouraged, it was the prophet Jeremiah. He was a man of tears, consumed by grief over the sins of God's people. (Jer 9:1). Yet he still encouraged himself to hope in God. He was convinced of the reality of God's coming judgment, but he did not stop praying and preaching.
He loved those stubborn people to the end. He could not help but intercede for them. The only thing that could stop Jeremiah from praying for the people of Israel was God Himself. The Lord had to tell him more than once to stop praying. "As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me for I do not hear you."Jer. 7:16. (Jer. 14:11, Jer. 15:1). Israel had totally rejected the Father's ways and refused to be corrected.
Can you honestly say that God has told you to stop praying? If you have not received "the word of the Lord" like Jeremiah did, then you have no other choice but to return to your prayer closet. We must beware of complaining and criticizing and yet never praying.
Some will spend hours talking to men about the sins of the Church and then not even spend five minutes talking to Jesus about it. Let us lay aside discouragement and hopelessness and once again pray for revival.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Church's Concerns and Hopelessness
- A. Many Christians are overwhelmed and hopeless about the Church's inability to deal with desperate times
- B. Some believe judgment is inevitable for our nation
- II. Jeremiah's Example
- A. Jeremiah was a man of tears, consumed by grief over the sins of God's people
- B. He still encouraged himself to hope in God despite the reality of God's coming judgment
- C. Jeremiah loved those stubborn people to the end and interceded for them
- III. The Importance of Prayer
- A. We must beware of complaining and criticizing without praying
- B. We should return to our prayer closet if we have not received a clear message from God to stop praying
- C. Let us lay aside discouragement and hopelessness and pray for revival
Key Quotes
“If any man of God ever had a reason to give up hope and become discouraged, it was the prophet Jeremiah.” — David Smithers
“The only thing that could stop Jeremiah from praying for the people of Israel was God Himself.” — David Smithers
“Let us lay aside discouragement and hopelessness and once again pray for revival.” — David Smithers
Application Points
- We should return to our prayer closet and continue praying for revival, unless we have received a clear message from God to stop praying.
- Praying for revival helps to bring us closer to God and lay aside discouragement and hopelessness.
- We must beware of complaining and criticizing without praying, and instead talk to Jesus about the Church's sins.