(Seven Rules for Personal Revival)
James 4:7-10
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
| YOUR PART | GOD’S PART |
| Submit to God – Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. | He will direct your paths. |
| Resist the devil – James 4:7 – Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you | The devil must go in the name of Jesus. |
| Draw near to God – James 4:8 – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you | He will draw near to you. |
| Cleanse your hands – James 4:8 – Cleanse your hands | He will bless the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 28:12 |
| Purify your hearts – Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. | He will cleanse and restore – Psalm 51:17 – The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. |
| Lament, mourn, weep – James 4:9 – Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. | For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 1 Corinthians 4:17 |
| Humble yourself – 1 Peter 5:6 – Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, | He will exalt you – in His time. |
THEREFORE…
James 1:21-22 – Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
THEN…
2 Chronicles 7:14 – If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Thoughts of a Retired Pastor 