So we've come a long way in Habakkuk thus far. It's a little book, but boy it's got a lot of stuff in it. But we've now reached a turning point in the book and we've reached a turning point in Habakkuk's life. His outlook and his perspective has now been changed. In chapter one, you know, we saw that the Habakkuk was just continually asking, why this and why that? And his questioning of God showed us a man who basically was focused on the circumstances that were surrounding him. However, God's answer to his first complaint sends the prophet really in an entirely different direction. And he starts to question why yet again. You're going to do what? You're going to use who? So we see God's lengthy reply in chapter two. This lengthy reply, it's not a direct reproof to Habakkuk for his questioning, but it's rather a gentle explanation of the difference between a righteous man and the proud man and their logical ends. And we looked at that when we looked at chapter two, verse four. But then God proceeds to explain that the Chaldeans are going to be the tool that he uses for correction. But he's not going to hold them guiltless. He lets Habakkuk know that he's going to judge them severely. So now we come to chapter 3. And this is a beautiful picture of a man who has been in the presence of a gracious and compassionate God. It's the testimony of a man whose perspective has been changed. And so chapter three, we can break it down into three distinct sections. The first section, which we're gonna look at this morning, is prayer for revival in troubling times, verses one and two. Reminding ourselves of God's past faithfulness is verses 13 through 16. And then authentic worship during the storm, which is verses 17 through 19. So I mentioned a moment ago how God has changed Habakkuk. And chapter 3 is just a wonderful example of how Habakkuk moved from while to worship. In chapter 1 again, he's complaining. And now we see that he begins to worship in chapter 3. And the more that we immerse ourselves into God's word, that change is going to take place in us, and we're going to become less why people and more of worshipping people. So let's begin with chapter 3, verse 1. And point number 1, which is Habakkuk models how to pray. And so verse 3, verse 1, a prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet on Shiginov. The word here for prayer is telephilia, meaning intercession or supplication. And by implication, it's a hymn or a prayer. So the prophet here is telling us and telling the reader that this is not just a general type of prayer, but he wants them to understand that he's interceding for the nation. He wants them to know that he's standing in the gap as Ezekiel 22 30 tells us. But it's not just intercession, it's a supplication as well. He's humbling, entreating, and petitioning God on behalf of the nation of Judah. So God's response in chapter two has actually lifted Habakkuk's eyes to see something much greater than the pending judgment that God is going to bring. He is actually, if I may, seeing God. This has had a profound impact on Habakkuk's disposition. So God has now spoken, and he didn't, like I said, directly admonish Habakkuk, but I will say the message was both delivered and received by Habakkuk. And what was that message that Habakkuk received? Well, it's again, chapter two, verse four. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith. And that is the statement that humbled the prophet and set him on a path to prayer and intercession for the nation of Judah versus complaining about all that's going on. Verse 1 continues when it says that it is a prayer of Habakkuk on Shigenoff. So the word Shigenoff, nobody really knows exactly what it means. It's kind of an obscure word. It really is along the lines of like Selah that we see in the Psalms all the time. It's a word that there's just not a tremendous amount of understanding of what it is. People have some speculations, and that's fine. And Shigenoth only appears twice in the Old Testament. It appears here in Habakkuk and in Psalm chapter 7 verse 1. The consensus seems to be that the word may mean it's an instrument, particularly a stringed instrument, or it could mean a type of psalm or song. So even though we don't have a clear understanding of this word, we can get the sense that it was a prayer of Habakkuk that was put to music. And putting prayers to music is actually beneficial because it gives it a life beyond itself, which is the case that we see here. Habakkuk wasn't just doing this for his own benefit. He was doing this also for the nation of Judah to hopefully join him in praying to God collectively for the preservation of the people. So we know Habakkuk's been praying for these folks for a long time. And we see that because it's indicated in chapter one where it says, how long shall I cry? But he was frustrated at the lack of response. Well, now Habakkuk has been humbled and his desire has changed from complaining to actually for revival to begin in the nation of Judah. And so what Habakkuk is modeling for us here in this first part of the chapter is that prayer is both spoken and it can be sung in which it has this life even beyond itself. Now on to verse two. This is really the beginning of Habakkuk's prayer and where we get a glimpse into the prophet's heart and just see exactly how much he has changed. So point number two is the prophet's humility and the fear or awe of God. The first thing we notice in Habakkuk's prayer is his humility. No longer is he a borderline arrogant and indignant prophet, but rather he is a humbled man. And we see this attitude and demeanor that has changed right here in verse two. He's still crying out to God. He's still petitioning God for the nation of Judah. But this time, he's not doing it out of humility. And we see this in the opening statement. Look at verse two, the first part of it. Oh Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid. So let's compare Habakkuk's prayers in chapter 1 to this prayer here in chapter 3. So chapter 1 verse 2, we see this. Oh Lord, how long must I cry and you will not hear? Cry out to you violence. Verse 3, why do you show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble? Verse 13, why do you look on those who deal treacherously and hold your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? And then verse 14, why do you make men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? So the commonality here is that they're all complaints. Habakkuk was frustrated then. His eyes were not focused on God, but rather focused on what he sees going on around him. But here in chapter three, we see Habakkuk crying out again, oh Lord, but this time he's crying out in humility and with understanding. The prophet states, I have heard your speech and I was afraid. Edward Marbury states concerning this text, quote, if you would learn to pray and be prepared for that holy worship, hear God's speech first, and that will teach you what to ask as you ought, unquote. So all true prayer is informed by God's word. And we must make God's Word a priority to study it. And by doing so, what happens is we've not only learned God's Word, but we're also putting on the whole armor of God and preparing us for the battles that we're going to face. And that's Ephesians chapter 6, 10 through 18. And certainly Habakkuk and the nation of Judah was fixing to face a battle in their lives. Habakkuk not only states that he heard God's speech, but he also admits that he was afraid. Notice verse 2 again. O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid. So Marbury pointed out the connection here between fear and faith. So the word fear, it can mean to be afraid, or it can also mean to be in awe. I think Habakkuk probably had a little bit of both going on here. But in this case, I think it was probably more awe of God and his majesty than of actually being afraid. But there is this inseparable connection between the fear of God and faith in him. Marbury highlights two things to prove this connection, the majesty of the speaker and the matter of the speech. First, the majesty of the speaker specifically points to God and his great glory and his majesty. Isaiah 6, 2 through 3 gives us a glimpse of this majesty and glory of God where Isaiah writes, above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings. Two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, with two he flew. And one called to the other and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And then secondly, it's the matter of his feet. meaning God's justice in punishing sin in his church, vengeance and destruction of God's enemies, and lastly, grace and redemption. And Marlboro says this, redeeming his church from the power of Satan by the glorious kingdom of Jesus Christ. So to have faith in God, you must also have a reverent fear of God and who he is. And so this is what has taken place in the prophet's life. He's now lifted his eyes and he's focusing on God, and he's focusing his gaze on God. It changed Habakkuk, and if we do the same thing, it will change us. One thing to note here, Habakkuk's circumstances did not change. It's his perspective that has changed. So when we get God's perspective of our circumstances, it doesn't mean that our circumstances get any better. They may, but they might not. But when we look at things from God's perspective, we can commit those things to him and have faith that he is going to take care of us. Earlier in the book, Habakkuk had been comparing Judah's relative goodness to the Chaldeans relative badness. And he couldn't see God's mercy or grace when he was doing that. But when he turned his focus back to God's holiness and justice, Habakkuk found a hope and a peace that will only come from God, John 14, 27. So when we focus on Christ, it allows us to see our lives and circumstances as he sees them. And we'll now be, as Martin Lloyd-Jones said, concerned for the glory of God and for nothing else. To be like Christ is to first and foremost be concerned for God's glory and God's glory alone. And this brings us back to humility, humbly realizing that it's only by grace that we're even drawn to pray and pray for revival. James Montgomery Boyce says, quote, the only way we dare approach God is humbly. And the only way we can rightly present our petitions is with the utterance, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Voice continues, if there is to be revival, it will not start with the liberal establishment. It will begin with us, meaning the church. It is only when the people of God humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways that he hears from heaven, forgives their sin and heals their land. Second Chronicles 714. So first we noticed Habakkuk's humble approach to God. Now we see Habakkuk coming in adoration and worship. And so point number three, the importance of adoration and worship. So look again at the first part of verse two. Oh Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid. Or as the NIV states it, Lord, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, oh Lord. So I've heard it said that our prayers should be largely filled with thanksgiving versus a list of our needs and concerns, et cetera. I believe this is a good principle, but I think we need to add something to this advice that we see here from Habakkuk. And that is, we need to bring God our adoration and our worship. When we come into God's presence in humility, and then also in an act of adoration and worship, we begin to rehearse his attributes. And by doing so, we're then going to acknowledge God's true worth, and we're going to get a true mental picture and mental image of who God is. So why should adoration and worship dominate our prayers? Primarily as we focus on God's worth and greatness, we're placing Him on the throne of our hearts. And when God is on the throne of our hearts, then His will becomes our will. And this is what our prayers will truly be led by the spirit to accomplish God's will in the world, which is the big picture and in our lives, a little picture. However, personal worship and prayer requires time. And this is where the war is fought and where God will win the battles in our lives. So how can we apply this to ourselves personally? Well, simply take out your day planner, or in these days, our electronic calendars, and make personal worship, prayer, and Bible study the first appointment each day. Don't just fit God in to your day, but actually meet with him. Give God the first fruits of your day, and test him, and see if he will not be faithful, and see if he will begin to do work in your life that you could never have dreamed. For me personally, it has had a huge impact on my attitude and ability to deal with the rest of the day. And when I say that, what I'm saying is I really mean if I get up and skip my devotions, I tend to have a little sour of an attitude that day. So it makes a huge difference. And so I really strongly suggest that you devote time to God's word. Not necessarily saying you have to do it at 5 o'clock in the morning, but have some time. Now on the number four, pray for God's will to be accomplished. Draw your attention to the middle section of verse two. Oh Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make it known. I mentioned earlier how Habakkuk had changed. His focus was taken off the temporal and now on to the eternal. But here again, we see evidence of the prophet's new focus in that his focus is now on revival. Habakkuk had been praying to God to intervene for a while. But again, this is pointing to the fact that he was focused on his circumstances earlier in the book, but now he's focused on revival and change, but doing it God's way and not his way. Notice how Habakkuk frames his prayer for revival. He says, O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. So this prayer for revival highlights just how much he's changed. He's asking God for revival in the midst of Judah's captivity. Don't miss this. This is really kind of important because the prophet knows that God's decree of judgment on the nation of Judah is 100% certain. It's not going to change. It's not going to be altered. So Habakkuk is asking God to begin the revival actually during the captivity. Maybe Habakkuk was thinking of Isaiah's words in 44.3 where he said, I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. These words speak to revival and bringing life from dead earth. Historically, revivals have come during times of great barrenness within the general culture of a nation, but even more specifically, during great barrenness and apathy within the church. Think of some of the great revivals that we've read of in the past. They've all started in times that were very troubling. For example, Martin Luther and the Reformation. There was perversion at every level in the religious establishment, beginning with the so-called religious leadership of the Pope. There was the great lawyer Blackstone during King George III's reign. He traveled around London. He was listening to the preachers to hear what they had to say. Blackstone's report was less than encouraging. Summarizing Blackstone's comments is this, there was no more Christianity in the discourses he heard than in the writings of Cicero, and he could not tell if the preachers were followers of Muhammad, Confucius, or Jesus Christ. So this is the landscape that has set the stage for the revivals of Jonathan Edwards and John and Charles Wesley. We see in our own day a serious need for revival in the midst of our years. So a couple of quick thoughts on revival. First, revival always comes down, meaning God sends revival. We can't create revival. And secondly, revival always begins with a praying people, or maybe in some cases, just one praying person. So here's the application. We as Christians must discipline ourselves to pray and to pray for revival. This is going to require time and it's also gonna mean that we have to give something up or some things up. Are we interested in revival or are we more interested in our comfort? And this is a question that you and I need to evaluate and answer prayerfully. We may need to consider Psalm 51 to begin with, where David was praying a prayer of repentance and asking for mercy, especially where he said, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, Psalm 51 10. I don't need to tell you how dark it is in our day. You can see it, look around. The United States has almost completely removed God from our culture. They're working hard at it. However, I do have some good news. As long as there are true believers, God will never be out of our culture. God preserves a remnant, and this remnant needs to be engaged in the war effort. In his book, Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper notes that we live in a wartime, and we must have a wartime mentality. And that war is going to be fought on our knees in prayer. And so now that brings us to one of the most awesome statements in scripture. Look with me at the final phrase of verse 2, as we consider point number 5, Habakkuk prays for God to remember mercy. For that last phrase, in wrath, remember mercy. Now this really gets to the heart of the matter. Mercy. Habakkuk is crying out again to God, but instead of crying out why, he's crying out for mercy. And this is significant. James Montgomery Boyce says about this phrase, quote, what a great request to leave with God. What an effective request. What an appropriate way to win and be assured of God's favor. God is the God of mercy. So to pray for mercy, even in the day of his wrath, is to plead for that which is central to his character, unquote. So if we want to see God move in our day, if we want to see God move in our hearts, we have to get to the place where we are pleading for God's mercy. His mercy on his church first, and then on our nation second. Let me illustrate this from a very familiar passage in Luke 18 verses 9 through 14. This is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. So Jesus is speaking. And this is the parable that he uses. The Pharisee was praying, God, I thank you that I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. But the tax collector, he prayed, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Now, can you see here the connection that we have to Habakkuk 2, verse 4, where the Pharisee represents that proud man whose soul is not upright within him, and that the tax collector represents the righteous or just man who is living by his faith, or in other words, the tax collector is praying in wrath, remember, mercy. And Christ said of the tax collector, this man went home justified. We were given mercy when we were saved. And we need mercy to live holy lives in a world that hates God and hates his people. So in closing, let's make Habakkuk's prayer our own this morning. Would you please stand with me as we read verse two together once again? And I hope that you make this prayer the prayer of your own heart. So again, verse two. Oh Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid. Oh Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make it known. In wrath, remember mercy. And all God's people said, Amen.