Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. Our victory, our success our obtaining that mountain depends not on us, our abilities, our skills, but on the Lord being with us!

Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. (are we seeing it all around us and not eating thereof?) II Kings 7:1-2; 7:17-20

Someone has said the only two things are certain in this life death and taxes. Add one more; what God has said will come to pass. Do we want to continue to see the hand of the Lord bless all around us, and not see His hand on us? We can continue to be as the man in this story, “Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?” Or, we can lay hold on His promises and go forth to claim the mountain that looms before us. Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (KJV)

In II Chronicles 6:34-42, Solomon prays a tremendous prayer. And in II Chronicles 7:12-14, Two years later, God answers that prayer with conditions. 13. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; And in verse 14, known by many as the revival verse, this is what God has to say. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Has the power of our churches become dry from the lack of the anointing rain of the Holy Spirit pouring down upon us, the locusts of indifference to souls devouring the joy and zeal of our churches to witness? Is there a pestilence of apathy sweeping throughout the church?

The rain of heaven, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to rain down upon us. Jer. 23:28-29 “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord. 29. Is not my word like a fire? Says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”

Has a devouring locusts - robbed us of truth of the gospel? I Thess. 1Th 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome,

The removal of the pestilence of apathy from among us. How are we going to reclaim our rightful heritage of soul winning Methodist? How are we going to inflame people with the joy of service, our preachers with the excitement of the angels in heaven over one lost soul that has come to know the Lord?

I. If they Shall humble - (be humbled, subdued, brought down, low, under, brought into subjection. they are dust) (Which indicate that so long as a person, or nation, (denomination) is arrogant and self-sufficient, God can do nothing for them;)

One Brisk December Night as I accompanied the president from the Oval Office in the West Wing of the white House to the Residence, Mr. Nixon was musing about what people wanted in their leaders. He slowed a moment, looking into the distance across the South Lawn, and said, “the people really want a leader a little bigger than themselves, don't they, Chuck? There's a certain aloofness, a power that's exuded by great men that people feel and want to follow.” But Jesus Christ exhibited none of this self-conscious aloofness. He served others first; He spoke to those to whom no one spoke; He dined with the lowest members of society; He touched the untouchables; He washed His Servants' feet. He had no throne, no crown, no bevy of servants or armored guards. A borrowed manger and a borrowed tomb framed His earthly life. Kings and presidents and prime ministers surround themselves with minions who rush ahead, swing the doors wide, and stand at attention as they wait for the great to pass. Jesus said that He Himself stands at the door and knocks, patiently waiting to enter our lives.

Until we become humble enough to fall on our face before Him and cry out till heaven hears, I believe that we are going to continue to see drought in our churches. Prov. 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6. In all thy way acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

II. If they will Pray - Matt. 17:20-21 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to younder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Home to Harmony (Philip Gully) - In a committee meeting about having annual revival, pastor Sam Gardener said let's do something different this year, lets meet and pray. One of the committee members responded, “Oh that is so boring”. “Ironside told of a godly man by the name of Andrew Fraser who went to Southern California to recover from a serious illness. Though this old Irishman was quite weak, he opened his worn Bible and began expounding the truth of God's Word in a way that Ironside had never heard before. So moved by Fraser's words was Ironside that his curiosity drove him to ask the man, “Where did you learn these things? Did you learn them in some college or seminary?”The sickly man said, “My dear young men, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me, I used to kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul and to open the Word in my heart. He taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world.”

We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man in the plan or organization. God's plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use-men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer.” Power Through Prayer, E. M. Bounds

Hear me church the Lord will not be with us in wickedness. We can plan our plans, program our programs, even draw a crowd but the Lord will not be with us if there is wickedness in the camp. (Joshua 7:10-13 Ai, and Achan) Jeremiah 5:25-31“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have with holden good things from you. 26. For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27. As a cage is full of birds, 1.so are their houses full of deceit: 2.therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. 28. 3.They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, 4. they overpass the deeds of the wicked: 5. they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and 6.the right of the needy do they not judge. 29. Shall I not visit for these things? Saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 30. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 7.31. The prophets prophesy falsely, and 8.the priests bear rule by their means; and 9. my people love to have it so:10.and what will ye do in the end thereof?

God has told us very plainly, that if He is going to be with us, there are certain conditions that we must meet. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Are we ready to meet them? Are we ready to wholly follow the Lord? Are we ready to sell out to Him? He is there, He is waiting, when we are willing, He will open the windows of heaven and pour out His blessing. Then we can say as Caleb, . . . . therefore, give me this mountain. . . .if so be the Lord will be with me . . . ..