06/07/2026
OVER THE PAST forty years I have learned that God cannot use a person who is not broken and completely surrendered to Him. When Jesus met Peter in his fishing boat, Peter had one reaction: He was convicted in his heart. He felt as if he were too sinful for Jesus to be in his boat. Having denied Christ three times, he was broken by the grace and forgiveness of Christ in giving him the opportunity to preach the first sermon in the church's history. As a result of Peter's ministry, three thousand people came to Christ on the Day of Pentecost. Peter was also used by Christ to open the spiritual door to the gentile world, bringing many to salvation. God was able to use Peter once he had been broken.
I have met many who are not serving the Lord today because of past sin in their lives. They may blame the pastor or some other Christian, but in their hearts they know that they have fallen short of the mark and have not learned. When a Christian makes a mistake, I always try
to help him put his life together again. I explain that his mistake can be the means by which he can learn to be broken and humble before God.
A lack of brokenness causes a person who is used by God to become proud and arrogant. However, when a man is broken, his heart resists pride. Therefore, he can be used to a greater degree.
WHEN YOU COME in contact with God in your time of prayer, the first thing you feel in your heart as you enter into His divine presence is a realization of your sin. No one can sense pride in the presence of a holy God. Once you sense your lack of natural qualifications to be in His
holy presence, you will begin to confess your sin and humble yourself before God. This does not mean that you don't belong before the throne of grace. In fact, the clear access has been paid for each believer by the blood of
Jesus Christ. However, you realize that you have no natural qualifications to be there, and your immediate reaction is one of brokenness. Brokenness and pride
cannot coexist!
Amazingly, as you enter into God's presence, you will be made aware of reactions, attitudes, and actions that you may have forgotten. Just as Peter could not bear to have Christ in his ship because of the recognition of his
sin, so also you become aware of your great need before His holy presence.
The next very natural reaction to God's presence is to desire to be forgiven for your sin. This is true in my own experience. I may have done some little thing without realizing it. However, as soon as I enter into my prayer
time, the Holy Spirit will point to that very thing, and I will need to ask for God's forgiveness so I may be set free. You might say that this is too hard. But you must remember, you now have a new desire to pray. You now also have a new attitude of violence against your own flesh and pride. You are learning how to walk softly and
gently in the Holy Spirit.
Yet, I must at this time emphasize the importance of walking gently with the Holy Spirit—for the Holy Spirit is a gentleman!
Living your life before the Holy Spirit in gentleness,you will become accustomed to the Lord's abiding presence. The Lord's continually abiding presence will bring about two most important changes. The first is
brokenness, and the second is surrender.
Before we look in the Scriptures to see biblical examples of brokenness and surrender, I must share with you my personal experience regarding these two important attitudes.
God has never chosen to use perfect people to accomplish His perfect will. This is obvious in His choice of Jacob and King David. This is also obvious in His choosing me. My natural inclination is to want my own way. However, the ways of the Lord are not often my
ways. So someone has to give in. Therefore, my role is to always give in to the Holy Spirit who has been given to me to lead and guide me into the ways of God.
- Dr David Yongi Cho ( PRAYER THAT BRINGS REVIVAL)
- Spiritual Notes
