To me there’s nothing more exciting than revival!
Imagine your neighbor comes over to your house with tears in her eyes. You invite her in and she tells you her son is in Iraq and can’t be found. She came to you because she knows that you pray. So you say to her let’s bow together and let me pray for you and your son. You spend time praying with her and then finish. She feels a sense of calm she didn’t have before. You assure her you’ll keep praying. A few weeks later she comes over to your house again on a Friday night when a few of your friends have come over for dinner and to sing a few worship songs. She is all smiles and tells you the great news that her son has been found alive and unharmed. You rejoice with her. In fact you suggest that she join you and your friends in a circle of prayer saying thanks to God. She agrees. After you are finished praying you invite her to stay and sing along with your friends. She does and completely enjoys herself.
A few days later you get the idea of having a regular weekly prayer meeting with some of your friends and it dawns on you that you should invite your neighbor. She agrees to come and asks if she can bring her best friend along. You say that would be just wonderful. And so you begin a journey of revival.
There are several things that can help revival to start.
1. Bad news. In 2 Kings 20:1-3 we read about Hezekiah the king of Judah receiving a solemn declaration:
1In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'” 2Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3″Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
King Hezekiah got some really bad news. He was told by the prophet Isaiah that he was going to die. The bible says his response was to turn to the wall and pray. That sounds like revival!
When the people of Nineveh heard the bad news from Jonah they repented…revival broke out. Their version of turning to the wall and praying was putting on sackcloth and ashes and weeping and saying sorry to God. Sometimes God allows bad things that will draws us close to Him and give Him a chance to show His deep love and concern for us. He also demonstrates his awesome power in the times when we are distressed. It’s not that God isn’t regularly showing His care. But we take it for granted and don’t recognize it’s from Him. But when the rug is pulled out from under our feet we suddenly know where our help comes from.
2. Not eating. If you ever want to pray with greater intensity try skipping a few meals. Spiritual veterans call it fasting. There is something about fasting that not only gets God’s attention but captures our complete attention as well. When we stop providing ourselves with what nourishes us we put our bodies into crisis mode. And when we pray in crisis mode there seems to be greater benefit. Jesus one day alluded to this when he told his disciples that a situation they were dealing with was of a severe nature and required both prayer and fasting in order to remedy things. You and I who are called by God to be disciples of Jesus need to utilize this spiritual power boost of fasting. Some for medical reasons shouldn’t fast. However, for everyone else it’s a tool that should be used.
3. Reading the word. When the children of Israel were returning from exile in Babylon, Nehemiah was put in charge of helping the people rebuild the wall of their city. A scribe named Ezra came a bit later and was called upon to read the scriptures to the people. In verse 9 it tells us that all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. They had drifted away from their pure worship to God. When the word of God was opened up to them and explained they were convicted. Than revival came.
Today if you want better worship than choose to have a revival.
The bad news is all around us: Violence, hatred, disease, global warming, pollution and on and on. The good book is right in front of us. We can get it on our phones, tablets, and laptops. Let’s plan right now! Fast on Friday and invite some Christian friends to join you and have an hour long season of prayer followed by breaking your fast with a simple meal at say 7pm. It could be that easy.
When Solomon had dedicated the temple he had built for God he was over the top with his sacrifice and praise. God responded by descending in a glory cloud that shut down the temple. Afterward Our heavenly Father told Solomon the pattern for revival. Let’s read it together.
12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
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;
14 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.
Let this be our pattern. When the bad stuff happens, humble ourselves–we acknowledge we need help, and pray–fast and pray if necessary, seek my face–turn off the TV and the texting and give God our undivided attention, and turn from their wicked ways-remove yourself from doing stuff you know is sin. Get help from a pastor or a friend, but flee that which is foul to our God.
Then God says He will hear, forgive, and heal. That’s what we need! God’s presence, His forgiveness, and His power. We need a revival. Why not start one today?
I’m on this journey to worship with you. Please share with me your thoughts about what I shared with you today. I love you and pray for you to find worship that nourishes through revival!
