Revival Time

Many of us in the Church have been praying for revival. However, we need to understand that repentance precedes revival. Before we made this request, did we come before God and ask Him to search us and know our hearts; to try us and know our anxious thoughts; to see if there be any hurtful way in us; and to lead us in the everlasting way? (See Psalm 139:23 -24.) Have we asked God to create in us a clean heart and to renew a faithful and unwavering spirit within us? (See Psalm 51:9-11.)

When we say prayers of this kind we may receive what we do not like because as God searches us and tries us, He may take us through the fires of affliction to bring out the true feelings in our hearts and the adulterated thoughts in our minds. These may not be pleasing to Him and He will work them out of us, which may cause us great pain and distress. He may have to do emergency heart surgery to create in us a heart that is clean. God wants us to have a heart pleasing to Him, so that we will build His Kingdom and not tear down lives with our mouths. He knows that the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. (Matthew 12:34) Therefore, He must work on our hearts to take away our hurtful ways and lead us back on His righteous paths. Then, we can come before Him with a pure heart and a spirit that is tried and true. We may ask God, ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ (Isaiah 58:3a) And, God has a response.

Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers. “Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord? “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Isaiah 58:2b-7

As God reveals to us our thoughts and actions, we should be convicted to come to repentance and make a change. Our prayers and fasting will not be answered if we continue treating people badly, and we are not helping those who are in need or who are oppressed, no matter how humble we seem. God is not into a show. He looks deeply into our hearts and knows our motives.

For revival to happen, the Church will need a heart change and a mind change. We will have to go outside of our four walls not just to preach at people, but to love them into the Kingdom. Even though their lives may be messy we have to stick with them closer than a brother through it all. This may mean suffering and sacrifice on our part, but this is all a part of the Christian journey. The amazing thing is that we can consider it all joy when we face trials of various kinds, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. And endurance have can have a perfect result, so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (See James 1:2-4.) Can you imagine that the negative experiences we go through could have positive results? When we start enduring our trials with childlike faith and begin to trust God completely no matter the circumstance, our souls are revived. When this happens we can bring encouragement to others and they too can be revived.

Fires of revival will break out when we have truly repented and we are rejoicing in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5) And when this outpouring of God's love comes through the Holy Spirit, it will be Revival Time.