SEARCHLIGHT
You may have heard someone say that we need revival but how convinced are you that you should earnestly pray for revival?
SCRIPTURE
"LORD, I HAVE HEARD OF YOUR FAME; I STAND IN AWE OF YOUR DEEDS, LORD. REPEAT THEM IN OUR DAY, IN OUR TIME MAKE THEM KNOWN, IN WRATH REMEMBER MERCY." HABAKKUK 3:2
SPOTLIGHT
Suppose you went to church this coming weekend expecting to attend a “nice” worship service, see some friends, and, of course, sit in your usual place only to find a shocking difference. After taking your seat, you noticed that someone just down from you was getting a lot of attention. When you took a second look, you had to take a third and fourth look as well. Sitting near you was Jesus Christ, in the flesh. How would that change you and the rest of the congregation? In one word, you would experience revival.
Revival can be simply defined as many Christians experiencing an overwhelming sense of Jesus Christ’s presence in their personal lives, homes, work, and church. When believers become aware of Christ’s presence in a renewed way, they begin to do the following:
- Confess and repent of “sins” which have kept them from becoming holy as God is holy,
- Worship God with a tremendous awareness of His greatness,
- Listen to preaching with the desire to personally apply what is said to his/her life,
- Express love and forgiveness to other believers,
- Make restitution where possible,
- Read God’s Word with the same enthusiasm as eating food,
- Boldly pray prayers based on Biblical principles and promises,
- Share their faith with a confidence and ease given by the Holy Spirit,
- Serve with enthusiasm having discovered that God has called them to “minister”,
- Experience a joy in living which is coupled with a sense of feeling complete and whole.
Wouldn’t you like to personally experience revival by seeing all 10 characteristics vividly marking your life? Of course you would and so did the prophet Habakkuk. He prayed for revival and so can you. Just earnestly pray, “Lord, I have heard the news about you; I am amazed at what you have done. Lord, do great things once again in our time; make those things happen again in our own days. Even when you are angry, remember to be kind.” [Habakkuk 3:2 New Century Version]
PRAY FOR REVIVAL! Just like Habakkuk, praise God for times when He supernaturally intervened in the past. The prophet knew of God’s “fame” and stood in “awe” of His past deeds. Tell God you have read the Bible accounts and also the history books that record when He made Himself known to people in powerful ways. Ask God to supernaturally intervene today the way He did in the past. Habakkuk prayed “Repeat them in our day”. Confidently cry out to God to do it again!
God, the Holy Spirit, wants to rekindle your personal walk with Jesus Christ. He wants to renew your tired spirit from living in a depressing world. He wants to restore you to physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. He wants to refresh you so your life will influence many people to come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. He wants to reignite you and your church so that you will experience a revitalization that will spill out into the community and cause a spiritual awakening. God, the Holy Spirit, longs to revive you.
Right now God is doing something in your spirit. Capture the moment. Clue into the simplicity and earnestness of Habakkuk’s prayer. Cry out to God that you want to be more spiritually alive than ever before. Revival comes when God chooses but you can encourage this Divine moment by praying. You need to follow the plan mentioned in 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states,
“If my people, who are called by my name, will 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.”
Don’t let anything get in the way of praying this prayer. Guard against your priorities and present agenda getting in the way of personal, church, and community revival. It is possible to miss this renewal because of stubbornness, pride, and lack of flexibility. Will you open your heart to earnestly praying this prayer so that God can lead you into the deepest, most profound spiritual experience possible? God can begin to bless you when you begin to confess your need to know Him more than ever before.
SOMETHING TO DO
- Read some other Bible verses that will motivate you to pray for revival. See Ezra 9:9; Psalm 80:18,19; 85:6,7; Proverbs 11:25; Haggai 2:18,19; Acts 3:19
- Look back at a time when you felt a lot closer to God. Who moved? God didn’t! You can have that spiritual fervor again when you PRAY FOR REVIVAL!
- What steps can you take to help your church friends rekindle a sense of God’s presence?
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Come Holy Spirit! Revive your church. Rekindle a closeness of Your presence in believers. Reignite hearts to share their faith. And Lord, I would plead that You would begin this revival in me, right now! Open my heart to Your presence and power in refreshing ways. AMEN!