It is time for a revival.

After self-examination, restoration and revival are necessary.

Nancy Leigh Moss came up with 50 reasons that we need revival. And if you and I are honest, after looking at her list, there is plenty more to be added.

However, if there is just one, like when the fire has gone out in your hearts- it would be enough to start a revival.

Since I was little, I looked forward every year to a time that my church would set aside for revival. It was usually in the fall season just before the dawn of a new year. And every time there was a conference, whether, for revival or development, I wanted to attend.

Why? After going through the year and serving God day in and out, burn out will happen.

Not only will you experience burn out but you can begin to get complacent and go through the motions.

This can happen in your love, faith, service, and all aspects of your Christian walk with God.

Have you ignored public sin in the church so as not to offend a sister?

Maybe you have rationalized telling a lie to your husband or dad to avoid confrontation about something you did wrong.

What about your conviction towards your unsaved friends, coworkers, or family? Have you forgotten that they are on their way to hell if they don’t accept Jesus?

If you have answered these questions and, in your heart, you know that you are in need of revival, it is time to wake up if you are sleeping because it is time for a revival.

 

 

It is time for a revival because we are asleep

 

Romans 13:11-12 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. (NKJV)

Look around you. The times are pointing to the imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So many of the things happening today are fulfilling prophecies found in the Bible.

This is why it is time to wake up. When the disciples ministered to the people on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit entered their temples (body) that was the beginning of the church age. Now over 2000 years later the signs are clearer.

 

We are so much closer to the second coming than when we first believed. In other words, when you first become a daughter in Christ, the time has passed and now you are closer to his return.Click To Tweet

 

No one knows when Jesus will return and every day we are getting closer and closer to that appointed time.

Maybe you are struggling with a dark secret sin, perhaps you have lost your joy in the Lord. Perhaps you are so consumed with thoughts of yourself you barely have time to devote to God.

It is time to cast off the darkness and be bathe and renewed in the light. If you are asleep, it is time to wake up.

 

 

The secret to revival

 

There is one secret ingredient that you need to bring restoration and revival back into your life, home, and church.

It is ok to want to repent and turn from evil pursuits but what will make you stay? What motivation will you use to keep you faithful to God?

You can pray, ask for God’s forgiveness, seek forgiveness from the ones that you have wronged, and accept forgiveness from those that have wronged you.

But the secret to lasting change and revival is love.

Deuteronomy 10:12- “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

You can easily replace the word Israel with your name, “And now, Keneesha, what does the Lord your God require of you……”

If I am to pursue revival in my heart and life it has to begin from a place of love. It all begins with the question,

“Do you truly love God?”

I claim to love my husband but if it’s not true, I wouldn’t care about his feelings or his needs. I would do what I want, refuse him access to my body, and even give it away to someone undeserving.

He would know that I don’t love him by my actions. I wouldn’t even need to voice it because I would have shown him that I didn’t care. Hence the maxim, actions speak louder than words.

Well, God knows you much more than you or your husband does. He recognizes lip service and half-hearted love and he is displeased with it.

John 14:21- Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

Just as my husband can determine whether my words are true or not so can our God.

This simply means that when you have examined yourself and repented, you should have no intention of ever going back to that sin. As a matter of fact, you should make a plan for what you will do to avoid it.

Because if you do you are basically displaying to God that you love the pleasure of sin much more than you love him.

You are a new creation; old things are passed away.

Dictionary.com has many definitions for the term revival. But this is the one that I want you to remember.

Revival- an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again.

In other words, revival is the restoration and renewal of your commitment, love, and relationship with Jesus.

If you feel disconnected, distant and out of fellowship with God, then it is time for a revival.

 

 

Here are five things you can do to begin your revival:

 

Pray

– this requires you to confess and forsake any sin that is preventing you from connecting with God. Psalms 32:5; 1John 1:9-10; Acts 3:19

Be thankful

– once you have prayed and asked for God’s forgiveness you have received it. So, be thankful and accept his forgiveness. Act, live, and behave as though you are forgiven because God will not withhold forgiveness from you. 1 John 5:14-15; Numbers 23:19

Read your Bible

– if you want to connect with God and actually hear from him then you have to spend time in His Word. When you spend time feasting on his word, you will be grounded and firmly planted. You won’t fall away once you invest time in what he has already given you about himself. Joshua 1:8; Romans 15:4; Psalms 119:11; Matthew 4:4

Attend church

– it is important to spend time in fellowship with other saints. It encourages you to keep trusting in God. Also, the word given to the under-shepherd (pastor) has something especially important for you from God. Don’t miss it. Hebrews 10:24-25; Malachi 3:8-10; Hebrews 10:24-25

Spiritual retreat

– this is special. I learned about this a short time ago and it is simply a time set aside to worship and praise God while praying and reading his word. You can do this by yourself within a few hours you have set aside or in a group. But it is sure to leave you refreshed, glowing, and ready to hear from God soon.

 

The ball is in your court.

Revival is used mostly in group, church, or nation settings but it starts within you. If you want to be a more devoted and effective follower of Christ, revival is necessary.

Without it you can be stuck in the same cycle, doing all the things but receiving no joy.

The fire that has died down can become a roaring flame again and again. Every time you feel like you are going through the motions, it is time for a revival.

Bow in prayer and be restored in your commitment to your Savior. When revival begins within you expect to see a change in your life, your home, and your church as God utilizes you for his glory.

I love you with the love of Christ.

Keneesha 🙂