“Will You not Yourself revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You” - Psalm 85:6
I heard a preacher once say, “Someone who seems bold when speaking about God may not necessarily be bold for God. It’s just that they have a bold, aggressive personality and they may just want to be heard.”
When we think of revival we have the mental image of a three-day crusade with all the motivating speakers who will set us on fire. They pump us up with power and strength and all those things we associate with “having it together” as Christians. But the truth of the matter is, revival has nothing to do with the big crusade, the right music or the right preachers. You can actually have a revival while you’re doing laundry or mowing the lawn, because revival is a change of heart.
Our hearts are private places that only God knows. (Psalm 44:21) For revival to truly take place in the heart, God has to initiate the change, but He needs our cooperation. Where does it begin? It begins by being completely broken, insecure, emotional, anxious, depressed, and hopeless before God. Isn’t that how we all have felt at some time or another? Maybe you feel that way right now. But because of our pride we stuff all those feelings and pretend we don’t have them. We worship God with our hands up and our hearts hidden as though God didn’t already know! In order for revival to take place in our hearts, we need to come to God like little children with broken toys that represent all of our fears, concerns, anxieties, and our hearts.
We need to hand them over to God and say, “Here, Daddy, I’m tired of carrying around this broken mess, will You fix it?” He longs for us to do that very thing!
You may find yourself going back to God and saying, “I miss my toy. I’m not used to being without it, even though I know it is of no use to me broken. Can you hurry and fix it?”
God is faithful, and He will fix “it”, but perhaps not the way you expect. As you begin to read the Word of God and spend time in prayer, you may find yourself going back to God once again and saying, “Change my heart so I will not want to have that broken toy back. Help me be patient while you create a new one for me.”
Using a broken toy as an example of our need for revival is not nearly as much incentive as someone screaming out loud about the power of God, but it is reality. There is a time for the motivational speakers whom God has ordained to encourage others, but true revival is in your heart. And the matters of the heart, are quiet moments between you and God. It is easy to be revived at church functions, but the heart change needs to be seen on Monday morning, Tuesday night, Friday afternoons and so on.
How many times have I been on my face crying, pleading with God about some issue in my life, with all my emotions running amuck, when anxiety kicks in, followed up by discouragement. Then guilt tries to overtake me because I’m a Christian and I’ve convinced myself I should not feel this way. I should feel powerful and bold like the motivational speaker I heard at the church revival right? Although God does give us a spirit of boldness and power (2 Timothy 1:7) God’s ultimate power is best displayed in those times when are knocked down but refuse to give up. Instead we keep crawling toward the goal of faith in Jesus.
I have often found myself pleading with God in my weakness saying, “Even if I have to kick and scream and claw my way to the finish line, I will love You and serve You the best I can all of my life.”
I believe that’s the revival of heart He desires. One that won’t give up until crossing the finish line, even if you have to kick and scream all the way.
We need revival of the heart on a daily basis. It is coming to God every day with our broken toy and saying, “Can You fix it?”
The big crusades are wonderful and needed, but when the signs and wonders stop, when the room clears, the chairs are put away, and the doors locked, it comes down once again to just you and God. God wants revival in His people. He may use a motivational speaker to catch your attention or He may catch you while you’re doing laundry. Either way, He wants you and I to bring our hearts to Him. Our whole heart, not the surface heart we show our brothers and sisters as if all is well, but the heart issues that hurt and that He is willing to heal. Now that’s a real revival!
That Your people may rejoice in You” - Psalm 85:6
I heard a preacher once say, “Someone who seems bold when speaking about God may not necessarily be bold for God. It’s just that they have a bold, aggressive personality and they may just want to be heard.”
When we think of revival we have the mental image of a three-day crusade with all the motivating speakers who will set us on fire. They pump us up with power and strength and all those things we associate with “having it together” as Christians. But the truth of the matter is, revival has nothing to do with the big crusade, the right music or the right preachers. You can actually have a revival while you’re doing laundry or mowing the lawn, because revival is a change of heart.
Our hearts are private places that only God knows. (Psalm 44:21) For revival to truly take place in the heart, God has to initiate the change, but He needs our cooperation. Where does it begin? It begins by being completely broken, insecure, emotional, anxious, depressed, and hopeless before God. Isn’t that how we all have felt at some time or another? Maybe you feel that way right now. But because of our pride we stuff all those feelings and pretend we don’t have them. We worship God with our hands up and our hearts hidden as though God didn’t already know! In order for revival to take place in our hearts, we need to come to God like little children with broken toys that represent all of our fears, concerns, anxieties, and our hearts.
We need to hand them over to God and say, “Here, Daddy, I’m tired of carrying around this broken mess, will You fix it?” He longs for us to do that very thing!
You may find yourself going back to God and saying, “I miss my toy. I’m not used to being without it, even though I know it is of no use to me broken. Can you hurry and fix it?”
God is faithful, and He will fix “it”, but perhaps not the way you expect. As you begin to read the Word of God and spend time in prayer, you may find yourself going back to God once again and saying, “Change my heart so I will not want to have that broken toy back. Help me be patient while you create a new one for me.”
Using a broken toy as an example of our need for revival is not nearly as much incentive as someone screaming out loud about the power of God, but it is reality. There is a time for the motivational speakers whom God has ordained to encourage others, but true revival is in your heart. And the matters of the heart, are quiet moments between you and God. It is easy to be revived at church functions, but the heart change needs to be seen on Monday morning, Tuesday night, Friday afternoons and so on.
How many times have I been on my face crying, pleading with God about some issue in my life, with all my emotions running amuck, when anxiety kicks in, followed up by discouragement. Then guilt tries to overtake me because I’m a Christian and I’ve convinced myself I should not feel this way. I should feel powerful and bold like the motivational speaker I heard at the church revival right? Although God does give us a spirit of boldness and power (2 Timothy 1:7) God’s ultimate power is best displayed in those times when are knocked down but refuse to give up. Instead we keep crawling toward the goal of faith in Jesus.
I have often found myself pleading with God in my weakness saying, “Even if I have to kick and scream and claw my way to the finish line, I will love You and serve You the best I can all of my life.”
I believe that’s the revival of heart He desires. One that won’t give up until crossing the finish line, even if you have to kick and scream all the way.
We need revival of the heart on a daily basis. It is coming to God every day with our broken toy and saying, “Can You fix it?”
The big crusades are wonderful and needed, but when the signs and wonders stop, when the room clears, the chairs are put away, and the doors locked, it comes down once again to just you and God. God wants revival in His people. He may use a motivational speaker to catch your attention or He may catch you while you’re doing laundry. Either way, He wants you and I to bring our hearts to Him. Our whole heart, not the surface heart we show our brothers and sisters as if all is well, but the heart issues that hurt and that He is willing to heal. Now that’s a real revival!
