REVIVAL WILL COME WHEN…

CULTIVATING YOUR HEART FOR REVIVAL

Revival is more than simply having a special guest preacher and a few extra nights of
meetings. True revival is a work of the Holy Spirit. That is why Habakkuk prayed, “…O LORD,
revive thy work in the midst of the years…” (Habakkuk 3:2).
REVIVAL WILL COME WHEN WE RECOGNIZE OUR NEED
Do you ever get discontent with your spiritual progress? Do you ever hunger for
something more from God, or sense conviction from the Holy Spirit that things are not what
they should be or could be? As long as you and I are content to keep the status quo
spiritually—as long as we think we are doing fine—revival will not come.
Denial of our true condition is a major obstacle to revival. Real revival will not come
until we reach the place where we cannot and will not ignore the truth of our spiritual
condition. The simple fact is: if we never take time to let God speak to our hearts, and show
us our need, we will never experience revival.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there
be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ”Psalm 139:23–24
REVIVAL WILL COME WHEN WE CONFESS OUR SIN
Revival is held back when God’s people refuse to get right with Him. How can the Spirit
of God freely work when our hearts are pre-occupied with other things? David understood
this and sought the Lord’s cleansing and restoration in Psalm 51:10–13: “Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and
take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with
thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto
thee.”
I am constantly amazed at God’s grace in my life. He truly is patient and longsuffering
with me and is always, always, ready to hear my cries for mercy and forgiveness—when I
repent and confess my sin to Him.
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive
the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15
Did you notice? God will revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite
ones. We often quote 1 John 1:9 which says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But we often forget the verse
begins with the word if and that is the great pivoting point. No confession—no forgiveness
and no reviving of the heart.
The importance of confession is seen in 2 Chronicles 7:14 as well: “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.”
Will revival come? Yes, I believe it will, but only to those who are of humble hearts and
willing to confess and forsake their sin.
REVIVAL WILL COME WHEN WE ASK FOR IT
When we are confronted with our sin, the devil tries to keep us from moving toward
God. He tries to hinder us even after we have fully and honestly confessed our sin and
received God’s forgiveness. Remember the words of David? “Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” David understood that a clean heart needs the
joy of God once again.
Jeremiah 29 has one of my favorite passages of encouragement. It reveals God’s
message to Israel at a time when they were going to be chastened for their sin. God extends
to His people—including you and me—an offer of His presence and renewed Spirit:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not
of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto
me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for
me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:” Jeremiah 29:11–14
We need revival, and I believe God is ready to send it when He hears our prayers lifted
up to Him and sees our seeking hearts. Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi, “That I may
know Him.” That should be our cry and heartbeat.
God invites you and me to see what He can do in us, through us, and for us.
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou
knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
REVIVAL WILL COME WHEN WE ARE IN THE PLACE OF REVIVAL
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”Hebrews 10:24–25