Be Revived

Isaiah 57:15 ~ The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

Does anyone else think we are past the point of a great revival? We all know that is what we desperately need. A revival that sweeps this country like a wildfire, consuming each heart along the way. A renewal of commitment and servitude to the one that sacrificed everything so that He could have a relationship with us. The kind of revival this country requires seems completely out of reach at this point. The people as a whole seem too far gone, over into darkness. Is there anything that could turn the tide?

I can remember when 911 happened. An awful attack on our country that killed so many of our countrymen. The feeling we all had was a sense of unity. The aftermath was almost an entire country seeking God’s face. I can remember there were traffic jams in big cities the Sunday after the attack due to so many people looking for a church to find solace in their shocked grief. In my opinion, although it did not last long, that was a picture of a revival. I think back on that time, and then turn my mind to our most recent calamity of the pandemic. I realize the sense of unity and seeking God’s face hasn’t really happened on a large scale this time. What is the hinderance?

I’ve heard the term revival my entire life, growing up in the church, but honestly, could not pinpoint the true meaning in my mind. I went in search of a definition online. Merriam-Webster defines revived as: “to return to consciousness or life; become active or flourishing again, to restore to consciousness or life, to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state; bring back to renew in the mind or memory.” I grew up thinking a revival was when a bunch of non-believers got saved. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned a revival is for those who have at one time committed themselves to serving God, and then somewhere along the way turned away from Him. Their return or becoming active again is the true meaning of revive or revival.

We recently went through Priscilla Shirer’s Elijah study at our church. During the study it astounded me that Elijah prayed for God to bring a drought for 3 years in Israel. He made this request due to his desire to see God’s glory magnified and to also call Israel back to worshiping their one true God. I was amazed by this request because Elijah did not ask God to cause a drought only in the areas where he was not residing. He asked God to cause a drought over all Israel which included where he lived. We know through hindsight that God provided for Elijah in miraculous ways, but Elijah did not know of that provision when he made the request. Can you imagine asking God to do that to your country, your family, and yourself, making the request for the sole purpose of seeing God’s people return to Him? This part of Elijah’s story caused me to pause and ask myself, “Would I be willing to request such a thing in order to see revival in my land?” I’m not sure that I would or could make that request. That in and of itself is most likely why I don’t see the revival we so urgently need. I’m not willing to suffer to see it happen.

Are we willing to truly ask God for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? Are we able to ask God to cause suffering in our land to get the attention of His people? I’m not a prophet. I have no idea if that is really what it will take for revival to fall on our country. The only thing I do know is that I am responsible for doing my part and ensuring that my relationship with God is where it needs to be. I must be on my knees regularly seeking God’s guidance on what it is I need to do to help usher in a revival. I also must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices and suffer the possible consequences that are needed to get the attention of those that are wandering around in the dark when they know where the light is found. If we truly want to see those that are turning to darkness instead of seeking The Light be consumed with their love for Jesus Christ, then it must start with us!

A true revival in a believer is when God’s spirit pours into us and overflows. Roy Hession states in Calvary Road, “Only one thing prevents Jesus filling our cups as He passes by, and that is sin in one of its thousand forms. The Lord Jesus does not fill dirty cups.” Do we really want to see revival in our land? Do we want to see our children and loved ones consumed by the power of the Holy Spirit instead of the darkness of the world? Revival begins with a bended knee, with a broken spirit, and with a penitent heart. Is your cup clean and able to be filled to overflowing? Once we empty our spirit to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit our cup begins to overflow. When it is overflowing it cannot help but pour out onto the people around us. That is how a revival starts, one penitent believer risking everything, doing whatever it takes and accepting whatever consequences come to allow God to fill their cup and begin to overflow onto others. That is how the fire of revival begins. The only question now is, “are we willing?”

One of my favorite worship songs.