Preparing for Rain – Getting Ready for Revival
This is part one in a series of articles on seeking the Lord for revival. I hope we will all be better off for considering the Scriptures in this matter of personal revival. Please look for the next installment.
I once heard a story of two farmers that were experiencing a drought. The ground was very dry, and there was no rain in sight. Surely there was no rain in the forecast for many months. While both prayed for rain, only one worked his field and prepared his field for the harvest. Which one do you think was really trusting God for the harvest? Which one do you think was able to reap the harvest? And so it is with revival. Which one are you? We must prepare our fields now so that when the rains of revival come we will be in a position to reap the harvest.
Introduction:
The definition of “Revival”–1. Return, recall or recovery to life from death or apparent death; as the revival of a drowned person; 2. Return or recall to activity from a state of languor; as the revival of spirits; 3. Recall, return, or recovery from a state of neglect, oblivion or depression; as the revival of learning; 4. Renewed and more active attention to religion,an awakening of men to their spiritualconcerns.
In the sense of spiritual revival, we are dealing with that which is dying or that which was once alive coming to life again. In other words, spiritual revival takes place among born-again Christians. It is a quickening of our spirits. It is allowing the God of Heaven to control every aspect of our lives—our speech, our deeds, our thoughts (Col. 3:17; I Cor. 10:31). When God is in control, we are living at our best. We were created for His glory and for His purposes. When we understand and practice this principle, we are living according to the owner’s manual (the Bible), and we will fulfill our individual purpose and will experience the abundant life (John 10:10). Jesus says here that He is the reason for abundant life. If we are not living our lives to the fullest, it is because we are not living in Him (John 15:1-5). When we are living in a state of revival, we will not only be more joyful, but we will be more fruitful, thus fulfilling God’s will for our lives.
As was mentioned earlier, you were created to give all glory to God (Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11). A bird was created to build its nest in the trees. Fish were created to live in the water. A bird in the water would soon die. A fish in a nest would soon die. You were created to live in God’s sphere and to follow certain instructions that aid in your well-being and happiness. Anything less than that will cause you to soon die (to fall away) spiritually. That does not mean that we can lose our salvation. The Bible is very clear about that, but our effectiveness for the Lord will be hampered. Our fellowship will be hindered.
When we live according to The Owner’s Manual we will function at our fullest, just as a car will run at its best when its owner’s manual is followed.
There are no secrets to revival. The Bible clearly lays out the strategy for revival. Several principles can (and must) be considered. As we look at these principles, take the time to evaluate where you are at in your Christian life. It could be the difference between living your life at its fullest, or just coasting.
Knees for the Nations 