His call is to the lost -“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away” (Ezekiel 34:16).Įven if you’re not where you’d like to be, God’s love and mercy is continually calling you back to Him. His call is to the sick -“I will strengthen the sick” (Ezekiel 34:16). His call is to the broken -“I will bind up the broken” (Ezekiel 34:16). His call is to the barren -“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). His call is to the fearful -“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). His call is to the exhausted-“ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). His call is to the prodigal -“Return to Me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7). Return to Him today and experience the flames of revival. In closing, I’m including this powerful reminder from a past article: Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” Will He find you seeking after Him, or running in the other direction? There is nothing more painful than seeing an unbeliever on the broad road to destruction, or a believer running from God. Return and Experience the Fire of Revival The heat of revival never comes from a microwave setting. In studying past revivals, many of which were years or decades in the making, they all began after consistent and persistent seeking. Continually seeking Him isn’t optional it’s essential to spiritual awakenings. Matthew 5:6 tells us that only those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, holiness, and purity will be filled. There must be continual hunger and thirst for God. Without holiness, no one will see revival.ĥ. Romans 12:1 reminds us to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him. Second Corinthians 7:1 says that we must purify ourselves from everything that contaminates our spirit. A critical, harsh heart needs to be crushed under the power of the cross.Ĥ. Pride never ushers in a spiritual awakening. In Isaiah 58, even their fasting was ineffective because they were harsh and self-focused. Whether it’s seeking forgiveness or mending broken relationships, you can never go wrong by making things right. Genuine repentance always leads to restoration. Zechariah 1:3 says, “Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’.” Once your focus is back on God, He begins to work in and through you.ģ. When was the last time you wept over the condition of the nation as well as the condition of your heart? Brokenness breaks up the fallow ground of the heart -“break off all your evil habits clear your hearts of weeds, in order that they may be prepared for the seed of righteousness” ( Easton Bible Dictionary).Ģ. Second Corinthians 7:10 says that godly sorrow, in conjunction with repentance, leads to salvation, but it also leads to brokenness and dependence on God. Prayer and fasting ignite the fire, but the following scriptural truths fan the flames:ġ. Five Ways to Keep the Fire BurningĪccording to the Scriptures, there are five spiritual principles that often spark a spiritual awakening and keep it going. Our decisions either fuel the fires of revival, or quench the Spirit -we either rejoice in God and walk in His Word or grieve the Spirit by disobeying. The only way to be declared holy before God is to repent of your sin and confess Christ as your Savior: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).įrom there, we are called to live holy lives that honor God. To be clear, holiness involves salvation as well as sanctification. God abides with those who have a humble spirit and holiness is often a mark of humility. Those were, and still can be, glorious times. There were times when the church trembled at His Word and walked in holiness. He is referred to as the Holy One of Israel over thirty times in the Bible. As the lyrics in a popular contemporary worship song attest, “When all hope is gone and Your Word is all I’ve got, I have to believe You still bring water from the rock” ( Spirit Lead Me).įrom Isaiah 57, we also see that holiness plays a role in being revived. It’s a great reminder that His Word always comes to pass. In this amazing passage, it’s clear that if we prepare the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, that God will bring the fires of revival. “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit…” (Isaiah 57:15-16 NKJV).
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