The summer is over and that means we are moving into a new church year. This is an exciting time as we prayerfully seek the Lord for His direction.
May the Lord continue to lead us to be a Great Commission Movement with a Great Commandment Mandate. The Lord does want us to be G.R.E.A.T. What does it mean to be great and to fulfill his desire and vision for His church.
G – Grow – Personally we need to grow as well as grow others in Christ.
R – Relationships – Build our relationship with God and with others.
E – Equip and Disciple – Win others and disciple and prepare them.
A – Action – Let’s get others active in the Lord’s work.
T – Teach and Preach God’s Word – Stay in the Word of God.
Revival is needed if these things are going to take place.
What does it mean to have revival and what will it take. God does have a prescription for revival.
God’s Prescription for Revival:
If all the sleeping folk will wake up!
If all the lukewarm people will fire up!
If all the dishonest people will confess up!
If all the disgruntled people would sweeten up!
If all the discouraged people would cheer up!
If all the depressed people would look up!
If all the gossips would shut up!
If all the estranged would make up!
If all the dry bones will shake up!
If all the saints will pray up!
If all God’s people will pay up!
Then the church will have revival!!!
I. May we REFLECT a surrendered life. What do we need to surrender?
- Our indifferences
- Our selfishness
- Our criticisms
- Our hypocrisies
- Our legalism
- Our Irrelevance
- Our Inflexibility
- Our sense of Superiority and Self Righteousness
- Our gossip
- Our mind
- Our mouths
- Ourselves
II. May we REPENT of the lack of a spiritual life.
- Have we lost the witness of the Spirit?
- Lost spiritual sensitivity
- Lost spiritual receptivity
- Lost the Personality and Presence of Christ
Discipleship Journal came out with this article ranking the greatest spiritual challenges from a survey they conducted a couple of years ago.
- Materialism
- Pride
- Self-Centeredness
- Laziness
- (Tie) Anger/Bitterness & Sexual/Lust
- Envy
- Gluttony
- Lying
Survey respondents noted temptations were stronger when they neglected their time with God (81%) and when they were they were physically tired (57%).
Resisting temptation was accomplished when they prayed (84%), when they avoided compromising situations (76%), regular bible study (66%) and they were accountable to someone (52%).
III. May we RESTORE What we have lost.
- Restore a spirit of prayer
- Restore the joy and blessedness of salvation
- Restore the burden for the unsaved
- Restore the attitude of watching for the Lord’s return
Prayer for Revival
Humbly now, O Lord, I pray
Send revival here today.
All my coldness, all my sin,
All my doubting’s deep within:
Forgive them, Lord, and cleanse away;
Oh, send revival here today!
Humbly, Lord, I ask of Thee,
Send this awakening through me;
Emptied out of self and pride,
Thy light no longer will I hide.
And, dear Lord, use me I pray;
To bring revival here today.
-Mrs. Charles Bell
During the Great Welsh Revival many people traveled to be a part of this move of God. The story goes that one reporter was visiting to report on the revival. He stopped to ask a police officer where he could find the place of the revival. Without hesitation the police officer put his hand over his heart and replied, "Sir the revival is right here in my heart."
Revival is birthed in the heart of God’s people. Let us pray for a mighty move of God and may it begin in me.
