DAY 8 - Tuesday, February 16th, 2021
Revival Signs
Our nation's greatest need is the next great spiritual awakening.
Look at any spiritual awakening in history, and you'll discover an obvious, common thread: Revival is always preceded by spiritual deadness. In the dry seasons of the church, there may be outward signs of life but the spiritual hearts of the people have stopped beating. This does not make the dry seasons any less a part of revival, however. God is still sovereign; He is still in charge. The dryness is just as much a part of the awakening as the prayers themselves. What other markers of revival can we trace? What other signs of revival mark our way? Here are just a few.
THE PRINCIPLE OF FULLNESS OF TIME
As it continues in all its "fullness," dryness always leads to desperation. Out of a profound sense of dissatisfaction, often with a certain degree of gloom, people begin to cry out to God. Remember the story of the Hebrides Islands in the late 1940s? A small group of men meeting in a barn began to cry out, "Oh, God, move on your people. Two women, down the road in a neighboring village, began to pray, "Oh, God, move. They cried out because there was nowhere else to turn. Their dryness led to desperation.
The story of the Hebrides is the story of virtually every revival: Out of a remnant, a large-scale movement is born, a movement that encompasses a large area. And often, strangely enough, the spiritual phenomenon that unfolds is largely unknown. Regardless of how anonymous God's hand is, revival occurs in the fullness of time. His people in His time live out a principle of patience and faith in which the longings of God's followers are fully expressed.
THE PRINCIPLE OF BROKENNESS AND CONFESSION
Brokenness and confession is what the Holy Spirit brings and what the participants in revival experience. When brokenness, confession, and repentance begin to occur among God's people, revival spreads with extraordinary swiftness. As every revival in history bears out, individuals and the church as a whole wake up to the seriousness of their own sin. At times, the remorse can be overwhelming. People become concerned about the open sins of the flesh and the secret sins of the spirit. The greatest brokenness occurs in the life of believers as they come to grips with their own lack of love, and typically, the result is open and honest confession.
The principle of brokenness and confession yields to a wonderful outcome. As a result of confession and purification of the heart, people become so magnetically attracted to Christ that their dedication grows into a great enthusiasm to follow Him. Naturally, the good news is too life changing, too wonderful to contain. There's an enthusiasm to serve Jesus and a desire to bring others to Him. The person who experiences this new life in God wants everyone to know the one behind this new reality. This is evangelism in its most contagious form.
THANKS
Give thanks to the Father: Bless you, Father, that you are attentive to the prayers of your people. Lord, I cry out to you today for a powerful revival. Sensitize my heart so that I am free to share my life with others. Thank you that you will empower me to share your good news with them too. Without your presence, there is no hope for a spiritual awakening. I ask that you rend the heavens and come down. I praise you for your presence that will flood our hearts and our lives in powerful ways.
CONFESSION
Listen for the Holy Spirit's prompting for confession: "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see" (2 Kings 6:17). Pause now and pray the powerful prayer of Elisha. Listen for the Spirit's conviction concerning weakness of faith, fading hope, and spiritual blindness, Lord, I pray, open the eyes of your servants that they may see that those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Lord, open my eyes to a remnant of people who are asking you for revival and awakening despite the "dryness" of our time. Lord, by your Spirit, please give me the diligence to persevere in prayer. Encourage my hope for awakening through the prevailing prayers of others.
PETITION
Join Jesus in prayers of petition: "I am humble and gentle " (Matthew 11:29). Pause to meditate on the image of Jesus, the one who spoke these words. Imagine that Christ stands before you. He has heard your prayers for revival. He has seen your sadness and confusion over the desperate places of our world. Now imagine His response. The Savior doesn't offer you a lecture. He doesn't look at you sternly or with indifference. Instead, the one person who can bring revival and who can direct our steps toward awakening makes this declaration: "Come to me. I am here for you as your humble and gentle teacher."
Spend a few moments now, asking for the Spirit's work of Christlikeness in your own life--particularly for His work of humility. Ask the Lord to make this change so that you will be available for all He may desire. Lord, deepen your work of humility in me. I want to be humble and gentle just like you. I want to be teachable and available just like you. Involve me in your move of spiritual awakening in whatever ways you desire.
WORD
Proclaim promises from His Word: "We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too" (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Consider praying this prayer with another follower of Jesus. Ask the Lord to empower you to share both your life and the good news with others: Lord, I ask you to help me share my life with others. Help me convey both my love and your love. Give us such a passion for sharing our lives and the gospel that a movement begins in our community.
ENGAGE
Engage with other Jesus-followers in a lifestyle of prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal one specific per- son who could benefit from your investment of time, of care, and of your life. Who needs the gospel shared through your life? Lord, show me the person who needs me to share life with them. Who needs your gospel? Show me, Lord, for I'm listening. Visit thecenterforawakening.com.