Psalms85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
WHAT IS REVIVAL?
When I was growing up as a believer, whenever I hear the word "revival", I knew a program was coming up. Those around me taught me to think that way. Those days, we announce revival meetings with rallies and we share handbills because it was a special program where Evangelists take turns to lead us in prayers and demonstrate God's power. We longed for those special programmes tagged " revival" but as soon as the week-long program is over, we return to our routine weekly services but the effect of those revival meetings were short-lived. Most of those that came for revival meetings those days may not attend mid-week services after while some would not bother coming to church until another revival meeting. We thought revival was a programme but we were wrong.
What is revival? Spiritual revival is a spiritual reawakening and resuscitation from a state of spiritual dormancy, lukewarmness and stagnation in the life of a believer. Revival is not a programme and can never be. It is a personal encounter with God that sets a man on fire for Him. When a believer is burning for the Lord, then we can say he is revived. Revival is an individual experience though it can happen to many people at the same time. While the unbeliever needs evangelism, the believer needs a continuous revival because of the tendency to be lukewarm. The opposite of spiritual revival is lukewarmness.
God hates lukewarmness. Revelations3: 15-16 says, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! There is a tendency to grow cold in the things of God. If the things that appeal to you in times past have become odious to you, you need spiritual revival. Several giants have become spiritual Lilliputians because they lost the fire and gradually slipped into a pit of lukewarmness. If your glorious days are in the past, you need revival. If the Spirit of God is convicting you about the need to return to the Lord, you need spiritual revival. Ask the Lord to revive you.
Father, revive me.