Psalms85:6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
GENUINE REPENTANCE
I read about the revival that took place in Asbury theological seminary in 1971. Many students came to the bookstore to return things that they had taken without paying. That is a powerful sign that they had become right with God. They had a personal encounter with God that transformed their lives. During the revival days in Pennsylvania, the police reported that they had no job to do because there were no criminals in town due to the preaching of a woman, Maria Woodworth Etter. In her time, a lot of believers had gone cold, their spiritual lives were in a state of spiritual emergency. It took a revived preacher to show them the path of righteousness and the Holy Spirit brooded on God's word to bring about conviction. In revival history, we cannot but mention how God used Charles G.Finney. It was recorded that in less than 15 minutes of his preaching, people would fall under a strong conviction about their sinful state followed by genuine repentance.
Revival does not start with a jamboree meeting. Repentance is the starting point of spiritual revival, not working of miracles or healing. Yes, the latter often accompany revival but its absence doesn't mean God is not at work. Today, most people pray for revival with the expectation of massive miracles, healings and thronging crowds in the church. We want to be used mightily by God to perform supernatural exploits but we fail to realize that personal purity is much more important to God. The kind of vessel the master want to use is a pure and holy vessel. Apostle Paul said, "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work."(2 Timothy 2:21 NLT). True repentance involves a willingness to stop sinning and change direction.
If you're beginning to trivialize sin because you have the gift of eternal life or maybe you've been deceived that after salvation, no need to repent because sins are not reckoned with, you need revival and the starting point is repentance. Read the words of Christ to the new testament Church in Ephesus: "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and REPENT, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Revelation 2:5 KJV). When we pray for revival, we are asking God to sweep our lives clean.
Father, I turn to you in repentance. I acknowledge my failings and my insensitivity. Lord, I receive the grace to please you in Jesus name.