Where Will Revival Start? #9

Today, the church I am Transitional Pastor at draws the series of five meetings on Revival to a close. We are privileged to have a student from Southwestern Theological Seminary come and lead our services. We began praying for God to move in our hearts back in January and will continue to pray for Him to ignite the fire in each of us. we have been praying for Eric Dyer as he is preparing his heart and messages to come be with us. Over the next few days of devotions, I will be sharing some thoughts about revival.

Psalms 85:6-7 - "Will You not revive us again so that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your faithful love, Lord, and give us Your salvation."

Tonight ends the meetings. The question becomes, will we walk away and say that was good. I enjoyed the messages, the singing was great. Or, will will continue to seek God to light fires and keep the fires burning. Revival doesn't start and end with a series of meetings. Revival exists when God's people seek to get right, stay right, and encourage right.

My biggest concern is that God’s people are waiting for America to get right first and then things will get better for the church! You see - if we really get down to it – instead of the church waiting for America to get right, I think America is needing the church to get right! It’s not the atheist, Muslim, abortionist or the Satanist that needs revival…it’s the lukewarm Christian and the lifeless Church that need it and it starts right here with --- me… and this church!

Gypsy Smith, a British Evangelist in the early 20th Century believed that the way to have a revival is to draw a circle around yourself, get down on your knees and pray, “Lord send a revival and let it begin inside this circle.”

The question now becomes, I have seriously and honestly done business with God? Did I relinquish my pride and seek His face? Did I seek cleansing and purity? If we have truly sought God, we will have found out that it was me that needed to be revived. I may have prayed for God to revive my church, my brother, my sister, my....... But the reality is, "It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer."

Over the last 9 days, have I truly sought God for His presence in my life? Have I sought to draw closer to Him? That is where true revival starts. In me.

Prayer: Jesus, I have gone through the motions so many times before, and come out empty. I seek to truly draw closer to You. I want to be on fire like I have never been before. Spirit, You are the match, I am the kindling - blow your breath on me and set me afire. May the blaze reach others for Jesus. Amen.

Tomorrow, we will return to our study of the Book of Colossians.