“AS THE heart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God. My inner self thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
Psalm 42:1-2 AMP
“Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. [I Kings 17:1.] And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].
James 5:17-18 AMP
READ THE STORY OF ELIJAH: I HEAR THE SOUND OF THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN (BEGINNING IN 1 KINGS 17)
King Ahab, the drought, the prophet, the reviving of the land, and the confrontation of the sin, the defeat of the prophets of Baal, the power of God, the change. I hear the sound of the abundance of rain.
Why does Spiritual Revival Come?
- Revival is a result of a heart longing for God and His presence.
- Revival Comes as a result of a thirsty heart crying our for intimacy with God
- When Revival comes it satisfies and quenches our thirst. That craving for sustenance, that deep desire for more of God, is fulfilled. Like water to a dehydrated body, is the presence of God to a thirsty spirit.
TO REVIVE IS TO:
- Re-inspire that which has lost enthusiasm
- Re-invigorate that which has lost its energy
- Re-direct that which has lost its way
- Re-establish that which has lost its footing
- Re-new that which has become stale and old.
- Re-start that which has been stopped along its journey.
PICTURE THIS:
The drought represents the results of spiritual loss or lethargy or disconnect. We understand drought here in West Texas. We understand that it makes life harder. In some ways, it also represents death because without water we die. The dryness causes all kinds of problems.
- Lack of growth
- Lack of Production
- Lack of life
- Lack in general.
It represents a spiritual lethargy which is a dispassion that overwhelms our souls. Other things just become more important and we find ourselves just going through the motions. This dryness should make us incredibly thirsty. Thirsty for the rain of his Spirit. Once our thirst develops, then there is a way to pursue being revived.
“If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 AMP
Revival comes. Refreshing comes and intimacy comes as a result of
- Remembering who we are
- Humbling ourselves
- Praying, seeking, craving, and requiring God’s face (a necessity like
water to the dehydrated) - Confessing, admitting, and repenting
Real revival will bring results…
- see change in us and our families.
- see change in our relationships.
- see change in our spiritual life.
- see our desire for God’s Will becoming greater than our own personal gratification.
- see people coming to Christ become the norm.
- see people stepping up to serve God’s purpose.
- see worship become more intimate and intense.
- see us sharing our faith like it’s second nature.
- see priorities shift where God and his church are the most important.
- see our relationship with Jesus simplify. When God says it, we do it. Its that simple.
- see our Christianity gain clarity. We will love God, love people, and love life.
