Revival- not all God

Hi how are you all today? I am well and have just finished my relaxing holiday. It was good to get away and just relax. Apparently while we were away we missed a big storm but thankfully no damage. Have you ever come back from a holiday to find a surprising thing happened?

In this post I want to touch on revival. If you have seen the news or social media posts, you know that there is an outpouring from God on the Asbury Campus in America. If you are like me, you may be wondering whether God is going to do something similar in your location. But my question is, is it all up to God or do we have a part to play?

I don’t believe that revival can happen that is solely God ordained. God expects us to play a part, even if it is just small. This is what happened at the Asbury Campus where a remnant kept worshipping and then God showed up. God can only do things on earth when we open the door for Him to move.

For this, let’s consider a part of the story of Jacob whilst the family was relocating back to Jacob’s family. It is found in Genesis 35: 1 to 5. God told Jacob to go to Bethel which means House of God. This was literally where Jacob camped the first night many years ago on his way to Laban’s house. God told Jacob to make an altar there the same as he did on the way out.

Verse 2 is interesting. It is like Jacob received a revelation of what he and his family and all the others with him needed to do in order to go to the house of God. The three things were:

1. Put away your foreign gods or idols

2. Purify yourselves

3. Change your garments.

They couldn’t go to the house of God in the state they were in. There was a cleansing of possessions and the internal and external of the people that needed to happen.

So what happened after they did this and then recommenced their journey. In verse 5, it states that the terror of God was upon the cities that were around them. The people in those cities became scared of the God that was with Jacob and his people. But because Jacob and his people obeyed God, they walked in the fear or awe of God.

This story correlates with what we are required to do today to see revival. We must discard and get rid of any idols in our lives. Idols are those things and people and pursuits that we treasure or put above God. We must purify ourselves on the inside by reading and doing the Word of God. We must walk on the outside in the righteousness or right standing with God.

Then the last thing we must do is walk each day in the fear or awe of God. How do we do this? We need to be scared to be away from God. We must walk as closely with God as we can by being aware of His presence and talking with Him and listening and then obeying. Is it hard sometimes? Yes- but we need to be intentional if we want to see and recognise revival when it comes.

God can bring revival without us being totally prepared. My question is, if we aren’t prepared then how will we be able to minister to others that will get saved, healed, delivered and set free through it.

We have a responsibility to be the army of God. So let’s be the best army we can be and prepare ourselves. I would much rather let God help prepare me now gently then with a wake up call in revival.

Will you commit to being prepared? Then we will see the last outpouring of the Spirit of God like never before. I can’t wait.

Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.

Bless you

Karen