Revive Us
Because of the events taking place at Asbury University, there’s been a lot of discussion, teaching, and prayer in churches related to the subject of revival. What is revival all about? In short, revival is about spiritual renewal and restoration.
The scriptures repeatedly speak of the believers need for spiritual renewal and restoration (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:16). But there is an important distinction that some bible teachers make concerning revival. That distinction has to do with personal spiritual renewal versus a move of God that leads to wide scale renewal and revival.
The bible teaches that spiritual renewal should be sought by Christians daily and that it is essential for growing in our faith and building spiritual endurance. But throughout biblical times and in modern days, there have been times when the Spirit of God brought wide scale revival among churches which led to great spiritual awakening in the culture at large.
The fact that God has sent wide scale revival is indicative of a wide spiritual drift among Christians and churches. The reason why there’s wide scale spiritual drift is because as individual Christians, we are all prone to wander—we can get complacent about our spiritual lives and neglect to seek daily spiritual renewal. Sadly, in times of prosperity, church leaders are prone to drift. They begin to trust in worldly means to accomplish heavenly goals.
Often, when there is spiritual drift, the first thing that is neglected is prayer. It’s not that the church doesn’t pray at all, but that prayer is no longer vital. It becomes more of a formality than a life line. There isn’t a devotion to prayer, no fervency, no earnestness and little faith to believe God for the impossible. Moreover, if the church does pray, there’s little or no sense of the holiness and transcendence of God that leads to great reverence for God, brokenness over sin, and yieldedness to the will and purposes of God, which is to know Jesus and make Him known.
In contrast to this spiritual drift, I appreciate Del Fehsefeld’s definition of Revival: “Revival awakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin, and a hunger for his word.”
In light of this, Psalm 80 records a time in the life of Israel when they needed revival and restoration. The psalmist pictures Israel as a choice vine that was planted by the Lord and made to prosper (v.8-11). But because in their prosperity they cease to depend on God and turned to other gods, they no longer had the protection of God. In verse 12 we learn that the walls were broken, the boar or Israel’s enemies came in, and they were left in physical and spiritual ruin.
So, interceding on behalf of the people, the Psalmist pleads, “O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?" (v.4). Apparently, the people were praying, but because they were out of alignment with God, the Lord did not deliver them from their enemies. Notice also that the Psalmist begins this Psalm of intercession and lamentation by exalting God as the Shepherd of Israel, who leads His people, who is enthroned in the heavens above all, and is mighty to save (v.1-2).
Likewise, "when we realize that we have drifted from the Lord, and are out of alignment with the purposes of God, we should remember that God is our great Shepherd who is able to save and restore us. We should lament that we have drifted from Him. And our earnest prayer should be for our Shepherd to restore us--to change us and not just our circumstances. For when we are in proper alignment with Him, our world is right again." -Pat Jones
Notice also that three times the Psalmist pleas, “Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (vv. 3, 7, 19). To restore means to be brought back into right relationship and alignment with the Lord—back to a place where His glory is manifested in our lives and we are enjoying His favor and living for His glory. It’s important to note also that twice the psalmist speaks of Israel as “the son whom you made strong for yourself” (vv. 15, 17).
Remember, that at one time they were praying, but because they were out of alignment with the Lord, He was angry with their prayers. God wasn’t angry with their prayers because they had sin. In Psalm 51:17b, David, who was repenting of his sin, wrote, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God draws near to the broken hearted. He gives grace to the humble.
But when we are out of alignment with God, when we seek Him only to make us strong for ourselves, when we have no regard for His holiness, when we just want Him to change our circumstances and not to change us, we have no reason to expect God to respond favorably to our petitions. Rather, we can expect God’s resistance, not His restoration. Because God is Holy and He loves His children, He will not make us comfortable in our sin. But “a broken and contrite heart, He will not despise.”
O, may you come to Him with great reverence today recognizing that He is your Shepherd, that He rules in the heavens. And with great humility, may we seek Him to restore us, to change us, to shine His face on us so that we might be saved, so that we might be made strong for Him and His purposes and live for His glory.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
The scriptures repeatedly speak of the believers need for spiritual renewal and restoration (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:16). But there is an important distinction that some bible teachers make concerning revival. That distinction has to do with personal spiritual renewal versus a move of God that leads to wide scale renewal and revival.
The bible teaches that spiritual renewal should be sought by Christians daily and that it is essential for growing in our faith and building spiritual endurance. But throughout biblical times and in modern days, there have been times when the Spirit of God brought wide scale revival among churches which led to great spiritual awakening in the culture at large.
The fact that God has sent wide scale revival is indicative of a wide spiritual drift among Christians and churches. The reason why there’s wide scale spiritual drift is because as individual Christians, we are all prone to wander—we can get complacent about our spiritual lives and neglect to seek daily spiritual renewal. Sadly, in times of prosperity, church leaders are prone to drift. They begin to trust in worldly means to accomplish heavenly goals.
Often, when there is spiritual drift, the first thing that is neglected is prayer. It’s not that the church doesn’t pray at all, but that prayer is no longer vital. It becomes more of a formality than a life line. There isn’t a devotion to prayer, no fervency, no earnestness and little faith to believe God for the impossible. Moreover, if the church does pray, there’s little or no sense of the holiness and transcendence of God that leads to great reverence for God, brokenness over sin, and yieldedness to the will and purposes of God, which is to know Jesus and make Him known.
In contrast to this spiritual drift, I appreciate Del Fehsefeld’s definition of Revival: “Revival awakens in our hearts an increased awareness of the presence of God, a new love for God, a new hatred for sin, and a hunger for his word.”
In light of this, Psalm 80 records a time in the life of Israel when they needed revival and restoration. The psalmist pictures Israel as a choice vine that was planted by the Lord and made to prosper (v.8-11). But because in their prosperity they cease to depend on God and turned to other gods, they no longer had the protection of God. In verse 12 we learn that the walls were broken, the boar or Israel’s enemies came in, and they were left in physical and spiritual ruin.
So, interceding on behalf of the people, the Psalmist pleads, “O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?" (v.4). Apparently, the people were praying, but because they were out of alignment with God, the Lord did not deliver them from their enemies. Notice also that the Psalmist begins this Psalm of intercession and lamentation by exalting God as the Shepherd of Israel, who leads His people, who is enthroned in the heavens above all, and is mighty to save (v.1-2).
Likewise, "when we realize that we have drifted from the Lord, and are out of alignment with the purposes of God, we should remember that God is our great Shepherd who is able to save and restore us. We should lament that we have drifted from Him. And our earnest prayer should be for our Shepherd to restore us--to change us and not just our circumstances. For when we are in proper alignment with Him, our world is right again." -Pat Jones
Notice also that three times the Psalmist pleas, “Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (vv. 3, 7, 19). To restore means to be brought back into right relationship and alignment with the Lord—back to a place where His glory is manifested in our lives and we are enjoying His favor and living for His glory. It’s important to note also that twice the psalmist speaks of Israel as “the son whom you made strong for yourself” (vv. 15, 17).
Remember, that at one time they were praying, but because they were out of alignment with the Lord, He was angry with their prayers. God wasn’t angry with their prayers because they had sin. In Psalm 51:17b, David, who was repenting of his sin, wrote, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God draws near to the broken hearted. He gives grace to the humble.
But when we are out of alignment with God, when we seek Him only to make us strong for ourselves, when we have no regard for His holiness, when we just want Him to change our circumstances and not to change us, we have no reason to expect God to respond favorably to our petitions. Rather, we can expect God’s resistance, not His restoration. Because God is Holy and He loves His children, He will not make us comfortable in our sin. But “a broken and contrite heart, He will not despise.”
O, may you come to Him with great reverence today recognizing that He is your Shepherd, that He rules in the heavens. And with great humility, may we seek Him to restore us, to change us, to shine His face on us so that we might be saved, so that we might be made strong for Him and His purposes and live for His glory.
In your service,
Pastor Marco