DAY 11: A Deep Work Of Repentance

By Chris Ngai (LoveUnited)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…”
— Acts 3:19 (NIV)

“…without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
— Hebrews 12:14b (NIV)

If we truly want to see the presence of the Lord flood our campuses, we must prepare the way for the refreshing waters to come! As these scriptures clearly tell us, His outpouring and His presence being revealed first depend on these conditions: repentance and holiness.

John the Baptist came to prepare the way of the Lord. His message and his baptism were both of repentance. People from the entire region began coming out to confess their sins and be baptized as a sign of repentance. He called them not only to confess but also to turn from their sins, bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matt. 3:2-3, 5-6, 8) This heart preparation allowed for the ministry of Jesus to be revealed to Israel and for heaven to draw near to an entire people!

Frank Bartleman of the Azusa Street Revival said, "The depth of any revival will be determined exactly by the spirit of repentance it obtains.”

Indeed, there cannot be a lasting move of God without a deep work of repentance among us. When the great revival came upon Wales in 1904, “Nothing had ever come over Wales with such far-reaching results. Infidels were converted, drunkards, thieves, and gamblers saved; and thousands reclaimed to respectability. Confessions of awful sins were heard on every side. Old debts were paid. The theatre had to leave for want of patronage. Mules in the coal mines refused to work, being unused to kindness. In five weeks, 20,000 joined the churches.”

Over 100,000 souls were brought into the kingdom in this mighty outpouring of the Spirit in less than a year!

Leading up to the Welsh Revival, Evan Roberts delivered a message regarding the four conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit that became a catalyst in and throughout this outpouring:

1. We must confess before God every sin in our past life that has not been confessed.
2. We must remove anything doubtful in our lives.
3. Total Surrender. We must say and do all that the Spirit tells us.
4. Make a public confession of Christ.

Are we ready to prepare the way of the Lord? For without repentance, there will be no times of refreshing. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord!

PRAYER POINTS:

• Read Psalm 139:23-24. Take time to ask God to search and reveal our hearts. Let each heart ask: “Lord, is there any way in me that is offensive? Is there anything I have not truly surrendered to You?” Do not rush, but allow Holy Spirit to bring to light everything He desires to address. Then, confess your sins to God and to one to another, praying for one another (James 5:16).
• After confessing each sin, ask God how He wants to replace each old way of seeing, thinking, believing, and living with how He wants you to see, think, believe and live!
• “Father, we are longing for times of refreshing! We ask You to release a movement of repentance and holiness that would sweep through [your adopted campus], that every heart would be consumed with longing for Your presence! Let this campus become an altar, and every heart a living sacrifice, upon which the fire of heaven will fall!”

[Excerpt from Repentance: The Forgotten Key of Revival by Chris Ngai and Jacob Lawlor, p. 4]