Seek Revival

Ps Andrew Paech - INChurch Sydney

The word ‘revival’ has several connotations. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as a “return, recall or recovery to life from death or apparent death”, and a “renewed and more active attention to religion; an awakening of men to their spiritual concerns.”

Seeking God for revival, or ‘recovery to life’, or the ‘awakening of spiritual concerns’ is a key responsibility for believers that comes with a promise: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

The Bible shows a huge component of seeking God is personal and corporate prayerfulness. Individually, as we seek God privately in faithful prayer, we can be powerfully impacted. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

The greatest outcomes often arise when believers gather for unified prayer, hungry to see God move among His people and in the wider world. The book of Acts shows the greatest outpourings of God’s life-giving, reviving presence happening after corporate prayer.

In the forty-day lead-up to the Day of Pentecost, “they all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14) Then again, “when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1)

Then later in Acts, when facing significant challenges, the Apostles again gathered in prayer. “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

Both of these prayer seasons resulted in significant revivals that affected people outside the Church. Likewise, history has also recorded the many times when wider revivals ‘broke out’ with regional or national impact. Our world today desperately needs to see and engage with a sweeping, awakening revival!

Revival also brings fresh ‘renewed and active attention’ to other core Kingdom components including a passionate love for God’s Word, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, worship, Christlike holiness and justice, and an eternal perspective that highlights the Great Commission to reach and disciple the eternal souls of all who don’t know Jesus. We seek revival by pursuing these things!

Finally, seeking revival involves a powerful heart response called repentance.

This two-fold action includes a ‘turning away’ from an ungodly lifestyle or a lukewarm, compromised Christianity, and a ‘turning towards’ a renewed passion to wholeheartedly follow Jesus.

When Jesus spoke to the Ephesian Church, He commended their hard work, discernment and endurance. Nevertheless, He said “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

Amidst their hard work, they needed to seek revival – and repent to restore their passionate love for Jesus!

Prayer

Dear Lord, our world needs to see and receive your light through your people. Revive me, revive your people, to be instruments of light, that we would become all that you have purposed. Show me, let me hear your voice as I seek you. Revive me, Lord. Amen