003. What We Can Do as Individuals to Prepare for Revival

Preparing the Church for the Harvest

In today's episode we are going to talk about Revival - what can we as individuals do to spark revival, how we can prepare for it, and how to identify when a true revival has broken out.

“Revivals begin with God’s own people; the Holy Spirit touches their heart anew, and gives them new fervor and compassion, and zeal, new light and life, and when He has this come to you, He next goes forth to the valley of dry bones…Oh, what responsibility this lays on the Church of God! If you grieve Him away from yourselves, or hinder His visit, then the poor perishing world suffers sorely!”~Andrew Bonar

Wow…if we grieve Him away from ourselves or hinder His visit…. I don’t know about you but I do NOT want to be found guilty of hindering the Lord’s visit!

So what can each of us do to spark revival?

I had a pastor who used to say, “draw a circle on the ground with your foot. Then step inside the circle. Now pray that revival would start inside the circle.” Lord, let revival start in me.

That’s the first and best thing we can do right there!

Prayer is key to revival and something we can all do.

We need to be praying for revival and spiritual awakening to start in us and those around us.

We can begin by starting each day with the Lord. Before you go to work, or before you dive into your to-do list for the day, make God a priority by spending time with Him. Pray, read the Bible, start a gratitude journal. Let Him know you WANT His presence. If you’re not sure where to start check out my journal “Start Your Day Right”.

Visit this link for five easy steps to help you start your day right: Steps to Start Your Day - Shining With Sparkle

* Purchase the Journal here: https://amzn.to/3HD6Ntw

“When Holy God draws near in true revival, people come under terrible conviction of sin. The outstanding feature of spiritual awakening has been profound consciousness of the Presence and holiness of God.” ~Henry Blackaby

When we come under the conviction of sin it should lead to Repentance.

1 John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

Romans 3:23 tells us ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We all make mistakes…some small and some bigger. We need to make sure we don't have any unrepented sin hanging out there anywhere.

Isaiah 59:2 says “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

This tells me our sin could hinder His visit.

With revival comes work and that means we need workers. I challenge you to begin praying Matthew 9:38 - “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Lord raise up the workers needed to help bring souls into the Kingdom Harvest.

Pray for open doors - mission/outreach opportunities in your own community

Mark 16:15 - “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Matthew 28:19-20 - “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are commissioned to GO outside the walls of the church building and bring the GOOD NEWS to all creation that means all our community.

Be praying for opportunities to be out in the community doing good, sharing the love of Jesus, and witnessing to the power of the living God.

Pray for healings, deliverance, and freedom every chance you get. This may happen in the church but is also very likely to happen outside of normal church service times. Be prepared to pray In the supermarket, grocery store, post office or at community events. As you begin to push into this new season, opportunities WILL come up. We call these divine appointments.

As the Lord begins to move through prayers of the people His power will be revealed. People's lives will be changed and THAT will draw in more people who will believe.

This will cause the gospel to spread like wildfire!

Another key to revival is true Worship of the Father - sincere uninhibited worship.

3 Signs the Next Great Awakening has Begun (link to article below**)

1. Prayer is being prioritized.
2. Believers are being mobilized.
3. Unity is being maximized.

Unity is something we aren’t seeing much of in our world right now. The enemy’s goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. One of his tactics is division. But we can combat this through prayer and uniting with others.

In the early days the apostles shared everything they had.

Acts 4:32-33:”All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all. “

What if we came together with other ministries to do a united work for the Lord?

That doesn’t mean we have to all agree on the same theology. We just need to agree we are all headed to the same destination. I had a doctor friend explain this very well one day. She said, “We are all going to the same destination. Our journey may look different and that's ok. Just like some drive Fords and others drive a Dodge or Chevy. Our vehicles might be different but as long as our destination is the same that’s what matters.”

What if your church came together with other churches in your community and began praying together or holding events together? I just feel like that would make the Lord’s heart smile!

Let’s add that to our list of prayers this week. Lord, show us how we can maximize unity in our community. Link us together with other ministries and reveal ways we can work together to grow your Kingdom.

Thank you so much for listening to the Preparing the Church for the Harvest podcast.

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This episode was first published at effectiveministrysolutions.com/episode3

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**3 signs the next great awakening has begun | Voice (christianpost.com)