Revival begins in the heart

If you are praying for revival for your town, your city, your nation chances are you are looking around for signs of it in your churches.

Can I suggest stop looking around, and look inside yourself. Stop looking at revival as coming from the outside, and look at your heart.

Revival begins in the heart. Look there for revival.

Not only yours of course, but yours is the one you have a stake in. Your heart is the one God wants to work on with you.

We tend to look around at what God is outwardly doing with everyone else to see signs of Him moving, of a revival stirring. But long before we see that, I believe God has started a revival in our hearts first.

That's how God works. From the inside out. He often heals our hearts before our bodies. He changes our attitudes before our circumstances. He renews our thoughts before giving us action.

And don't you want a heart revival first anyway? If we are looking for a revival that is more than just a power show, that's more than just a way to make church life more exciting, that's more than just a fun time for Christians - if we want a revival that sets fire to our lives, that changes us and then change e world...


It's got to start in your heart.

I want people to look at me and say "God is real!"

The prophets of Baal put on an impressive display. But in the end, nothing happened. (1 Kings 18)

Elijah did the opposite, and God showed up. The people didnt look at Elijah and say, "Wow, what a powerful guy", they said "Your Lord really is God!"

I want people to look at me and say "God is real!"

Not, "Your religion seems to make you happy" or "that's nice that you have God to help you out", but "God is real!"

I want there to be no other explanation for my life.

I'm a long way from that being the case right now, but I want it to be, no matter what that means, no matter what it costs.

I'm might be afraid and shy and tired and lacking any real knowledge of how to go about this, but I want this. For me. For you. For the Church.

I want people to look at us and say "God is real! How can I know Him too?"

Don't you?

We Will Know When the Spirit Says Go!

If you feel God is prompting something in you, when you feel the spirit is moving in some way, when you feel something needs to change - one of the first things we ask is, "Is that really you God? Are you saying something?"

I believe a time is coming of renewal and refreshing of the church - the body of Christ. In many ways we have closed our eyes and our hearts to the real power and transforming love of Jesus that the first Christians knew. That needs to change. People need to know Jesus as they did, to have lives transformed, not simply a religious routine to rely on.

But how to you go about making such a change?

The answer is, you don't.

That isn't to say you decide it's too a big a job, would cause too much disruption and discomfort so do nothing.

It means, it's not up to you to cause the changes. In fact, purely human effort will produce only minor changes with just as many flaws as before, just perhaps under a different name and with different permutations.

We credit Paul with starting many churches in his time. But Paul did not create the church. God did. God sent his Spirit to us, which caused an irresistible drawing of people to Jesus.

What did those early Christians do until then? They waited.

And when the Spirit came, He didnt come as a whisper. They didn't turn to each other and say, "Did you hear that? Did God say something? What are we meant to do now?"

No! Into that room in Jerusalem came a mighty wind, and tongues of flame. It was a pretty obvious sign that the Spirit was there! No question!

And they began to speak in other languages, and it was so loud that others heard the commotion and were drawn to find out what was happening.

And numbers were added to the believers daily. It was an irresistible force. People witness the transformation, the love pouring out of them, and were drawn to Jesus.

There was no questioning, hesitation or doubt as to whether the Spirit was with them or what he was doing.

We can be assured of the same - when God revives his people, we will know when the Spirit says go! We won't be able to help it!

Until then, we wait. But remember, waiting on God is not just passive or idle. Much transformation and preparation happens during times of waiting. Seek after His heart and he will lead.