It's easy to drift away from God and settle for an average and normal way of living, and this is exactly what a personal revival is all about. Revival means "return" and begins with a conviction of sin and an awareness of our need to repent.
Spiritual renewal involves surrendering our will and accepting the call to live in obedience to everything God is demanding with complete honesty, sincerity and humility. Revival can open the eyes of our heart and expose our great need for a constant Christ as we seek and ask God to restore our spiritual zeal and to stir the embers of our spirit until the fire of our passion begins to blaze once again. In his great love for us, he can instill within us a thirst for his presence and a fervent desire to take up our cross and follow him with all of our heart.
Do you believe the Spirit of God is being poured out today on his sons and daughters? Do you see evidence of a spiritual revival around you? Do you sense the Lord convicting you to turn away from the temptations of the world and draw closer to him?
I enjoy writing about positive topics and relaying inspirational stories, but every now and then I need to ask myself if I really want God's discipline to purge the apathy and compromise from my life.
It's not a secret that the dark side is against God's agenda and persecution will continue to increase against those who are determined to live for Christ. The reality of people falling away from the faith and the love of many waxing cold is prophesied to happen and should come as no surprise to those who study the Scriptures. Nonetheless, the critical declaration to engrave on the tables of our heart is that even if everyone we know drifts away from God and his Word, we will remain faithful to his truth and never let go of his hand.
I know that sometimes we feel discouraged and there are seasons when it appears that only a few really care about the Christian life, but then I remember that God is in control and his disciples are working diligently, and this gives me encouragement and hope. Christians may be small in number but will continue to press forward because they know him and love him.
What is our message? That Jesus Christ freely gave his life and shed his blood so that we could be saved from our sin. He is the only sacrifice that can ransom a soul from being lost and the only authority that can transform and redeem those who will believe. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord" (Jeremiah 17:7).
In Revelation 2, Christ acknowledged the church at Ephesus for their perseverance and work ethic, but he stated they had forsaken their first love, which was their personal relationship with him. Many times, as the excitement of salvation becomes lukewarm, we lose our desire and urgency to pray and to obey God's word and no longer have the joy or enthusiasm to serve him.
In Chapter 3, we see where the church at Laodicea thought they were doing just fine, but God said they had also become deceived about their spiritual coldness. Today I encourage us to examine our conscience and not only identify what is separating us from walking with him but to eliminate it completely. This is the hour of grace and the window of opportunity for the bride to prepare her wedding gown for the appearance of her groom. Let us shout from the housetops that King Jesus is coming!
At this moment, you can ask God to forgive you, and he will cleanse your heart and deliver you from whatever is keeping you from a victorious spiritual life. The cares and worries of this journey can beat us down, leaving us emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausted, but Christ is waiting to restore our hope, faith and joy. He is the only one who can wash away our guilt and give us a brand-new start.
Let us sing this old hymn together, "Send a great revival in my soul, send a great revival in my soul, let the Holy Spirit come and take control and send a great revival in my soul."
Learn more about Billy Holland's new book, "Convictions and Considerations - Encouragement for the Soul" at billy hollandministries.com.