It’s that time of month again…the time when Dianna Yates shows up and shares a word from her heart with us. This month, she’s talking with us about revival.
Father God, I pray that as we go about our lives and our daily schedules that our hearts will have a fire for the things of Heaven. God, I pray that you will revive Your Church to love on this broken world in unity and to be all that You have called Her to be. Lord, help us to see You in the mundane and burn in each of us as You breathe the breath of Life, which is Your Spirit, into the deepest parts of our souls. Refresh us, renew us, revive us, Father.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Revival, what is it exactly? We hear that word in Christian communities often. Some attribute it to a special meeting that a speaker, with a zeal for the things of God and Evangelism, comes to speak at. Some attribute it to mass salvations of the lost. Some to the hand of God moving in His power and glory. While others attribute it to the church reaching out to help this broken world in fresh new ways.
What is revival to you? Maybe it’s a combination of all of those things. All I know is, the word revival is a hot topic in the air, and many are sensing a shift happening, a shaking coming.
But what is revival to God?
The book of Ezekiel seems to depict a very vivid image of revival.
“The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “ O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” Ezekiel 37:1-3 (NLT)
Ezekiel is prompted to look upon a dead army, dry bones…and God asks, can these bones live? Have you ever sensed your own walk with God feel as though you are walking through a dry desert, an empty valley? Do you sense that the Church today is not walking in the power that was ordained by God to see mountains move? Do you question if faith is lacking?
Can these bones live again?
“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.” Ezekiel 37:4-7 (NIV)
God dealt with the physical aspect of reviving that dead army. He had Ezekiel prophesy, speak life, into those dead, dry bones, and things began to move. Are we speaking life over our own lives, marriage, children, job, circle of influence? Are we praying that the breath of the Spirit move among us? As God breathes life into the dry bones of our lives and our churches and our nations, where do we find ourselves in the midst?
Are we listening in obedience when He calls us to fast and pray for certain things? When He tells us to reach out to our neighbor to see if they need assistance, do we hear Him?
Do we hear when He tells us to share our testimony or the Gospel with the lady in the grocery store, or even a simple word of encouragement? Do we hear Him when He tells us to be still? What about when the Spirit convicts us?
Do we listen? Do we obey?
Are we living in a way that exemplifies His love and grace, as well as His righteousness, on this earth?
Revival must start with us, individually. Coming under the Lordship of Christ, walking in true obedience to the One who is worthy, and living a lifestyle of repentance – that is the way toward revival.
What does that mean? It means reading the words in His book and taking them to heart. It means loving those who seem the most unlovable. It means listening and obeying where and how God leads, even if it may be daunting, even if it may not make the most sense at the time. It means Christ shining in us and through us.
And sometimes it means simply resting with Him, being still (which is a personal struggle of mine!) and spending that time in the Secret Place with just you and Him.
As we obey, we will find that His breath of Life will sweep over our lives. He moves when we obey and He moves when we pray in faith and according to His will. He moves when we worship with all our hearts, minds, souls. When our lives become an altar, when we lay down our preconceived notions of what this Christian walk is supposed to look like and truly listen to what He says.
“Faith…needs to be matched with action. Belief is not just brain cells in motion. It demands a response. Do we do what we believe? If we believe in a seed, we plant it.” -Reinhard Bonnke
“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God : Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:9-10 (ESV)
As the body of Christ, we are His vast army, and God is breathing His life on us! We must fall under submission to our King. No more fear of man, no more falling for the lies of the enemy that say we have no place in this revival. We are the ones God is reviving! You can not, by definition, revive something that has not already been alive once. Let’s be the kindling to the fire of revival and awakening!
Jesus said in Luke 12:49, “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!” Let us be His burning ones. Let revival start with you and me.
Fire of God, fall afresh on us! Let us each, as individuals, do Your will and be all You have called us to be. Help us to discern Your permissive will and Your Perfect will and help us to navigate in this world. Help us to hear You clearly, obey You fully, and help us to shine for You with no fear! Help us to turn this world upside down like the early church did and show us the part we play in what is to come. Show us Your glory, Lord, and breathe on us. Thank You Father for the harvest that is to come and for the life and joy that You are breathing into Your Body even now.
In Jesus name, Amen.
