MARCH 24, 2010

THE OBJECT

OF REVIVAL

Scripture Reading- Psalm 85:6

"Wilt thou not revive us again: That thy people

may rejoice in thee?" ( emphasis added )

One man prayed, "Lord, turn me upside down. Lord, turn me upside down, because what's on the top should be on the bottom, and what's on the bottom should be on the top. Lord, turn me upside down!" This candid prayer demonstrates that this man realized his life was out of order.

Note the psalmist is praying for himself and for those who are close to him. "Wilt thou not revive us?" ( emphasis added ). We are the object of revival. God does not revive nations, denominations, or churches. He revives individual Christians. Of course, when a group of people receive a fresh touch of grace, it has positive effects on the whole. But the point here is that we need a fresh encounter with God. In verse 4, David prayed, "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease" ( emphasis added ). He didn't pray for the heathen or the compromisers; he prayed for himself and for his comrades.

Revival is God's pointing His finger right at me! This kind of experience is intensely personal, painful, and powerful. In chapter 6, when Isaiah the prophet saw the Lord, he said, "Woe is me." The clear vision of God brought the recognition of unclean lips in him and in others. God sent the seraphim to cleanse Isaiah's mouth with the live coal from off the altar.

There is a time to pray for a broad, sweeping move of God. This is certainly appropriate and right. But God desires a revived man to pray for revival on a larger scale.

Someone asked Alan Redpath, "Do you think we are out of touch with our generation?" To which he responded, "No, our problem is that we are out of touch with God!" What about you? Do you stand in need of spiritual cleansing God is ready to revive His people.

PRAYER: "Lord, search us, break us, melt us, and revive us. Amen."

-Harold Vaughan-