REVIVAL

                                          (by Barbara Perry)

Some of what I am going to share I have taken from an article in Charisma magazine, the issue for March 2007.  The article is entitled “Watch for the Next Great Awakening” by Robert Heidler & Chuck D. Pierce.

The dictionary definition of revival: A renewal to popularity or a new production of an old thing.  The recovering of somebody to life or consciousness or full strength. The reawaking of religious fervor. The renewal of the validity of a contract or the effect of a judicial decision.

So for a Christian it is a coming back to a renewed understanding of and confidence in an old thing, our relationship with God; coming back to full strength, along with the reawaking of religious fervor.

The article stated “when people speak of revival they are thinking of three different things.”

1. Some think in the terms of a massive harvest of souls. “When revival comes, the lost will crowd in and get saved”

2. Others think in terms of repentance and holiness in the church.  “When revival comes, everyone will weep and fall on the floor and repent of their sin, and the church will become holy.” 

3. And still others think in terms of social change.  “In true revival, drunkenness, pornography, drug abuse, and crime will go out of style.  A new level of morality in the nation releases a new level of prosperity.” It would once again be popular to be moral.

All of these things have accompanied most true revivals.

When people pray for revival they are usually praying with their focus on souls, and/or repentance and/or social change.

Saved souls, repentance, and social change are all the fruit of revival, they are not in themselves revival.  It is what brings about these things that needs to be the focus of our prayers.

So what is the common cause of all these things?

There is a story from the Welsh revival.  Two children were overheard talking.  One remarked, “I don’t understand what’s happening in our town.”  The other answered, “Don’t you know?  Jesus lives here now.”

Robert Reidler says his simplest definition of revival is, “God visiting His church.” He also said, “In all his studies of revival, the one common denominator in every true revival is that people suddenly know they are in the presence of God.”

It is the presence of God that brings revival.  Robert Reidler also said, “Revival is not an “it”.  It is not a movement.  It is not an activity.  It is not an event.  Revival is HIM.  It is Jesus visiting His church.”

He goes on to say, “Revival does not come from urging repentance (even though God wants us to repent).  It does not result from seeking unity (although unity is important).  It does not come from seeking the harvest.  Revival does not come from praying for revival.”

It comes from praying for His presence.

The reason I felt zeroing in on this focus was important is found in Acts 1:14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer.

Psalm 133 tells us that where there is unity there the Lord commanded the blessing

When we are of one mind in our prayers (unity) God commands the blessing.

And in Philippians 1:27 Paul says he wants them to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

Matt 18:19 Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

There is great power and promise in all praying for the same thing.  So I would suggest the thing we should be praying for is the presence of God, for God to visit us.

Let’s talk about His presence for a minute.

There is God’s omnipresence.  He is present everywhere, all the time.  There is no place He is not present.  The entire world experiences this even if they are not aware of it. This is not the presence we are to pray for.

There is God’s indwelling presence.  When you got saved Jesus came to live in you.  This is different from His omnipresence. This is only available to those who have believed.  This also is not the presence we are to pray for.

Then there is God’s manifest presence.  This is when God comes to a given place, at a given time in a way we can discern with our physical senses.  This can happen on an individual basis, and I believe it happens to individuals regularly in Praise Tabernacle.

But when this happens corporately, when the whole congregation senses the presence of God, this is a revival.  God “visits” the local church.  This can be for a day or months, but it comes to an end.

There is also a 4^th level of God’s presence, His dwelling presence or Shekinah.  The word Shekinah comes from the word shakan, which means “to dwell”.  This presence of God is not just a visitation, but a continuous dwelling in one place.  This is the presence that traveled with the Israelites in the wilderness.  God gave instructions concerning His Shekinah; “prepare a sanctuary for Me where I can dwell among them.” The word sanctuary means a clean, pure, consecrated place. 

And then He proceeded to give them instructions for the building of the tabernacle.  Tabernacle means a place to dwell.  The tabernacle was the place where there was continuous worship, prayer, praise, and fellowship with God. 

His presence comes to dwell in us at salvation, but I believe as individuals we can also carry the Shekinah.   This presence of God was visible to any who looked.  There was the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, letting all who looked know that God was in the house. Our hearts have become the moveable dwelling place or tabernacle of God.  If we keep them clean, pure, and consecrated and a continuous place of worship, prayer, praise, and fellowship with God I think the world will see His presence on us.  Our number one ministry is to be to God and not to the people. 

In March 2007 we had 5 prophetic words dealing with the word “focus”, with the object of our focus being the Lord. 

So I have said all this to say, our prayer focus should be “asking Him to manifest His presence among us individually and corporately.” Let us all be of the same mind.

When His presence comes revival will follow.

Prepare yourself to carry the Shekinah. Begin to thank Him that He is coming to visit us.  Welcome Him.

In March we also had three prophetic words dealing with fire.  We are campfires of ordinary people.  When the Shekinah is over you, you become a campfire.  The words spoke of us as lamplighters.  Carry your Shekinah to others and set them alight.  Then the fire will be coming up from the whole church.