“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NKJV).
Personal revival blossoms out of a heart’s quest for friendship with God. By personal revival we refer to a spiritual awakening or renewal that occurs within an individual through the sanctifying and empowering activities of the Holy Spirit. It is usually a transformative experience where one’s relationship with God deepens, making their heart, mind, and life become more attuned to His interests. Anytime a believer becomes conscious of nurturing a relationship with God and is poised to make whatever sacrifice to protect that relationship from all forms of contamination, a personal revival is in the offing. Friendship with God is nothing more than a deliberate and consistent effort to present one before God as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. The more of ourselves we surrender to God, the more of His friends we become. Sacrifice is at the heart of every friendship whether it is between God and man or between people. Therefore, a quest for friendship with God implies a deep longing for intimacy, connection, and communion with Him. Many a Christian are out there whose hearts are so dry towards God that they hardly feel any passion for Him. This by itself is a clear indication that personal revival is needed. Personal revival is a state of being we can intentionally enter and maintain. It is a choice to be loyal to God in word and deed irrespective of the circumstances.
Devour the Word of God instead of material food at the end of a fasting session.
Our text makes a bold statement on how to prepare for a personal revival. The quest for personal revival begins with a thorough examination of our faith to establish its genuineness. There seems to be many in the church these days who do not have the genuine faith, such as was once delivered unto the saints. Their faith is not centred on Christ and do not produce the fruits of righteousness. Be true to yourself and be sure that your faith is anchored on Christ and on Him alone. Speaking of the genuineness of Timothy’s faith, Paul affirmed: “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you” (2 Timothy 1:5, NLT). Your faith is not genuine if it is based on your self righteousness and personal goodness. Your faith is not genuine if it is based on the amount of contribution you bring to church. Your faith is not genuine if its righteousness is based on anything or person apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. Genuine faith is a gift of God’s grace which cannot be bought with money or earned through any other means. Genuine faith “… is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). How genuine is your faith?
Making sure of what you believe and who you trust is vital for every pursuit of personal revival. Christ is the epicentre of every Holy Spirit borne revival. The end of such revival is the glory of Jesus nothing more, nothing less. A key part of the self-examination we must undertake before effective pursuit of personal revival has to do with making sure that Jesus is honoured in our lives from beginning to end. Paul set a pattern for this when he wrote to the Philippians: “according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21). Personal revival demands believers to dedicate their lives to Christ such that they live for Him and Him alone. Jeremiah charges us, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD” (Lamentation 3:40). Self-examination should not lead to self-condemnation due to the heightened awareness of human vileness that comes with it, but rather should lead to self-awareness that unveil our continuing need of God’s grace in all things and at all times. Make a strong decision to join the company of those who will seek and procure personal revival in this season in Jesus’ name.
There are no comments