The Average Jane Journal #20 - Revival

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

I’m sure you have seen those verses a lot lately dealing with our upcoming election. What do they make you think of? What do they make you want to pray about? I wanted to share a dream I have had for awhile now. I would love to see this country have a huge revival-all across the country from all local government all the way to the top. Can you imagine that? Where all leaders wanted what God wanted? Where all leader’s hearts broke over the same things that breaks God’s heart? Where all leaders studied the Word of God and KNEW what was sin and disgrace?

All these months that I thought about this dream, has made me think of my church upbringing. As most of you know my father is a pastor and I remember having revivals at our churches. I have to say these are not fun childhood memories. Doesn’t that sound spiritual????? Here are some things that stick out, that make me not remember revivals fondly.

**Sometimes, I remember, the visiting pastor would have to stay with us. No child likes that, having to be on best behavior-maybe having to give up your room-you know like when a relative came to visit.

**Growing up, I went to church three times a week; that was a regular week. During revival week, we went every night; FOUR more times.

**Usually when there was a visiting preacher, different people in the church would want to have him for dinner. Sometimes our family would go with the pastor to families’ homes for meals. I hated doing this as a child. There we are, back to that “good behavior”. And I’m not exaggerating when I say there was one family, every time we went to their house I spilled something. I swear I was not doing it on purpose, I do not know why I was cursed. I remember the anxious feeling before every visit to their house. I remember it sort of being joked about by this family while we were there, but I didn’t find it funny because I knew my parents didn’t find it funny.

**I also didn’t like the idea of having to listen to another pastor. My dad was IT for me, and not only did I have to go to church every night-but I had to listen to someone I didn’t want to be hearing.

Like I said, the memories that revivals bring up in my childhood are not anything spiritual. Maybe your memories are different if you attended revivals. I laugh at myself now as I think back to these memories, but also feel a bit saddened. I accepted Christ at age 14, but just see all this wasted time that I did not live a life that God would have wanted. It’s pretty sad that when I think of the word revival, that those are the memories I come up with. I’m sure great things happened at all those revivals from my childhood, but I don’t remember that part of it.

I’m not a child anymore, so I want different memories-a deeper meaning of the word. I dream of this country seeing a revival. I came across an article that someone wrote, that wants the same thing for our nation. I found his comments touching, a definition that matches my dream.

"I think you have to identify what revival is not. It's not just emotionalism; it's not just a bunch of hype; it is not pure excitement. It is not a preacher just standing in a pulpit, hollering and ranting and raving and preaching about fire, hell, and brimstone. It's not about mass numbers of people coming to the Lord Jesus in salvation -- that would be evangelism.

"But what revival really is...it's God's people who have over a season of time grown cold, lukewarm, left their first love, and quite honestly are in a quagmire -- one foot in the world , one foot in the church -- and are thirsty." (written by Ryan Loveing)

We just can’t get past the fact that revival is about God’s people. Sure we want to bring others to Christ, it is our purpose on this earth to be Kingdom minded. But if you think about it, revival has to start with people that already belong to the Kingdom. Revival is reviving, which shows something has to occur that has already occurred before. Think of reviving someone’s life, you have revived them to living again-something they had done before. As God’s people, at one time, we had total “souled out”God hearts, as my pastor just recently said we were “bananas for Jesus”. We need to revive those hearts. We need to want what God wants, need to KNOW what is sin and disgrace, what breaks God’s heart.

So I hope that when you are praying for this upcoming election, on any level, that God will plant the word “revival” in your hearts. I pray that God will give you a desire to dream for a revival in this country. We need to be AWAKENED!!!! It’s up to God’s people!!

“Awaken” by Natalie Grant

Sometimes I feel like I'm just existing

I'm not really living

I'm only watching the time slip away

I've forgotten who I am in you

I'm not who I'm meant to be

I'm drifting farther away from my destiny

[Chorus:]Awaken my heart, awaken my soul

Awaken your power and take control

Awaken the passion to live for you, lord

Awaken me

My soul is longing, my heart is searching

I'm desperate for you to move

Give me a hunger, pull me closer I'm crying out to you

Awaken my heart, awaken my soul

Awaken your power and take control

Awaken the passion to live for you, lord

Open my eyes so I can see your presence Dwelling inside

Wake me up, cause I can't live another minute if I'm not shining your light

Awaken my heart, awaken my soul

Awaken the passion in me

Lord, awaken me to live my destiny

Lord, awaken me and shine your light through me

Lord, awaken me to live my destiny

Lord, awaken me and shine your light through me