By Zane Brown
Reading the Bible through with me? Then grab your journal and pen and read 1 Samuel 7-9. In 7:2, it says that after 20 years, “... the whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord.” In Hebrew, this word “seek” connotes mourning, lamenting, repentance OR as we’ve seen before, crying out to God. This is where genuine revival begins -- when God’s people acknowledge sins, turn from those sins, and cry out in sorrow to the Lord God for renewal and deliverance. In verse three, Samuel said, “IF you are returning to the Lord . . .” Don’t miss that. Christians can and do leave God. It’s not a loss of salvation. It’s more of a spiritual adultery. A man can have an ongoing adulterous affair while still married to his wife. Throughout the Old Testament, God often judges Israel for her unfaithfulness. And in Revelation 2, John tells the once great Church at Ephesus, “You have left your First Love.” When we recognize our sin and we grieve over it, we are moving toward revival. But the second step is equally important. We must hear God’s word AND obey. In 7:3-4, when Samuel told them to remove the idols and dedicate themselves only to Yahweh, they obeyed, putting away anything that rivaled their submission to God.
What will it take to experience revival in America? Well, it starts with each of us ... with me and with you. Confess, Repent, Trust and Obey! Every day imagine a circle around you and let your prayer be a confession of sins, an expression of repentance, a consecration of obedience, and an expression of desire for revival within that circle. Let this be your prayer to start each day: “Lord, let Your will be done on Earth and let it begin in me.”
