How the Wilderness is the Revival of Faith
Inside: I couldn’t see Him in this new way without the revival of faith. I needed to cry out to Him and be broken in order for Him to re-make me.
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When you think about a revival, what do you envision? Great speakers, message, and music?
Or take it another direction and maybe you think about a person being revived after losing consciousness?
Is it possible to have a revival when God is silent?
When I went through a hard season, I was struggling to just make it minute to minute. I just felt numb, dull and dead. My world became bleak and gray. Making it to lunchtime was a chore. I’d pray repeated prayers over and over for God to infuse strength and perseverance into me.
Emptiness is the best condition to be filled with His Fullness.
I needed a dose of renewal, a satisfying to my hungry heart.
I would read the Bible and nothing would soak in, but I just felt like if I repeated it enough, it would work into the broken areas. You see God sees into the depths of me, those places I can’t even access.
God rebuilds broken vessels and relationships.
When I felt like I was weakening, God was actually refreshing, renewing and re-introducing me. He was pulling back the curtain and allowing me to see Him in a new way.
To put it differently, He was my Father and He was with me. God wouldn’t leave me. The Shepherd was leading me and caring for me. However, I couldn’t experience with without coming into the Wilderness.
The vision I had had of God was now broken. He became so much more than I thought He was; God was truly for me.
I couldn’t see Him in this new way without this season, and I had to be at the end of myself in sorrow, guilt, and humility to see Him. God needed me to cry out to Him, in order for Him to re-make me into the real me.
You can’t restore a relationship that isn’t broken and my relationship with God had shattered. Control is a bondage of sin of mine. I was leading myself and didn’t need a Shepherd. Here’s the thing, I was as close to God as I chose to be.
Revival is what I needed.
God was fixing the broken areas if I just give him the glue.
/>What is a Revival?Revival:
- an improvement in the condition or strength of something. (Renew)
- an instance of something becoming popular, active or important again (Reintroduce)
- bring back to life (Restore/Refresh)
I didn’t schedule this revival, God had it already planned. The Holy Spirit was working in me, in the unseen places. I just had to believe. The key was to allow this work to be done. When I wanted to retake the reigns of control, I need to readjust and refocus on God.
Revival is that sovereign work of God in which He visits His own people, restoring and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing.~ Robert Coleman
My frailness caused me to linger in God’s greatness.
Honestly, I didn’t go from sorrow to leaping for joy. It was a slow, frustrating process in believing. Repeated action of trust over and over again.
Over time, I felt God’s hand comforting me and leading me. He gave strength when I asked and brought me through.
I wanted to feast again and again on the filling of God within my heart. I wanted the right relationship with my Father, and I wanted to feel the joy and passion for Him continually,
6 Won’t you revive us again,
so your people can rejoice in you (Psalm 85:6, NLT).
Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It by Adam Hamilton (2014-09-02)Revival: 6 Steps to Reviving Your Heart and Rebuilding Your Prayer Life
Experiencing Spiritual Revival: Renewing Your Desire for God (Women of Faith Study Guide Series)
Women Of Faith Presents Gateway Worship Revival
How to keep revival going in our hearts?
- Humble ourselves.
- Pray that God would keep our focus on Him.
- Seek God daily.
- Turn from a me-centered to Christ-centered perspective.
- Ask God to revive and refresh again and again.
Revival is an extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit producing extraordinary results.~Richard Owens Roberts
When we go through this reintroduction of God, we develop strength and power which we didn’t possess before.
Have you gone through a revival in the Wilderness? What is one thing you have the strength to do now that you didn’t before?
This was me before God put me in the wilderness of chronic pain. I was not depending on him. Now he is truly my shepherd and my guide. He is renewing me every day.
GiGi- I’m so glad you are letting God lead you!
Blessings on your week!
Julie
Julie, I love your description revival and the need for revival. I especially resonated with this phrase: “When I felt like I was weakening, God was actually refreshing, renewing and re-introducing me. He was pulling back the curtain and allowing me to see Him in a new way.” One of my favorite passages is II Corinthians 12:9, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. I think you gave us revival in a nutshell. Run to him in your weakness and he will give us strength so that his power will rest on us. Blessing to you my friend.
Calvonia- thank you! You made my day today! I was hoping someone would find it helpful!
Blessings sweet friend!
Julie
Yes, emptiness is the best condition to be filled with His fullness! I so identify with control also Julie, and letting go always fills me up! Thanks so much for this reminder…it seems all of life is about letting go and allowing our Shepherd to lead. Pray you feel the blessings of this revival friend:)
Crystal- Yes, I like to lead- that’s my problem;) Progress is slow here!
Julie
I’ve been through the wilderness and gotten closer to God, but it seems like He keeps on introducing new wildernesses to reinforce and deepen our relationship. The last year or so He has definitely reminded me several times that things which have happened are beyond MY control, but they are not beyond HIS control.
I like how you termed it “to linger in God’s greatness.”
Lingering with Him. It reminds me of “I come to the Garden Alone” or a quiet shaded porch swing in the country with the sun just around the corner, a perfect place to sit alone and linger with Him in an attitude of worship.
Ruth- I know the wilderness seasons are good for me, but honestly I dislike the pain of growth. When pain and perseverance need to happen, I want to give up. I am a fighter, but I’m fighting the process and I shouldn’t!
I need to remind myself to let His work happen, He knows what He’s doing.
I’m hoping you’re allowing him to change you better than I am;)
Julie
I totally understand the disliking of the pain needed to grow. Been there done that. I don’t know if it’s possible to always just immediately recognize that God is testing us and bow in immediate submission. I think a lot of times I figure problems are caused by people, and I’m more likely to initially be upset with them before I take it to the Lord for His take on it. Then He reminds me what He says about it, and I give a big sigh as I let it go and admit that His ways are right. So, I guess I fight it at first, too, but the older I get, the quicker He reigns me in, and the quicker I realize what’s what, and the quicker the fight leaves me – until the next time.
And, by the way, wanting to give up and actually giving up are two different things, so there’s no need to beat yourself up over that. You can rejoice instead that God helps you to persevere even when you don’t really want to. 🙂
Allowing Him to change me is a lifelong process. He disciplines us so that we may partake of His holiness. I find that totally amazing, even though I don’t usually like the process that it takes. I look back over the decades of wilderness and growing closer to Him, and if He were to offer me a do-over with no wilderness and no intimate relationship with Him, I would flat out refuse that offer. Growing close to the Lord of all as Father and Friend and Love of my life is worth it all in the end.
Ruth- thanks for the wealth of wisdom. So much great thoughts!
You’ve blessed me today!
Julie
I was in a place of wilderness a few years ago. It was before our family moved and before my current position at a Christian counseling center. I was surrounded with nonbelievers and worked in an environment that was filled with trauma and pain. I realized I was in the wilderness for about a year before God leading me to our current place. It’s painful! But my relationship with God is so much stronger and He was preparing me for Christian counseling and blogging.
Melissa- thank you for sharing your testimony! I think we do go through the wilderness to prep us for the next stage!:)
I can attest to your truth!! There have been several times in my life, where I have had to throw my face on the ground and cry to God. I was in such dark places… but, He showed up every single time I just surrendered my whole being over to Him. He was there the whole time, He just needed me to submit, to surrender, to acknowledge that He’s the only one in control! He always makes my messes beautiful. He turns my disasters into lessons. And, my darkness into revival! <3 Thank you for sharing!
Katie- yes, He is so wise! He uses what hurt us to make us better! Thank you for sharing your story!
Amen sister! God is at work for sure. I can speak to the truth that he uses times to humble us and draw us closer to Him. It’s in these hard times and storms that I have seen his love and grace!
Lindsey- Yes, the storms and hard times grow us. It’s only after the fact that we can see it though.
Julie, it is always interesting to see how God will bring about His will in our lives and that includes His will for drawing us closer to Himself. Most often that comes when we are feeling dead or done in or worn. I understand those feelings. When God brought me out of that stupor it was to a closer relationship with Him than I had ever had before. Thanks for sharing your insights in this area. – Amy
http://stylingrannymama.com/
Amy- thank you for sharing! Yes, it draws us into Him and a relationship with Him!
I am at a place of waiting and sometimes I just feel like God has gone silent but I have learnt to be thankful for the mundane.
Jackie- wise words! Yes, being thankful allows us to be more patient and wait!
I have been through a revival…walking through our own desert. It forced us to rely on God completely and talking about it reminds my heart to stay focused on God because he is trustworthy!
Kristi- thank you for sharing your experience!
Amen! All the broken pieces he’s mending it wonderfully… He’s speaking His perfect peace into every area of our lives.
Ann- I’m so glad He mends the broken pieces!
Julie, God is so good at orchestrating our lives and circumstances to bring us into that oneness state with Him. I have also experienced the loneliness of difficulty only to find that path the very one where He joined me and we became even closer. God is so good! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
I have gotten my greatest revival in the midst of the greatest suffering, so I can confirm what you are saying.
“God needed me to cry out to Him, in order for Him to re-make me into the real me.” I have also come to this truth, several times in my life! <3 It was bleak. It was dark. I struggled to find Him. I put myself first, so, there was no place for Him to break through. It wasn't until I hit the floor in total submission, that He showed up in mighty ways. I needed to wonder the wilderness to find that I needed to completely rely on God for my water and food. <3 Thank you so much for sharing and being vulnerable!