Experience Revival in Your Own Heart

Do you want live life to its fullest? Do you desire to be spiritually awakened? You can live in the presence of God and hear His voice. Many have learned how to have a wonderfully viable Christian life. If you follow these suggested steps, which anyone can do, God will not disappoint you. You will experience revival in your own heart, and have a moment by moment life in God's presence.

1. Have Faith in God.

That seems simple enough, but how few really live life like they believe what God says and promises. We will have faith to be saved from hell, where we would be eternally separated from God, but do we have faith to live life according to His perfect will. To have faith is merely to believe God. Say, "I believe God!" and anticipate. Begin to expect God to fulfill His Word. You need to fight the good fight of faith, and to not believe any lies.

Our faith and hope always has an object in which we place our faith. Some have faith and hope in their hard work, others' place it in a person, a lottery ticket, an organization or even the government. We can have faith in our pastor, a counselor or friend. Children put their faith in their parents and teachers.

There is but one person that deserves our faith and hope, and who will never disappoint us, and that is Jesus, our Lord and God.

Who are you trusting to help you in life? Who do you turn to when times get hard? Who are you hoping can give you a better life? Who do you believe in? If it isn't Jesus, first, foremost and completely, you need to re-examine your faith.

People, organizations, governments and churches will all fail us at some point. Only to God can we sing, "Great is Your Faithfulness, Great is Your Faithfulness."

2. Stir up the gift of God that is in you.

We often tend to move toward complacency, discouraged with our circumstances and inconsistent with our time we devote to rest in the presence of God. You are uniquely created by God with a purpose and spiritual gifts. God is more concerned with your growth than He is with your comfort and contentment. Seek God to discern how He has distinctively designed you for service in Kingdom work to bring Him utmost glory.

What do you feel naturally inclined to do that is not a natural ability to everyone? I am not talking about a talent, while these sure can be used to bring God glory, and God did give the ability to you. A talent is not a spiritual gift.

God is not limited to the spiritual gifts listed in Scripture but here are some of them for you to consider whether you have been blessed with after your complete faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior: Pastor-teacher, healing, mercy, encouragement (edification), discernment, prophet, evangelist, teacher, tongues, administration, and giving.

I love to witness to people and tell them about Jesus. I jump at the chance to share what God has done in my life to show by my testimony how remarkably changed I am since my day of accepting Jesus as God, who I wanted to follow His every Word with all my heart. Most people are scared silly to witness, to me it is a delight, an urgency, a call to mission work (yes, I have been to Africa), and very natural. I know without a doubt that this is one of my supernatural gifts given to me by God that I need to keep stirred up for His use in Kingdom work.

3. Position yourself in the way of God's blessings.

Grace is not some kind of magical windfall of good luck. Find where God is working and join Him. Don't look for some kind of important, high place of service. Be willing to do anything God may be asking you to do. So often we want to do things are own way, but God's paths of obedience are plainly marked by testimonies of godly believers that have gone before you. Walk in the ways that you know lead to blessing, such as tithing, honoring parents, establishing God to be first, and reading your Bible with an open, listening heart.

Every day we have to make decisions about how we are going to live. We are constantly having to determine if we are going to be truthful, giving, forgiving, tenderhearted, loving and responsible. Obedience puts us in the way of God's blessing. God blessed Israel when they obeyed Him and trusted Him for their life. If I want to be blessed, I have to be obeying Him.

4. Thoroughly pursue repentance and restitution.

Take considerable time to allow God to examine your heart for sin, such as unforgiveness, resentment, dishonesty, slander/gossip, apathy, blaming, complaining, or selfishness on a daily basis. A honest believer with an open Bible, journal and pen will be sure to find out what is wrong with her heart quickly.

Don't let the seed of sin have time to germinate and take root. Hasty repentance leads to whole life of shallow spiritual experience. Allow godly sorrow to bring healing to your soul. A habit of tolerating areas of sin in your life will leave you ineffective and worn out. Whenever possible, make restitution. If you have had cross words with someone, try to reconcile. If you owe a debt, pay it. If you have borrowed an item, return it. Make any crooked areas in your life as straight by lining it up to God's Word and His standards.

Who has really hurt you or continues to bring pain or grief in your life? You need to forgive them. You don't need to allow that person to keep mistreating you. You can set boundaries for your health and peace of mind, and theirs. But no matter what they have done, or are doing, you will have to forgive them, if you want to experience forgiveness and revival in your own heart.

This is a real painful area that I have been tested. I was horribly abused as a child. The abusive relationships continued into my adulthood. I had to learn how to forgive evil, wicked people. God says in His Word, "Vengeance is God's." I had to trust God that He will deal with those who have hurt me. It was not my place to hold them in a prison of guilty unforgiveness or to retaliate against them. In trusting God, leaving the punishment up to Him, I know justice will be done.

5. Narrow your interest, stop busy-ness.

When we agree to get involved in too many areas of service or activities, we end up exhausted. Projects, clubs, meetings, events and programs have a way of using up our time and energy without bringing us nearer to God. If you narrow your interest to be centered on "Jesus alone", God will enlarge your heart. Surrendered Christians will openly testify that living for Jesus with the attitude of "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain," will bring yourself and others closer to God.

As a family we have stopped running all over the place doing activities. I stopped all my little monthly meetings, "parties", and clubs. Even doing one activity a week can, mixed with church on Wednesday and Sunday, and work/school events, a family of five is on the go. We let each of our children keep one activity, such as voice, drums, sports. We go to church and participate in a small family community group. Our children usually visit friends weekly and monthly spend the night or have a friend over. This is such a better pace than what we were trying to keep. We eat breakfast and dinner together on most nights, and at 8:15 we have milk and cookies before we go to bed. We have learned that you can't have a calming schedule without consistently being at home.

What activities are you doing? How many days a week are you running around getting to clubs, sports, meetings, parties, doctor/dentist, lessons and church? Are you getting 8-10 hours of sleep every night? Do you have sit down meals that are cooked at home? Are you stressed because of too many commitments? Do you always say, "yes" when asked to do something? Do you have time to be still and know that He is God daily?

In Christ is all wisdom, peace, joy, virtue and beauty, therefore to know Him is to experience every good and beautiful thing life has to offer. You can take to heaven anything you do for the kingdom of God. It is eternal, lasting work. Throw your whole soul into desiring Jesus, allowing God to transform your life.

Revival of the church can only come through the revived individual. Will you let God start with you?