Have you been hearing the rumblings of revival? How about all the prophetic words about reformation coming to nations of the earth?
God is pouring out His Spirit like never before, but we don’t want to get distracted from the most important thing ? our personal relationship with Him.
Recently, I have been studying great moves of God and revival is always sparked with a man or woman of God living in a place of personal renewal. Renewal is when God touches the heart of an individual. Revival is a fresh outpouring of God?s life-giving Spirit on a community of believers.
Paul tells us to examine ourselves. God isn’t looking for us to perform for Him, but we want to be a people continuously cultivating our relationship with Him.
Are you passionately pursuing Christ?
You and I live in a time when entertainment options are limitless. We can easily get distracted with the crazy news cycle, tweets from people we aspire to be like, and cat memes on Instagram.
Recently, I changed my phone settings to shut down most features after two hours of use. We need to guard our time to keep from spending it on things that aren’t getting us closer to God, our family, or fulfilling what we are called to do.
As I have intentionally removed distractions, my relationship with God feels like it has been re-calibrated.
The cry of my heart is for every thought, every breath, and every beat of my heart to bring glory and honor to the name of Jesus.
The Lord says when we wholeheartedly seek Him, we will find Him.
You shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
If you don’t feel hungry for more of God in your life, just ask Him to make you hungry – He is a good Father and wants to spend time with you.
Is your life being conformed into the image of Christ?
When we get fixed on manifestation we can lose sight of looking like Jesus.
In the last couple of months, I had a lady graciously point out how I had done such a bad job at an event she attended. The more I read her email, I realized she felt rejected because she didn?t feel like she got enough personal attention. I offered to connect with her to help affirm her worth, because I know what it feels like to be rejected ? whether real or perceived.
Previously, in my own insecurity I would have blown her off or made a snide comment. I spent part of my afternoon thanking God I had matured to the point of empathizing instead of self-preserving.
I?m telling you my story to remind you, God often uses people to help us grow in the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law. Those who are Christ?s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
Ask God to give you the grace to be conformed into His image.
Together, we can see revival sweep the nations of the earth but first we must pay the price of living a life of renewal in the Holy Spirit.
Let’s be a people who set our focus on Jesus, our passion on God?s presence and experience His miraculous power!