2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Too often as a pastor the church hosts a revival meeting with great or grandiose inten-tions. I confess to both. I have witnesses some pretty phenomenal things over the years. I have seen drunkards and addicts get right with God and never return to their ad-dictions. I have seen cheating spouses re-pent and return to God and family. I have seen good people catch fire for Christ as soul winners and servants.
The sad truth, however is that most Christians rarely seem to be moved by God’s spirit or they fizzle out in a few weeks after the special meetings. That can cause even preaches to become skeptical or disheartened. We preachers read books about the great revivals or Revivalists. We hope and look for the same results idealistically.
Today we live is a post revival reformation, post–Christian era. It is an age of modern narcissism, unbelief, and skepti-cism. While God can cause city-wide or national revivals, it isn’t likely. We are in the era of the local church. So likely what God will do will be through the local church. So then, how can I have a lasting personal revival beginning with the meetings with Joe Mark, March 19th– 24th?
My mother and teachers often said, “You get out of something what you put into it.” With that in mind here are some pointers:
- Begin a daily personal and family prayer time for the meetings, the speaker, your-selves.
- Purpose in your heart to be at every meeting daily.
- Begin to invite folks to the meetings, including your own church family.
- Purpose in your heart to listen to and respond to God.
- After the meetings continue to pray for the church family, decisions of each of the family members have made and discuss them (without preaching).
- Share your testimony and decision, if appropriate.
- Have an accountability and prayer partner to challenge each other weekly.
If you do these things God will bless you mightily!