50 Evidences of the Need for a Fresh Visitation of the Spirit in Revival
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Stir up your might
And come to save us.
Turn again, O God of hosts:
Look down from heaven, and see;
Have regard for this vine.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
(selected verses from Psalm 80)
We Need Revival . . .
- when we do not love Him as we once did.
- when earthly interests and occupations are more important to us than eternal ones
- when we would rather watch TV and read secular books and magazines than read the Bible and pray.
- when church dinners are better attended than prayer meetings.
- when concerts draw bigger crowds than prayer meetings.
- when we have little or no desire for prayer.
- when we would rather make money than give money.
- when we put people into leadership positions in our churches who do not meet scriptural qualifications.
- when our Christianity is joyless and passionless.
- when we know truth in our heads that we are not practicing in our lives.
- when we make little effort to witness to the lost.
- when we have time for sports, recreation, and entertainment, but not for Bible study and prayer.
- when we do not tremble at the Word of God.
- when preaching lacks conviction, confrontation, and divine fire and anointing.
- when we seldom think thoughts of eternity.
- when God's people are more concerned about their jobs and their careers than about the Kingdom of Christ and the salvation of the lost.
- when God's people get together with other believers and the conversation is primarily about the news, weather, and sports, rather than the Lord.
- when church services are predictable and "business as usual."
- when believers can be at odds with each other and not feel compelled to pursue reconciliation.
- when Christian husbands and wives are not praying together.
- when our marriages are co-existing rather than full of the love of Christ.
- when our children are growing up to adopt worldly values, secular philosophies, and ungodly lifestyles.
- when we are more concerned about our children's education and their athletic activities than about the condition of their souls.
- when sin in the church is pushed under the carpet.
- when known sin is not dealt with through the biblical process of discipline and restoration.
- when we tolerate "little" sins of gossip, a critical spirit, and lack of love.
- when we will watch things on television and movies that are not holy.
- when our singing is half-hearted and our worship lifeless.
- when our prayers are empty words designed to impress others.
- when our prayers lack fervency.
- when our hearts are cold and our eyes are dry.
- when we aren't seeing regular evidence of the supernatural power of God.
- when we have ceased to weep and mourn and grieve over our own sin and the sin of others.
- when we are content to live with explainable, ordinary Christianity and church services.
- when we are bored with worship.
- when people have to be entertained to be drawn to church.
- when our music and dress become patterned after the world.
- when we start fitting into and adapting to the world, rather than calling the world to adapt to God's standards of holiness.
- when we don’t long for the company and fellowship of God's people.
- when people have to be begged to give and to serve in the church.
- when our giving is measured and calculated, rather than extravagant and sacrificial. . . . when we aren't seeing lost people drawn to Jesus on a regular basis.
- when we aren't exercising faith and believing God for the impossible.
- when we are more concerned about what others think about us than what God thinks about us.
- when we are unmoved by the fact that 2.5 billion people in this world have never heard the name of Jesus.
- when we are unmoved by the thought of neighbors, business associates, and acquaintances who are lost and without Christ.
- when the lost world around us doesn't know or care that we exist.
- when we are making little or no difference in the secular world around us.
- when the fire has gone out in our hearts, our marriages, and the church.
- when we are blind to the extent of our need and don't think we need revival.
© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com
Scripture
Psalms 80