Before Revival

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

There is a cry for revival now more than ever because of the increase in immorality in the world. Oh, how we truly need a revival that we may return to our creator!!! There is a key to this revival that we desperately long for, and that is in our main text. 

A clear understanding and appropriate application of this text will yield revival in due time. You may ask how I am sure of this? It is because the word of the Lord is forever settled in Heaven (Psalm 119:89). After all, history has proven this to be true. No matter how we cry or long for revival, if we do not follow this instruction from God, we will not have a revival. Even if God in His rich mercies grant unto us a revival, it will not last long, and we will be left worse after such.

The first thing to notice in this text is: "if my people, who are called by my name". This portion is the key to the rest of the instructions in the text. Over time this text has become popular amongst Christian gatherings, and over time we have come to believe that this text applies to the people of the world exclusive of Christians, but the text clearly says those that are called my name. The people of the world are not. It is us Christians that are. So, the call of this text is first to us Christians and extends to the people of the world. 

The next thing to notice is: humble themselves. This is key to the instructions that follow (pray, seek the face of the Lord, and repent from their wicked ways). But oh, how we have become conceited. We believe we have all the knowledge and revelation of God needed and have no need for more. We have become so righteous in ourselves that we forget that all of our righteousness is as a filthy rag before the Lord (Isaiah 64:6). We have become so “prosperous” that we have forgotten the source of all. We have become like the Laodicean church!!! We have sieved out the Spirit from the church, and we are left only with the letter, which has only led to death (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Jesus, beginning the revival that transformed humanity, started with the message: Repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15b). The word repent means to change our way of thinking. Only after He got people to change their way of thinking and believe in the gospel did a revival break forth, which we are still living in till this very moment and till He comes back in glory.

Oh, beloved Christians, let us change our way of thinking and humble ourselves before our creator. We cannot do this without the help of His Spirit. Let us realize that we are nothing in ourselves and all that we have thus far is from Him and believe the good news that He will hear us from Heaven. Only when we satisfy the instructions in this text can we truly have a revival.

Let this hymn be your prayer: 

Jesus the Son of God, Lord of us all

Who is always the same ever

Give ear to the cry of Thy child

And teach us how to pray to Thee,

Give us a heart that prays to Thee,

Wake us early to seek Thy face.

We cannot think any good thought

Our intentions cannot be good

Except Thou our Creator put

Such grace and goodness deep within;

Then we shall have a heart like Thine,

Compassionate, yielded to Thee.