For this week’s Worship Wednesday, Claudia shares about how relevant a good old fashioned summertime revival is to us today!
Summertime Revival
by Claudia Duff
revival noun
re·viv·al | \ ri-ˈvī-vəl \
an act or instance of reviving: the state of being revived: restoration of force, validity, or effect
Growing up Pentecostal means revivals were constant events in my life.
I can remember attending nightly revival services held in tents, churches large and small, camps, parking lots, and even outdoor parks. I can remember falling asleep on or even under the benches as the services went for hours. But what I remember most was the excitement and anticipation leading up to the revival services. It was like the air was filled with an electricity that would just draw you into the rhythm of the music, preaching, and of course the dancing!
These are by far my fondest memories from my childhood.
Today, we don’t really do that as much. But girlfriends our hearts still cry out for revival. We long for it, we pray for it, and we need to. There is still a spirit of revival sweeping the land and it starts in the depths of our very own souls. We are the ones who can stir the fires of revival.
“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”
Psalm 85:6 ESV
Revive the Prayers of Our Hearts
It begins with the prayers of our hearts, “Lord, visit us in our most intimate places and revive our hearts to yours.” Prayers like this move us in the right direction.
It’s summertime for most of us. We all make plans for vacations, PCS, graduations, weddings, family reunions, and just about anything that will bring laughter, joy, and good times. What if we began to lend that type of focus to our spiritual lives? What if we intentionally planned times of joy and goodness with our Savior? Our lives would indeed change for the better.
Intimacy with God is not a given,
it’s an expectation that requires
a constant level of pursuit.
Constantly Pursue Truth
We were a homeschool family for 16 years, graduating all three Dufflings from Grace Homeschool. I had the privilege of teaching each of them to read. Hearing them read for the first time thrilled my heart! I did encounter a bit of a push back from a certain Duffling who insisted on learning to read their own way. I planned and strategized to get this one to cooperate fully. Once we landed on the same page, learning to read was easier. Then all of that ease came to a screeching stop once we began working on the “exceptions” to vowel and consonant sounds. It went sideways, quickly. This particular Duffling pronounced, “I think you are making these up Mom. They make no sense.” I had to agree, “ph” making the “f “sound and then silent consonants like in the word light. Yep, that sounded crazy to me, too. But it was still true and still had to be learned.
We must actively pursue that truth in order to learn to read efficiently. I couldn’t take a pass on that and decide it was just to hard to learn or teach. Reading is a survival skill. I mean how would you even decide what to eat if you can’t read the menu at Chick-fila? So, we pressed on and learned all the things and I am happy to report that this Duffling learned to read, and then graduated high school and college. So, good job mom and Duffling, lol!
Our spiritual lives are no different.
“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.”
Philippians 4:10 ESV
We must make room for the revival of our hearts.
God is anxious to come to us and revive us in ways we have never experienced before. As a parent, I feel compelled to share this with my adult Dufflings. We are often swept into the busyness of our lives and wonder why we feel disconnected and weary. Perhaps its because there is a serious need for revival. I encourage my Dufflings to spend time with God daily in a quiet time. We practiced at home when they were growing up, doing it together each morning and as they “learned to read.” As they gained reading confidence, I encouraged them to do it on their own.
What about you momma? “Whatchu” doing? Are you leading the littles into cultivating a daily time alone with God? If not, why not? Not enough time? Steal a bit from the extras like sleeping, lol! I get it, I really do. I know how hard it is to fit it all in but, do your best just to try and fit it in. Consistent trying will begin to lend itself to the actual doing. God is for you! It’s not a demand, it’s an invitation.
“After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.”
Hosea 6:2 ESV
How are you Pursuing Summertime Revival?
And it’s an invitation with a promise! Seek him and he will be found, God is not hiding from your heart. If you are a believer your heart is where he resides. If you want to know more about God making his home in your heart, visit our Plan of Salvation page, and enjoy the greatest revival. As you enjoy the beautiful weather remember to look up and around and ask God to bring a wave of revival right where you are.
“Let Revival Come” By Kevin Jones, Joshua Sherman & Emerging Sound should get you in the mood for a good old fashioned summertime revival.