Revival describes a spiritual awakening. Humanity has experienced revivals throughout periods in our history, seeing God in exciting and new ways. Hearing stories like the tale of the Asbury University revival can cause us to want to feel the same resurgence in ourselves. However, your church may not be prepared for that. However, you can still experience your personal revival. Here are some ways to have a personal revival.
Pray more often.
Luke 5:16 reminds us that Jesus withdrew to pray by Himself, making time to commune with His Father. Because His ministry was tiring and took up most of His daytime hours, Jesus typically got up early to prioritize His prayer time. In John 15:4, Jesus reminds us to stay with Him like a vine stays with the branch to bear fruit. We can’t bear fruit unless we remain with Him.
How can we know what God is doing without asking Him? If we’re honest, we don’t focus on prayer as we should. We typically spend most of our time asking God to give us our requests and talking to God. Presenting our requests to God and talking to Him without fear is vital, but listening for God and seeing what He does in the world is also essential. God put us in this period and location for a reason. He has a purpose and plan for all of our lives. The Bible says the Lord guides our steps so He knows where He wants us to go. However, it’s our choice whether to follow Him or not. When we regularly pray to God and ask Him what He wants for our lives instead of telling Him what we want, we’ll be able to follow Him and accomplish His work on earth as Jesus did.
Study the Bible.
Reading the Bible is one thing, but studying the Bible is something different. Everyone has a Bible translation they consider their favorite, the one they read most often. However, have you tried reading another translation? Reading the Bible like a book instead of studying it allows you to see passages differently. Buying a commentary from a reliable source, like a trusted Bible scholar, will also help you understand the Bible better.
Scripture memorization is necessary, but we should also know what the verses mean within the context of when they were written. It’s essential not to take verses out of context to fit our agendas. Studying the historical and cultural context from where our favorite Bible scriptures come from will help us comprehend more of what the author meant when writing them. This will allow us to apply the Word in exciting and new ways because we’ll be able to use it the way God intended, not the way we think it should be.
Practice a new discipline.
Bible study and prayer are vital ingredients to everyone’s spiritual growth. Consider broadening your horizons and trying a disciple that you haven’t tried before. If your health allows, you could try fasting once a week. Still, you don’t need to fast from food to take part in fasting. You could fast from TV, cell phone usage, social media, or excessive spending. Have you ever prayed all night, asking God to speak to you? Sometimes, God uses the nighttime to talk to us in powerful ways.
The nighttime is when we’re most relaxed, free from the daily tasks we need to accomplish. Pray like Jesus asked the disciples to do when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He asked them to keep watch and pray, so take one night to pray all night and see what God says. You might be surprised to hear Him more clearly at night than any other time of day. There are also spiritual disciplines like solitude, silence, scripture memorization, and journaling. By choosing a new field, you’ll see the world differently and be more in tune with the spirit, sparking a personal revival in your heart.
Listen for His voice.
A listening prayer model is a tool to use and listen for God’s voice during prayer. God speaks to us in many ways, like dreams, visions, the Bible, pictures, words, and gut feelings. He might not talk to you the same way each time. However, when you feel God speaking, be attentive and obey what you hear. The more obedient you are to His voice, the more He’ll speak to you, revitalizing your prayer life like never before.
The most memorable time in a Christian’s life is when they feel like God is talking to them. Both the Book of Acts and the prophet Joel discuss this topic, saying that God said in the last days, He would pour His spirit on everyone. Older men will dream dreams, young men will see visions, and your sons and daughters will prophesy. Ask God to use you like the older men or young men and allow Him to put His vision for your life within you.
To prepare your heart to hear God’s voice, you should ask yourself if any sins may stop you from hearing His voice. Then, ask Him to show any sins prohibiting you from experiencing a vivid life with Christ. If any negative thoughts enter your mind, lean into it. Don’t bury or censor it because this is one of the ways God speaks to you. When your mind is clear with no other thoughts, ask Him what He has to say to you today or if there’s someone He wants you to speak to. Be still and listen for His voice.
You may receive a word or not, but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t want you to receive a word or love you. The main goal is not to use God for what He gives but to be with Him. God deserves our fellowship, and being still before Him shows you desire a relationship with Him. As you continue this discipline, He’ll talk to you more readily.
Even if your church doesn’t experience revival like other churches, that doesn’t mean God isn’t working. Ask Him for your personal revival and follow His steps. He may release negative emotions and reawaken old dreams because of your diligence. You’ll experience the freedom God intended for you.
