Revival Must Come

One other reflection from my trip to the hospital is that the crisis that occurred was not a sudden physical rupture if you will.  No there were warning signs that I was ignoring, hoping that things would get better.  Instead I waited and waited and the crisis came.

Anytime we hear the word revival we most of the time begin to think of massive movements where hundreds of people come to profess their trust in Christ as Savior.  However, what I am speaking of is a personal revival.  Psalm 85:6 speaks of this, “Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in You!”  This is a personal revival in which I begin to rejoice in God. 

For some six months before I ended up in the hospital I was becoming increasingly tired; light headed at times; losing interest in the things I once enjoyed and losing sight of what was important.

In the same way there are warning signs that we are not where we should be, that we are not spiritually healthy.  I would suggest a few of these:

1.  Are you finding yourself going through the motions?  One clear example of this is a well-known country quartet who for decades had sung gospel music and now they were singing about Elvira and You’ll all come back saloon while using the signal for one-way Jesus and other motions that no longer had any significance to them.

2.  Are you losing your vision of what Christ is calling you to be?

3.  has your love for Christ dimmed in the chaos of life’s circumstances

4.  Are you more concerned about being “right” then you are about experiencing intimacy with God.

5.  Have you been so works focused that you have forgotten that it is all about grace?

If this is true in your life, then you need a personal revival!  Hear the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven lampstands.  I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance, I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my namesake and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you! You have forsaken the love you had at first.

You have forsaken your first love.  You are solid in your understanding of God’s Word. You are drive to keep false teaching out, you care about people and ministry, but you have drifted from your great love for Christ.  Several years ago, the music group Newsboys took an old hymn added some words and turned it into a beautiful challenge to return to your first love:

When you’re dull from all that glitters

When your thoughts have a hollow ring

When you can’t escape from the feeling

You’re getting it wrong

All your foolproof plans seem foolish

All your status is status quo

All you really need to know

Is where you belong

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in his wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace

Yes, you and I need to look into Christ’s wonderful face and when we do, we will experience personal revival, and if enough of us do we might see it sweep our community and then over our nation.  THEN REVIVAL CAN COME!

©2026 David W. Drake, President, Renewed Hope, Inc.