The pursuit of God and revival are costly. At different seasons of my life when God really wanted to do something He turns up the heat in my life and usually that means I do not get to sleep through the night. That was once again the case this morning as God had me up from 2:00 a.m. to 4:15 a.m. seeking Him in prayer.
God had my full attention. Until around 4:00 a.m. I was wide awake, alert, and eager to intercede for Faith Community Church and the Paradise community. I determined before I went to bed the night before if God chose to wake me I would be ready to seek Him. I had all the tools ready near my recliner such as my Bible, devotion guide and prayer journal. When that divine wake up call came I knew He was calling me to take my watch on the walls of Paradise. [Is 62:6-7]
I am ready to pay this price of lack of sleep if that is what God wills. In the past few weeks He has gotten me up early to come seek Him in this office. There is something special about this place. I met with God earlier today in my recliner but it did not compare to my recent encounters with the Lord in this office. He seems to dwell here waiting for me. Getting up early is a price I will gladly pay if I can keep meeting with God and hearing from Him the way I have been for the past few weeks.
All of these encounters with the Lord have not been pleasant. He has revealed and convicted me of sin. He has called me to repentance. When I think we have just about got to the end of it, He reveals something else like He did this morning. Once again I repented and took another step toward Him on this glorious pursuit.
People say they want more of God and they want revival but when it comes to paying the price people want comfort and convenience more than sacrifice. I have yearned for God more in this season than any season I can think of in the past twenty plus years I have been following Him. I know God did this. I did not just wake up one day and decide my devotions would take on an extra intensity and would be prolonged. I did not just decide one day I would triple the amount of time I had been spending in prayer. God created the yearning in my heart for more of Him. That yearning is greater than whatever price I have to pay.
Part of this glorious pursuit will mean continual days of message preparation and preaching. I do not know for how long but that is a price I am willing to pay if God will use me to revive this church and community. My life and labor are laid at His feet and as a living sacrifice. [Rom 12:1] I am available to do whatever He wants. I am available to seek Him and seek Him reviving and awakening the souls of His followers.
Do we really want revival? Do we really want more of Him? What if that means cutting into our social and recreational lives? What if that means us losing sleep? What if that means long days at work and long nights meeting with God in revival services for weeks on end? What if that means conviction of sin in our lives and the call of God to repentance? What if that means bold witnessing and public testifying of His work in us? All of these are small prices to pay in order to have fresh encounters with the living God in our devotions as well as in our public worship.
That should be the goal. We should long for more fresh encounters. We should long for more of the love of God poured out in our hearts. I do not want to be content with more religious activity that looks good on the outside but is devoid of spiritual vitality. I want more of the living God shaking me to the depths of my soul with His grace, goodness, strength, power, holiness, and infinite wisdom. I want to be awed in His presence day after day and then enter the house of God to declare what He has declared to me fearlessly.
Yes, revival is costly but the reward is worth the sacrifice. Eighteenth century evangelist George Whitfield once said I would rather burn out than rust out. I only have this one life to get to know God and to serve Him. I have all eternity to rest. While we have life should not our hearts and lives scream, "God we want more of You. We want to be used to do more for You. We want to experience more with You. Please never let us quit thirsting after you like the deer thirsts for water. [Ps 42:1-2] Please make us eager and willing to pay whatever price is necessary to experience more of you and to experience revival."
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