Revival

Healing of The Spirit

Chris and Conrad - Lead Me To The Cross

Delirious? – Rain Down

YOU FIRST

When my children were young, we decided to do a homeschool project. Our church janitor needed help on Mondays cleaning the sanctuary. We would clean up trash and communion cups. After many weeks, I had an overwhelming conviction for us to pray over each seat as we walked the aisles to clean, as well as the altar and stage. I would sing the song…”Lead me to the cross where your love poured out.” A few weeks later, during a Sunday service, in the middle of a worship song, a man got out of his chair and ran down to the altar weeping and wailing. The Holy Spirit had come upon him and we could hear him crying above the singing. It was so beautiful. I felt that this was the result of our prayers over the seats - asking the Holy Spirit to come and fill each one.

As we continued to clean on Mondays, I began praying that God would birth a revival in our church; that more people would leave their seats and come down to the altar. Week after week I prayed this, until one day God spoke gently,

“Beth, you first.”

‘Wait! What?”

“Beth, you first. It costs you NOTHING to pray for others to leave their seats and come down to the altar, but it costs them EVERYTHING; their heart, their pride, their flesh, their submission, their sin, even the courage it takes for them to leave their seats to come. Do you think it’s easy? It’s easy for you to pray this prayer when it costs you nothing – only a prayer for revival. If you want revival, then YOU first. So, I want you to come down to the altar every Sunday after the service ends.”

“What? No, please God don’t make me go down to the altar every Sunday. I don’t want to. Is there another way? People will think there is something wrong with me or they might say, “Wow she’s got a lot of problems. They might even think that I am trying to be some super holy person flaunting my super holiness. God, could I just go once a month?”

“No, every Sunday. And you will go until I release you. For I am leading you to the cross where my love poured out.”

“Ok. I will obey, but I'm really not happy about this.”

Nearly every Sunday, after the service ended, I dragged my feet down to the altar to pray. Sometimes I felt like a stubborn donkey with my feet firmly planted on the floor refusing to budge. I was still not happy about this and completely humiliated.  I guess that is why He called it a sacrifice. People started thinking I was really screwed up. Frequently,  someone would ask, “Are you all right, is something wrong, do you need prayer?” No, thank you, I am fine, yes I would welcome your prayer.”   What I really wanted to say was, “God is making me do this. I’m NOT here by my own freewill.” Others would mingle around the front of the sanctuary engaging in lively conversation, while I kneeled at the altar embarrassed to be there AGAIN.

As months went by – a miracle happened. My heart began to long for the altar and tears flowed as I was being cleansed, emptied, humbled and refined with fire. At one church we were visiting, I was driven to the altar by the Holy Spirit, but had to jump chairs to get there. Humiliated, I thought, “Why are chairs blocking the aisles to the altar?

For a year and a half, my heart was truly going through a revival and what was birthed was the revelation of the power of God’s Word and the finished work of Jesus Christ! HEALING!

The gospel of Jesus Christ had been unveiled!

For after I was released from the altar, I got very sick and God’s Word and Jesus’ wounds healed me. Revival was born in my heart.

This is what was birthed from that altar:

Revelation of the cross

Physical healing

Health wisdom

Believing the Word

Speaking the Word

Imprecatory scriptures

Power and authority

The Word a powerful, spiritual weapon

The power of Communion

The finished work of Jesus Christ

New church work

Missions

Mentoring and teaching youth

Changed the trajectory of my children’s future

Wonderful pastors for our children

Wonderful friends

Teaching trials

A revival birthed in our hearts changes everything. Dave Ramsey and Dan Miller talk about an economic revival that swept their church years ago. It birthed many successful and thriving businesses. The wind of the Holy Spirit moves through marriages, schools, churches, businesses, relationships, hearts, sports, families, clinics, companies and our health. This power cannot be contained, it will sweep through everything in its path. For revival means to make new and alive – to revive what has been dead or asleep.

Do we understand what we are asking? There is more to revival than we can comprehend. It is deep and wide, vast and overpowering. It is a move of the Spirit that is incomprehensible to our mortal minds. I believe revival is birthed out of repentance, sacrifice, submission and prostration before the LORD – a leading to the cross where his love poured out. That revival must first be birthed in us.

To simply pray for it is not enough. For it costs us everything.

But what we gain is the Kingdom of Heaven on earth!!