Awakening a Revival

 When I was a freshman in college, I was burdened to pray for revival. I read all the books I could on revivals throughout history. I talked to about it all the time. It was my obsession. Sadly, I realized a few weeks ago, that this obsession had wained. Of course, if you were to ask me if I wanted to see a revival, I would have said yes, but I didn't think about it like I used to. I didn't pray for it every day. I think the reason why was that I didn't ever really figure out what revival is. I didn't have a definition. My previous desires for revile were not built on a good thoughtful foundation.

So, what is revival? Here's the simple definition I have come up with in the last few weeks.

Revival or awakening is the revelation of the presence of God. God of course is here at all times -always ever present. But, a revival occurs when we become aware of His presence. He shows us Himself.

What does that look like?

1) When you see God as He is the first response is brokeness. (See Is. 6) I see myself as I really am. As a matter of fact, I can't see myself as I am without seeing God as He is. (Of course, I am not able to see ALL of GOd and take all of Him in, but at times He does open the mind and the heart to feel a little of the weight of the glory of His presence.) The result of seeing God's infinite greatness and holiness is me seeing myself as utterly spiritual bankrupt. All my righteousness, my very best I could ever muster for God, seems like dirty tampons before God.

2) Seeing God for who He is doesn't stop there of course. As great as God is, He is also full of love, grace, and mercy. Through the cross of Jesus, I see the love of God displayed to me and I see a way to find closeness, connection, and friendship with this Great Being. The awakening always moves from a vision of infinite holiness to a corresponding vision of infinite love. In an awakening, people see how unlovely they are in light of the greatness of God and yet how great His love is for such unlovely people.

3) Seeing the love of God that has been offered to me through the cross of Jesus, my response is, as a gift of the Spirit, great love back to God. This love, being a gift of the Spirit burring inside of us, is as much a gift of grace as the love God has toward us. This love burns in us to want to live in honor for God.

4) This love also brings us in union with God's love for others. By seeing the presence of God and the love He has for us and the world, we are filled with the same love. Our hearts, like Isaiah's, become burdens for others. To taste of something so magnificent spurs us to share with others the same.

5) In the context of this revelation, God works with power bringing peace, healing, a powerful community.

It could be laid out like this: presence of God to the greatness of God to the love of God for us to the love for God in us to the love God in us for others to the presence and power of God through us.

That is now my prayer for Boulder. God you are here. Show yourself.