2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Revival is certainly needed in our day. You look at society and realize that we are in desperate need of revival. When marriage is under attack by supporters of sodomite marriages; we need a revival. When alcohol flows through the streets of our country like water and is encouraged by the president, sports leagues and liberal preachers alike; we need revival. When the life of a baby in the womb of her mother is of less value than animal life; we need revival. When the morality thermometer is at the bottom and society is not disturbed; we need revival. We could go on and on about the need of revival, and I seriously believe most understand that we need revival.
However, the need for revival doesn't seem to stir God's people to do what it takes to achieve it. According to the verse above, revival is not based upon whether the world does right, it is based upon whether God's people do right. Notice, "If my people,..." It didn't say if the heathen, it said God's people. Revival is totally dependent upon God's people doing what it takes to have revival.
Moreover, the key to the verse above is the word, "humble." God says the spark that starts revival is if God's people will "humble themselves." It takes humility for a person to realize they can't send revival, but revival only comes through the name of Christ. It takes humility for a person to swallow their pride and fall on their face and pray. It takes humility for a person to forsake every other idea that they've learned from books and college to seek the face of God. It takes humility to leave your wicked ways and acknowledge that God's ways are right. Humility is the spark that starts revival.
We say we want to have our prayers answered from Heaven, but we won't humble ourselves. We say we want our sins to be forgiven, but we won't humble ourselves. We say we want our land to be healed, but we won't humble ourselves. We can talk about revival until we are blue in the face, but when you look at the altars of our churches you realize that when they are empty we truly don't want revival. When you look at the prayer closets and see they are empty, you realize it is because we don't honestly want revival. When you look at Christians redefining sin instead of taking God's definition, you quickly realize we don't truly want revival.
Friend, most would say, "Amen" to everything I've written, but you must realize it starts with YOU! You must be the one to humble yourself and do what it takes to spark a revival. You must get rid of your sin to spark the embers of revival. You must be the one who daily prays to spark God to answer prayers. It all starts with personal responsibility.
Revival starts when every individual takes personal responsibility to humble themselves and do what God says is necessary to have revival. Too often we say we want revival, but we look at everyone else and say they need to make these changes. It starts with you today! Do you want revival? Will you humble yourself and forsake your sins? Friend, each one of us needs to look at ourselves honestly, and realize that it doesn't matter what everyone else does, it only matters what we personally do with this verse. If you will honestly humble yourself before God and realize you of yourself cannot send revival, and that your sins have hindered revival and prayerlessness has impeded revival, then your action will be the spark to start revival. I challenge you to be that spark of revival in your world and humble yourself before God.