Luke 14:28 :
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”
The above scripture is important to preparing for a revival in that, one has to be aware of the cost of a revival. How do I adequately prepare for a journey without knowing what the journey requires?
A revival is the work of God and not the work of men, it is an invasion of fresh spiritual life where there is only deadness, it is an extraordinary work of God producing extraordinary result among both fervent, backslidden believers as well as sinners, it is imperative to know what we must sacrifice to get God to move so mightily as to give life to the dead in and around our lives.
THE COST OF REVIVAL
1. Sacrifice of time: Everyone loves their time and would love to do what they want when they want it but for one who is after a revival, his time belongs to God. A life of Revival is one where God directs your time, He may call you to prayer when you want to study and to study when you want to sleep. He may even call you to rest when you want to pray. It is a life where time is resigned to his will and desire.
2: Sacrifice of sleep: A revived life is one immersed deeply in the things of God. A life where your sleep time ever so often will be a time of deep study and intense prayer.
The pursuit of God is the distance from sleep. Now, know that God is not unjust, He knows when you need to rest and your body needs a break. The sleep spoken of here is one done casually and not according to God’s will.
3: Sacrifice of food/appetite: A life of Revival will cost you your appetite, both for food and whatever else would take God’s priority in your life. It is a call to a fasted life, where you will be required to fast often from food, movies even some relationships in your life. All to starve your flesh, so you die to it and can be reborn in your spirit with and by the life of God.
4: Sacrifice of control: To bring down revival, you would have to give up control of your will and your emotions. A ship cannot have two masters. For God to steer your life and heart completely and according to His own will, you have to submit and relinquish control of your life to God. All your want, desire and will has to be submitted and scanned in the light of God’s word and will.
5: Sacrifice of Pride: A life-seeking revival is one that does not promote itself, a life that spends time seeking and agreeing with God on the actual state of its spiritual life. If God says you are at 20%, you do not spend time arguing why you think you are at 80%, instead, you submit and agree and begin to work in alliance with His Word to become better.
You sacrifice your pride daily as you search yourself for any and all loopholes in your relationship with God even if your mind and head tell you, you are perfect. You choose God’s opinion above all else!
Now, this is not an exhaustive list of the cost of a revival and this is not meant to scare you off the pursuit and desire for a revival. It is meant to guide you in preparing for a revival.
All this will be empty words of do’s and don’ts without the Holy spirit, so as you read this, begin to ask the Holy Spirit to help you know what sacrifices you must make as an individual or as a church to be ready to receive His revival.
Oh how ready He is to hear you as you pray now. Hallelujah!!