Revival And Restoration

In 2016, I sought the Lord for insight into what many prophetic voices were sharing regarding the New Year beginning with Rosh Hashanah 2016. Many were speaking similar words (reset, rebuild, reboot, refresh) that caught my attention. As I pondered this the Lord spoke to me that there is power in the prefix “re.” The prefix “re-” origin is Latin and means “again, back.”  It means to “do something again; return to a previous condition.”

The Power of “RE”

I was reminded of a commercial where a little girl is pushing a revolving door, running in circles and shouting “again!”  I immediately think of the 3 Rs, redemption, reconciliation and restoration.

We have been redeemed through the blood of the Lamb. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

And because of him we are reconciled back to God and given the ministry of reconciliation. Romans 5:10 says, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus came to proclaim good news, bind up the brokenhearted, to set the captives free and proclaim God’s grace (favor) so that we might have an abundant life. Isaiah 61:1-3 God desires to restore marriages, families, broken relationships, friendships, hope, health, faith, joy, purity, trust and much more. Whatever the enemy has tried to steal from you, God wants to restore it. God wants to make it better than before. Just receive what He desires to do for His children.

Yet, there’s more. These are just some of the powerful words with the prefix “re” that reflect God’s love towards humanity:  repent, repentance, rebuild, recompense, repay, reborn, renew, rebound, refresh, rediscover, redirect, return. Below are some of my favorite scriptures (with emphasis added in bold) that speak to the power of God to bring revival and restoration to His people and nations.

There’s renew: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

And revive: “For this is what the high and exalted One says– he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15)

And refresh and restore: “he refreshes my soul.” (Psalm 23:3a)

And rebuild and replant. “Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’” (Ezekiel 36:36)

Since that time I’ve been observing what is taking place in the world and believe there is coming an outpouring of God’s Spirit (Acts 2:17):

“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Acts 2:17-18

Amazingly, there is no limit to what God will lovingly and lavishly do for those who are willing to return and repent.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 

Acts 3:19-21

The Bible makes it clear that we can expect visits from God. The Hebrew word for visitation, paqad, indicates a time when God breaks into human history in order to bless or to punish individuals or nations. This visitation always changes the destiny of the person or nation, whether they are ready for it or not. Very few people are ready for a visitation from God.

We have are entered into a time in which God will reveal Himself mightily through outpourings of His Spirit, divine visitations, healing and deliverance, miracles that will shift nations, whole cities and communities, churches, and families and relationships.

We can see in the Bible where God visited His people at different times:

And the LORD visited [emphasis mine] Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken (Gen. 21:1 KJV)

And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited [emphasis mine] the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped (Exodus 4:31 KJV)

Many people miss the visitations of the Lord because they do not recognize them as such. They did not come in a form that they were expecting or in a form that they approve of. Regardless of whether we expect—or want—to experience a visitation from God, He comes. Jesus wept because the people did not recognize the day of their visitation from God (Luke 19:41-44).

It seems as though the Body of Christ has fallen asleep. The Lord wants to awaken and revive His Church through revival.  True revival is when the living God sovereignly and powerfully breaks into human history with the good news of His salvation. A visitation of God which brings a renewed sense of God’s presence, power, holiness, and truth that inevitably spills out of the church and into the world.

Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God’s near presence and holiness. Thence springs a vivid sense of sin and a profound exercise of heart in repentance, praise, and love, with an evangelistic outflow.

J. I. Packer

God wants to do it again!

Blessing,