The idea of revival originates in the reality that, on the one hand, God is the

decisive giver of all spiritual life and, on the other hand, humans, even those
who are born again and part of God’s covenant family, from time to time drift
into a kind of lifelessness and lethargy and backsliding and indifference and
weakness. And when you put those two together — God as the giver of life and
man as ever drifting towards lifelessness — what you get is the need for the
hope of reviving, coming back to life — a fresh outpouring of God’s live-giving
Spirit on his people. That is what revival is.

“God is the decisive giver of all spiritual life, so ask for

a fresh outpouring of his live-giving Spirit.”
So, for example, we read a prayer to God in Psalm 85:6, “Will you not revive us
again, that your people may rejoice in you?” Or, Habakkuk 3:2, “O Lord, I have
heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the
years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember
mercy.” Or, Psalm 80:18, “Give us life, and we will call upon your name!”
Or, Isaiah 57:15, “Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits
eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with
him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to
revive the heart of the contrite.’”
And alongside those passages about reviving, you read the history of Israel —
and it is just one up-and-down after the other. One king is wicked and God
withholds his blessing or sends judgment. Another king recovers godliness
and there is a reviving and an awakening of true worship for a season. And up
and down it goes. And when you turn to the New Testament, even though the
period of time is really short between Jesus’s resurrection and the close of the
New Testament — maybe forty years or so — we do get glimpses already of
churches that were in need of reviving.

I think the book of Hebrews was written to a church like that. You hear it
in Hebrews 5:12, “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need
someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.”
Or, Hebrews 12:12, “Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out
of joint.” So, this is a church that is already drooping. It is already dragging. It
has gotten tired already and needs reviving.
Then, when you read the prayers of Paul, this is where I feel it. When you read
the prayers of Paul in his letters, they read just like prayers that would be
made for churches that are drifting into lifelessness. There are few prayers in
the Bible that have had a reviving, challenging, awakening, renewing effect on
me like Ephesians 3, where Paul prays like this:

[I pray] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened
with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength
to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with
all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16–19)
Over the years in my pastoral ministry, that prayer to have power to
comprehend the height and depth and length and breadth and to be filled with
all the fullness of God was a heart cry because of how short I knew I fell of
being filled with all the fullness of God.

“My heart cry is to be filled with all the fullness of God

because I know I fall far short of it.”
In the history of the church, the term revival in its most biblical sense has
meant a sovereign work of God in which the whole region of many churches,
many Christians has been lifted out of spiritual indifference and worldliness
into conviction of sin, earnest desires for more of Christ and his word,
boldness in witness, purity of life, lots of conversions, joyful worship, renewed
commitment to missions. You feel God has moved here. And basically revival,
then, is God doing among many Christians at the same time or in the same
region, usually, what he is doing all the time in individual Christian’s lives as
people get saved and individually renewed around the world.

3 Ways to Revive your Spirit: 5

quotes to Inspire You
This blog post is shared through Tigerlily Foundation’s partnership with CTCA.
What does it really mean to revive?  Simply put, it means “to make something operative or
valid again.” So what is it about your spirit that has been inoperative or lost its validity? Here’s
a quick test: Do you find yourself brooding over everyday life irritations? Do you have trouble
remembering the last time you felt truly joyful?
It may be that your inner spirit needs an “awakening” and spring is a great time to take stock
and take action toward a happier, anxiety-free outlook!  Here are three suggestions to help
revive your spirit plus our Cancer Fighters® members share “5 Inspiring Quotes” to get you
started.

1. Strengthen Your Core

When we focus on strengthening our spirit, the core of who we are, our whole being is
conditioned to perform better – emotionally, mentally and physically. Depending on your
individual interests, some exercises to strengthen your spiritual core may include:

 Writing in a journal

 Praying

 Meditating

 Reading scripture or other inspiration materials

 Attending worship services

 Conscious acts of forgiveness

 Finding a safe place and person to talk to

 Engaging in nature walks, art therapy or music therapy

 Deep breathing

Really, any activity that puts you in touch with – not distracted from – your thoughts and
feelings can increase your capacity to live joyfully in the present moment. Some experts refer to
these types of activities as “mindfulness”. Several studiespublished in the Journal of Clinical
Oncology showed that mindfulness can help improve overall mood, promote emotional,
physical and social well-being, and decrease anxiety, depression and anger.
In the blog, Revive Yourself, Your Spirit and Your Health,  Percy McCray, Jr., Director of
Faith-Based Programs at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) warns what can
happen when we don’t invest the time to develop our spiritual health.
“It’s important to pause and reflect. If we don’t, we end up spending our time shopping, eating,
drinking and socializing in often futile attempts to revive our souls.” Rev. Percy says, “instead
of feeling re-energized, these indulgences can leave us feeling lethargic and without purpose.
Yet, at the core of every person there is a thirst, hunger and desire to have real meaning, value
and purpose in life.

2. Build (or Re-build) Healthy Relationships

For many people, living with cancer gives them a new perspective, one in which they value
relationships above everything else. However, given the stress of a cancer diagnosis and
treatment, it’s not surprising that problems often arise in relationships, especially between
couples. Michael Uhl, MA, MDiv, LMFT, Mind-Body Therapist at CTCA® in Zion, Illinois
tells couples to “fight the cancer, not each other”. He offers the following strategies for building
(or re-building) healthy relationships:
 Keep the lines of communication open and draw on past experience. Any time
there’s a crisis, strive to increase communication. The goal should be mutual
 understanding, but not necessarily an agreement. It may hurt to share feelings but
unshared feelings are what diminish relationships.

 Shore up your support network. Even if your partner is willing to do it all, bringing
friends and other family members on board can provide a much-needed break from
caregiving responsibilities. Both patients and caregivers need some “away time” to
process the many feelings and emotions experienced through cancer treatment,
recovery and survivorship.

 Talk with a therapist with a background in cancer. Speaking with a therapist, who
is unbiased and has experience with other cancer patients, can help couples express
their emotions and confirm that the feelings they are experiencing are normal.
Discussing all the emotions—fear, anger or grief—either together or separately gets
them out in the open and also helps build useful coping tools.

Right relationships with people you love–a spouse, family or close friends – and enjoying things
that you love doing together, are energizing. They have a restoring and renewing quality.

3. Mind Your Mind

What do you spend your time thinking about? It’s natural for people to ask “why me?” when
faced with a serious illness. However, focusing on this question can get you stuck and
frustrated. On the contrary, focusing your thoughts on things that bring you hope can make
you feel empowered and revive your spirit.

We asked members of our Cancer Fighters community, all cancer survivors, to share words of
encouragement that they find “uplifting to their spirit”. Here are five of their “Inspiring
Quotes” to encourage you:

“Per Ardua.”  This Latin phrase means “through difficulties” and it is the McIntyre family
motto. Shared by: Richard A. McIntyre, Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.

“God’s got the cancer, the cancer doesn’t have me!” Shared by: Viola Jones, Olathe, Kansas.

“We decide the first day of our cancer diagnosis whether we are going to be victims or
survivors. We decide to muster up all our strength to fight to win. We decide to stay positive
and not let cancer define us. We decide how we are going to handle each day. There are good
days and bad days, but our attitudes determine each day… ” (Originally by: Ann, founder of
www.lymphomaclub.com)  Shared by Stacy Foltz, Bristol, Wisconsin.

David Brown and Kathy Mosley, a patient and caregiver from Fairbanks, Alaska, say they find
great comfort and peace from one of the Baha’i prayers from Baha’u’llah in the Baha’i Prayer
book:

“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy.  Nearness to

Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion.  Thy mercy to me is my healing and my
succor in both this world and the world to come.  Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-
Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Kimalea Conrad, a cancer survivor from Telluride, Colorado says she finds inspiration in Bible
verses; the one cited below is among her favorites. Conrad says, ““To me, this verse means that
cancer has no power to make me afraid unless I allow it.”

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2
Timothy 1:7

As every survivor and caregiver knows, overcoming cancer often requires a heroic amount of
physical, emotional and spiritual strength. “Connecting to a higher source of power can
provide that balance, stability and grounding, Rev. Percy says.  “Many of us forget to look for
meaning, value and purpose in the most obvious places: service, forgiveness, hope, peace and
faith. In many ways, connecting to these universal forces of empowerment is the easiest way to
revive our spirit.”

Why Do We Need Revival?

What a thought to know that someone who is spiritually alive
needs reviving! The flame of life within their soul is dimming, like
a candle, whose wax is slowly waning. There are some Christians
who are like this, they are barely alive.
They have fallen away from their faith, like falling into quicksand,
slowly descending further into its depths. They have grown cold
and indifferent. They have become like the world.
Did you know that you can only revive something that once was
alive? If it has never been alive, it cannot be revived, it can only be
brought to life.
Psalm 85 speaks to those who have become lukewarm Christians.
They are no longer on fire for the Lord. They have become casual
Christians, only showing a spiritual side when it benefits their
worldly desires.
 Psalm 85:1-3 points toward the mercy of God: “You,

Lord.”
 Psalm 85:4-5 tells us to remember: “Restore us again.”
  Psalm 85:6 is about restoration: “Revive us again.”
The psalmist was requesting that God resuscitate his people or
bring them back to life. God is equipped and is very capable of
restoring the two, the churches and the people. He can shower us
with his affections, taking and bringing us back to where we
should be, adoring and worshiping him. 
In a church hymnal, “Revive Us Again,” we sing:
We praise the Thee, O God! For the Son of Thy love, For Jesus Who
died, And is now gone above. Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again.
If we need restoration, if we need renewal, if we need revival in
our congregation, in our family, or even in our individual spiritual
life, we ought to seek out and request that God equip us with the
renewing of his love, grace, and mercy.
How do we do this? This occurs through the continual use of CPR
(Christ Providing Rejuvenation), and by obtaining a regularly
scheduled spiritual exam, which is much like a physical.
In a church hymnal, “Search Me,” we sing:
Search me, O God, and know my heart today. Try me, O Savior,
know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me.
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.
According to the Bible, we are to examine ourselves:
Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; (Psalm
26:2).
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread
and drink from the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test
yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless,
of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Allowing a Revival in Our Hearts

While a genuine restoration or revival has a place only with God's
children, it carries with it a gift for the other sheep who are not yet
in the fold. If you drop a stone into a lake the ring extends
consistently, until the farthest corner of the lake feels the impact.
When we allow the Lord to restore a believer, very soon their
family, companions, and neighbors get a portion of that benefit;
for when a Christian is resuscitated and revived, they pray more
intensely for sinners.
Yearning and a cherishing petition for all of us who are sinners is
one of the signs of a recovery in the reestablished heart.
Since salvation is necessary for everyone, the gift comes from
those who hear the supplications (prayers); hence the kingdom
increases by a revival.
Before long, the revived Christian talks about Jesus and the
gospel; a great seed is planted, and the good seed is never lost,
for he has said, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It
will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
The good seed is that which is planted in the soil, and in the
hearts. God readies the soil, with the goal that the seed rises for
harvest. Subsequently, by the witness of the believers, another
entryway of mercy opens up to humanity.
For a congregation that continually requires restoration and
revival, it is a sign of possibly false teaching, unchallenging words,
or lack of encouragement. A church congregation should be a
camp of fighters, not a clinic of invalids.
In any case, there is much contrast between what should be and
what is, and therefore a considerable number of the children of
God are in such a tragic state of existence that the exceptionally
fittest petition is for them to be revived.
Whenever Christians are resuscitated, they live more reliably. They
make their homes all the more blessed and more joyful, and this
drives those that do not know Christ to enquire after their
joyfulness.
Unbelievers do long to fill the void in their hearts that only the
Lord can fill. Their mouths water for the Living Water.
Furthermore, there is another gift, for it drives men to look for the
Savior.
Assuming that an unbeliever ventures into a church service where
everyone is resuscitated, they will not fall asleep under the
message.
The preacher will not allow them to do that, for this unbeliever
sees that the person in the pulpit feels what he is preaching about
and needs to be heard. This is an unmistakable increase, for the
person tunes in with profound inclination.
Moreover, the Holy Spirit's power, which the preacher has
received in reply to prayer happens upon the listener's heart and
they are persuaded of their wrongdoing, of God’s righteousness,
and of the judgment to come.
Christians who are on the watch around this unbeliever rush to tell
them of the Savior and his redeeming blood, so that although the
revival is for the people of God, its consequence no man can
restrict.
Why Does Revival for Believers Matter?
Let us look for a revival now and throughout the year so that the
new year might open with a plentiful beatitude. We should
promise ourselves to create a supplication association (prayer
group), a consecrated band of prayer warriors, and may God do
unto us as per our faith.
Revival is the product of all Christians praying and seeking the
Holy Spirit’s presence. The product of a revival is the rejoicing for
the one that was slipping away and now that has been brought
back to life.