5 Signs to Show that You Need a Spiritual Revival

Spiritual Revival is a reawakening of spiritual fervor that brings about the renewal of your spirit man. It is the renewed love for God and the things of God in man. 

In the church today, the essence of spiritual revival among christians have been lost because they have turned away from the truth. Some churches do not see the need of the move of the holy spirit . Christianity has become a tradition and we desperately need to be revived as a church. The Bible speaks about revival several times . The best and known revivals were led by King Hezekiah and King Josiah . 

Josiah was just eight years old when he became king. He began to seek after the lord and developed a hunger for Him . King Josiah acted upon his seeking heart and purged the land of Judah of idolatry and immorality . He restored the Temple and established worship in it's proper place. As the land turned away from idolatry, there was a natural turning towards God. With Josiah leading the way, the nation put itself under the authority of the word of God. Repentance and obedience to the word of God brings revival. 

King Hezekiah was also an instrument of revival during his reign as the king in Judah. Hezekiah was against idol worship and disregard for the temple of God . He began the reformation of the temple by cleaning it up. Through all the 16 years of his father's reign , people had not gone to church nor taken care of the things of God. He also called the priests and the Levites to come together and purify themselves for the service of God . The hearts of the people turned away from idolatry and wickedness and repentance brought about revival in the land of Judah.

Revival is needed when people have strayed from God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, " If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways . I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." 

Revival involves turning back to God and seeking him with all your heart. As believers, there is a need for spiritual revival in our lives and here are a few signs to show that you need revival.

1. When you love the world more than you love God. 

1 John 2:15 -17 says, " If anyone loves the world , the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world , the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the father but is of this world . And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 

The love of the world is a sign of spiritual decline . The world is passing away with it's desires, but whoever does the will of God will abide forever. When you love the world more than God, you will miss out on spiritual growth and revival . Those who prioritize their relationship with God will experience renewal and transformation in their lives. As children of God our focus should not be on material things, social status or worldly pleasures but rather on developing a good relationship with God. There is a great fulfilment of purposes and alignment of values when you are revived. 

2. A decline in spiritual practices, such as prayer, bible study or attending church. 

Disregard to the things of God and pride causes spiritual decline . Our soul needs spiritual nourishment to thrive and this can be done through prayer, and bible study. When we stop engaging our spiritual lives with worship, prayer and bible study , there is a spiritual stagness and dryness. We need to seek renewal when our spiritual lives begin to decline. 

Sometimes when you get busy with work and life and then retreat from your regularly prayer, bible study and going to church , you might feel disconnected from God . It is important to note that your spiritual life can come alive as long you start to pray and read your bible again.

Revival can come in diverse forms, such as a fresh encounter with God, a renewed sense of purpose ,or a spiritual wake-up call. 

3. When you give excuses for sin in your life and you are entertained by things that once grieved you.

You should not tolerate habits and addictions in your life. Jesus is our standard as christians, and we should live up to his expectations. The book of Matthew 5 : 48 says, " Be ye perfect , just as your father in heaven is perfect". 

You might try to justify actions rather than admitting it and come unto repentance , overtime this can cause a person to become numb to the things of God . 

When you make excuses for your sin, you need through the process of conviction and repentance in order to experience spiritual revival. We cannot claim to love Jesus and consistently make choices that serve ourselves instead of honouring him. If you have sin in your life, don't give excuses for it, confess it! 

4. When the fear of God is no longer in your heart, you need spiritual revival.

It is a sign that have drifted away from God when you do not fear him . Where there is no fear of God, there's no limit to evil.The fear of God in your heart keeps you away from sin and brings about revival by keeping you in the right perspective . When there is a reverence for God, you're more likely to submit to his will. The fear of God ultimately leads to a deeper and more intimate relationship with God which is the basis of spiritual revival. The Bible says in psalms 2:11, " Serve the lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling". 

5. Your giving is measured and calculated rather than sacrificial.

Sacrificial giving is giving beyond your means for the love of another and unto the lord. Unless the act of giving takes a heavy toil on the giver , it is not considered sacrificial. 

When your giving is not sacrificial, it can be a sign that your heart is not fully surrendered to God. We may be giving out of a sense of duty or obligation , rather than out of a desire to please God and serve others . Giving sacrificially can lead to a deeper spiritual renewal .

Believers should walk in the fruits of the spirit. In Galatians 5 :22 , the bible tells us that, " But the fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace , patience, kindness , goodness, faithfulness , gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law". When we are not exhibiting these fruits in our lives, it can be a sign that we are out of alignment with the Holy Spirit. But when we walk in the fruits of the spirit, it is an evidence of true spiritual revival. 

Conclusion

These signs to know that you need spiritual revival are not meant to cause guilt and shame, but to help us identify areas where we may need to focus on renewal. It is important to know that renewal is a process, not a one time event. As we continue to seek God and obey his will, we can experience a deeper level of spiritual revival overtime.