Growing up as a PK (preacher's kid), I've had my share of going to church. I've probably had your share, too. Growing up, we went to church more than we went to the grocery store.
All the churches we went to up until we went to the church where I go now would have revival twice a year, nightly for a week in the summer and spring, except for a few who had a three nighter for spring. It was one Wednesday night at one of those three nighters 54 years ago that I answered the call of Jesus for salvation. Yes, a little-preacher's-kid-go-to-church-more-than-to-the-grocery-store-girl had to heed the call to come to Jesus just like the meanest kid on the block had to. All the Jesus rules are the same for everybody. In HIS eyes, we are all the same. That revival that year was the most important decision making revivals in my life. But not the last one, not by a long shot.
At the church where I go now, the church where I married The Husband, and the church where I have raised The Girl has weekly spring revival, weekly VBS, and weekly summer revival. Summer revival is services held twice daily, morning and night. For all of you familiar with camp meeting, maybe they are the only ones who have a revival service more often with three services. I'm not that familiar with camp meeting, just revival. The revival week that my family holds dear begins this Sunday.
I find many definitions of "revival". One says "an improvement in the condition or strength of something" and another "a renewed attention to or interest in something". The ultimate goal of a revival is to lead souls to Jesus, as I was led. Since I have aged and experienced many revivals since that day, I have learned that it's so much more. To a child, it's a time that you might get to have friends over from church to spend the night and go back to church the next morning. Or it could be a time adults look forward to "feeding the preachers lunch".
I've learned that now revival is a time for me to lay aside all I can and just concentrate on praising Jesus. I've learned that following HIM and doing HIS bidding along with my praise holds blessings more than my heart can comprehend. I've also learned that although revival time is set aside for one week in the summer, it's a way of life and a way of heart that we all need to practice every day. Yes. Every. Single. Day.
If you are reading this and go to my church, I hope I see you at services even every single day. I hope that revival can be to your heart what I know it is to mine. I know, too, it's not that many years away when Jesus will speak to a little heart inside The Grandbaby and her time will come to come to Jesus. I hope when that time comes, she wants to RUN to Jesus! It's up to me and all those that love her to let her know every single day that Jesus loves her more. May I never fail at that task.
Back in the winter, The Grandbaby began singing a Christian song. I was amazed that no one actually taught it to her as it was not a child's song and very wordy. It was even on the radio as I picked her up at her house the other day and she recognized it immediately and said, "That's a night night song." She said, "My mommy sings it to me." As I recalled, I thought then that her mommy sang it to her when she was a baby regularly, maybe even daily, and that same song gave her mommy strength in a time when she needed it most. That song is a reminder of the power of the Lord, HIS provisions, and HIS promises. So as I thought of that particular song AND revival, I realized it says how I want to be spiritually during revival time and every day. It's probably familiar to you. The part The Grandbaby sings in her little childlike voice goes like this and makes my eyes tear up every time...
All the churches we went to up until we went to the church where I go now would have revival twice a year, nightly for a week in the summer and spring, except for a few who had a three nighter for spring. It was one Wednesday night at one of those three nighters 54 years ago that I answered the call of Jesus for salvation. Yes, a little-preacher's-kid-go-to-church-more-than-to-the-grocery-store-girl had to heed the call to come to Jesus just like the meanest kid on the block had to. All the Jesus rules are the same for everybody. In HIS eyes, we are all the same. That revival that year was the most important decision making revivals in my life. But not the last one, not by a long shot.
At the church where I go now, the church where I married The Husband, and the church where I have raised The Girl has weekly spring revival, weekly VBS, and weekly summer revival. Summer revival is services held twice daily, morning and night. For all of you familiar with camp meeting, maybe they are the only ones who have a revival service more often with three services. I'm not that familiar with camp meeting, just revival. The revival week that my family holds dear begins this Sunday.
I find many definitions of "revival". One says "an improvement in the condition or strength of something" and another "a renewed attention to or interest in something". The ultimate goal of a revival is to lead souls to Jesus, as I was led. Since I have aged and experienced many revivals since that day, I have learned that it's so much more. To a child, it's a time that you might get to have friends over from church to spend the night and go back to church the next morning. Or it could be a time adults look forward to "feeding the preachers lunch".
I've learned that now revival is a time for me to lay aside all I can and just concentrate on praising Jesus. I've learned that following HIM and doing HIS bidding along with my praise holds blessings more than my heart can comprehend. I've also learned that although revival time is set aside for one week in the summer, it's a way of life and a way of heart that we all need to practice every day. Yes. Every. Single. Day.
If you are reading this and go to my church, I hope I see you at services even every single day. I hope that revival can be to your heart what I know it is to mine. I know, too, it's not that many years away when Jesus will speak to a little heart inside The Grandbaby and her time will come to come to Jesus. I hope when that time comes, she wants to RUN to Jesus! It's up to me and all those that love her to let her know every single day that Jesus loves her more. May I never fail at that task.
Back in the winter, The Grandbaby began singing a Christian song. I was amazed that no one actually taught it to her as it was not a child's song and very wordy. It was even on the radio as I picked her up at her house the other day and she recognized it immediately and said, "That's a night night song." She said, "My mommy sings it to me." As I recalled, I thought then that her mommy sang it to her when she was a baby regularly, maybe even daily, and that same song gave her mommy strength in a time when she needed it most. That song is a reminder of the power of the Lord, HIS provisions, and HIS promises. So as I thought of that particular song AND revival, I realized it says how I want to be spiritually during revival time and every day. It's probably familiar to you. The part The Grandbaby sings in her little childlike voice goes like this and makes my eyes tear up every time...
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
The sun comes up
It's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass
And whatever lies before me
Let me be singing
When the evening comes
It's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass
And whatever lies before me
Let me be singing
When the evening comes
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
And the part The Grandbaby doesn't know the words to and gets me also go like this:
You're rich in love
And You're slow to anger
Your name is great
And Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness
I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons
For my heart to find
And You're slow to anger
Your name is great
And Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness
I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons
For my heart to find
Bless the Lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
Bless You Lord
Oh my soul
Worship His Holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I'll worship Your Holy name
Bless You Lord
And on that day
When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will
Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore
Forevermore
When my strength is failing
The end draws near
And my time has come
Still my soul will
Sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years
And then forevermore
Forevermore
Ain't that all good?
So wherever you are and whatever you are doing, let's have a revival in our hearts. Every. Single. Day.
Consider.........
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