“He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.”      Luke 1:16 NIV

John would be used to “bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God”, and “to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous”. These are the two great commandments, to love God and to love others, beginning in the home. In times of spiritual declension, people invariably forsake these two great commandments. They turn away from God in self-willed disobedience and they selfishly disregard love for others. Therefore, in times of revival, the process must be reversed. People must turn in repentance toward God, seeking to obey His holy commandments, and they must turn in repentance toward those they have wronged, beginning with family relationships, and begin to practice biblical love. If we want God to send revival, God’s people must humble themselves, confess their wretched love of self, and seek to obey God and serve one another in love. Rather than blame others, we must point the finger at ourselves in genuine repentance. We must go to God first, and then to those we have sinned against, and ask for forgiveness for our self-centred attitudes and sinful behaviour. If we want God to send revival, we must be righteous in His sight, set apart unto Him, filled with His Spirit, and repentant of all our sins.

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, stir our hearts to repentance.

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we come to You in repentance, and to those we have sinned against, seeking forgiveness for our self-centred attitudes and sinful behaviour. Lord, send revival, as we seek to be righteous in Your sight, set apart unto You, filled with Your Spirit, and repentant of all our sins. AMEN

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Micah 5:2-5

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