The history of revival reveals the transformation that takes place in a city, a region or even a nation when God pushes back the powers of darkness and pours out His Spirit. Over the last 6 years as I have read many books and viewed many DVD accounts of revival I have been burdened to pray, “Lord, do it again...do it here!”
It is God’s desire to bring His transforming presence and power to our region. We see this in His words in Isaiah 62:1. “I will not hold My peace...I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns.” Isaiah 62:1 God’s great desire is to establish righteousness among His people. He is relentless in pursuing our hearts.
Then in verse 4 He describes the transformation that takes place among His people and in the land. “You shall no longer be called Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be called Desolate. But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah, for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married” Isaiah 62:4. He speaks of their present condition as being forsaken and desolate and He describes their condition after He has transformed them as “Hephzibah” which means “My delight” and “Beulah” which means “married.” From being desolate before the Lord to being a delight to Him—that’s spiritual transformation.
As we pray for God to bring His transforming presence and power to our region we must come into agreement with God’s heart. His heart now is the same as in the days of Isaiah. He wants His people to be righteous. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” The first priority of God’s kingdom is righteousness. And in Romans 14:17 we read, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Again, the kingdom of God is first righteousness and then peace and joy!
God did not say in Isaiah that His relentless desire was that His people be happy, or have jobs or have a strong economy. God’s relentless desire was to make His people holy. If we come into agreement with God’s heart and pursue holiness before Him then He will bring us true happiness and joy and perhaps economic prosperity but if we pursue prosperity first we will find ourselves on the outside of God’s will and miss His heart.
I pray that God will put into the hearts of His people the desire to see God’s transforming presence and power in revival. I pray that we would align ourselves with His priority for righteousness and holiness before Him. I pray that we will wake up and see the possibilities of a mighty move of God and answer God’s call to persistent prayer and “not keep silent and give Him no rest” (Isaiah 62:6-7) till He does come and visit our hearts and our families and our churches and yes, our culture with His transforming power.
Pastor Dan
Pastor: Cortland Trinity Baptist Church
wwwcortlandtrinity.com
On January 1, 2012 Pastor Barker delivered a challenging exhortation to the congregation of Cortland Trinity entitled A Comprehensive Vision for Regional Transformation. If you are further interested in this subject of Regional Transformation and would like to listen to this timely message, please click on the below link.
