(Photo courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

Marked Ministry Online Magazine is not sponsored or endorsed by Sean Feucht or the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Views and opinions expressed here are made independently from Sean Feuct, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and their affiliates. This is an article focused on the subject of prayer and a commentary on pop culture.

Awakening the Heart

By Amber Johnson

Sweeping across the nation and the world, there have been numerous revival movements happening during 2020. It’s in these days of trial that many of us have started looking up instead of looking out.

From Sean Feucht’s “Let Us Worship” movement to the Prayer March on Washington D.C., there has been a call to prayer, repentance, and worship. I have been drawn to these movements, as I’ve wanted to be hyper-focused on God in order to navigate the tenuous circumstances in our world.

God is calling us back to our first love, Himself.

But what does a revival movement look like, and why should we be appreciative of it?

Many of these revival movements across the nation, have simply been a call for believers to gather.

In our Western society, many of us have become so distracted that we’ve forgotten to look deeper. God has given us so many undeserved blessings, and yet an attitude of thankfulness has vanished. We’ve refused to evaluate how we’re living and why we’re living that way. Our prayers have become legalistic or nonexistent. We’re too busy criticizing someone else to really look at our own hearts and the sin that we carry. We fail to recognize how that sin affects people and the world around us.

God is revealing our broken heart condition through these movements.

My husband and I decided to attend a “Let Us Worship” event back in September. I was drawn to the boldness of the event and a willingness to openly worship God.

I was overcome by the number of people who came to place their hope in God at the event. It was powerful to see people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, political parties, and so forth, come together for one reason to be renewed by God.

We each have to humbly choose to turn back to God. We cannot heal without the healing power of a holy and righteous God.

Sheer gratitude was breaking into my soul.

God is calling us to more than mundane-living. The Creator of the universe not only wants a relationship with us, He wants our hearts revived. He wants us living a bold and full life.

How can we not be overwhelmed with awe and thankfulness?

It doesn’t take a grand revival movement it simply starts with the change in our own hearts. Revival is an awakening and opportunity to invite God to begin doing the internal work that we each desperately need. Thankfully, our God doesn’t want to leave us in our broken state.

God clearly states in His Word that if we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). He will reveal Himself to us. He hasn’t left us in our hardships; He is living and active and willing to use those hardships for something greater. He’s bringing more people to know the truth, power, and saving grace of Jesus through these times.

Does a revival need to happen in your heart? God is there waiting to connect with you in prayer.

You can connect with God at any time or anywhere. It’s a beautiful gift. When I turn to God early in the morning listening and talking with God through prayer, I’m more apt to hear what He has to say. I’m less distracted and more focused on Him. It sets me up to be in communication with Him throughout the day.

Find a quiet place or close your eyes and pray right where you are. God is listening. Let us turn to Him in gratitude and reverence.

Lord, bring revival to my heart. Forgive me of my own sins. Shed light on where I am still sinning. Lord, You are good, holy, righteous, and perfect in every way. Thank you for taking my sins away through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Nothing is holding me back from a relationship with you because my debt of sin has been paid. I am unworthy of Your love, but You still give it like a good father to his precious children. Awaken my heart to truth and ignite a passion in me to come back to You and to live out the life You have called me to. May others come to know You through what they see in me. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Video of one of the “Let Us Worship” events: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6eB0wZISQ

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Find out more about Amber by visiting www.fishfulllife.com