How to experience personal revival
Yes I read Andrew Strom's dissertation on the subject and then the thought occured to me (sermonindex.net) and then through that site revivalschool.com I think he's in NZ. Why don't I write my own notes? After all I experienced personal revival, I even have it videotaped to some degree. I didnt even know it was the Lord Jesus working in my life though of course I had sense.
I didn't do anything to reap this huge reward. it happened in my sleep! I went to bed in my sins and woke up it was all on, I thought 'my gosh its like theres a church in my room'. I could sense the Glory of God and great brightness all around me. I could configure in my mind's eye or spirit the angels of God ascending and descending. And what did I do to deserve this? Nothing. I just prayed thats all. I was doing menial tasks looking after my two kids no wife (deceased) and suffering such depression of soul every day I could hardly lift my head in the mornings I would run to Mcdonalds when I was on the road to seek solace and comfort and I knew what they were thinking 'O here's that depressed looking guy we know his order already'. So humiliating and yet there was nothing I could do. Downstairs the young lady was driving me nuts on phone calls to Usa at 2am talking loudly she was nothing compared to what was to come! But because of the difficulties I experienced with her I started to pray strongly at night climbing vertically pleading with God I guess Andrew Strom would say 'wrestling with him'. I didn't fast I didn't pray in any specific way I just prayed! O Lord please abide with me'. Then I discovered two prayers a. abide with me I prayed it until He (God) brought the house down around my ears and b. Dont leave me. Once the spirit of God came down as indeed it did I prayed just as desperately that the 'Spirit of God' would stay I guess it was the Holy Spirit I had already been baptised in Jesus name. It was unwilling in the beginning you know come and go but eventually it stayed. When I sensed it disappearing I would pray desperately and stay up late to wait on God. I was arranging the cups in my cup board (ha!) and I saw the 'hand of God' in mine arranging them o joy! He's back I could relax and go to bed full of joy again: Lord don't you realise you're all I need. I didn't do anything except a. suffer and b. pray and all of a sudden the 'Spirit of God' flooded my life. That's it what more do you want: a six page dissertation or 186 Bible verses. I'm just telling you what happened and I'm now waiting on God to see it happen again believing on him as of a month ago because now I can see thirteen years later what happened in that time though I was not aware of it as I am now it was total transformative change, total personal revival that touched the lives of everyone I met. Is that ok with you? I'm laughing friends because I did nothing it was God who decided to act and do it all for me. Until He decides, it's useless, just keep trying. But it's a decision only God can make. Just recently He said: 'I can see what you're doing don't give up I said: ' O Lord why cant you do it now' He said 'prepare the fallow ground first' like Charles Finney said in his devastating sermon to Christians 'preparing the fallow ground'. O yes thankyou Lord and to those who made it possible for me to read these revival sermons at sermonindex.net in particular our moderator Greg Gordon thankyou Lord for making these things available to me in my period of wilderness wanderings. You fed Elijah with bread and meat through ravens 'O come on you gotta be kidding but thats what you did and youre feeding me with these resources while I'm mourning and grieving on your spirit, for your Holy Spirit, for you to come down off your throne and walk amongst us as you did before and as you did two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and tomorrow. It's no different it can happen today don't tell me you're not interested in revival don't you say that to me.It says it in God's word 2 Chronicles 7:14 'If My people call upon My name and humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways I will heal them forgive their sins heal their land.' Don't tell me you don't believe if you don't you have a problem with God's word and I have met plenty in this category be they ministers or congregation alike fortunately not all. Jesus spoke about them:'the blind leading the blind both will fall into the ditch'!
There's more: I even thought it would have been better not to meet the Lord at all than to meet him and miss Him! This kind of thinking,in retrospect,is pure faith. it still amazes me, the depth the Lord took me in his outpouring, there was no restraint on His part.