DESPERATE FOR GOD

“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”  So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.  Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?  Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;  Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.  Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”  (Joel 2:12-17)

 

• When our pursuit of God exceeds our passion for all else, we will have revival. 
• When our desire for Him surpasses our delight in food, we will have revival.
• When we would mourn over our loss of the sense of God’s presence more than the loss of any material thing, we will have revival.
• When there is an inward disposition of repentance and not just an outward display of religion, we will have revival.
• When we are more concerned for confessing our sin than covering it up, we will have revival.
• When we are more interested in meeting to pray in church than gathering to play at church, we will have revival.
• When the preachers are desperate for God’s name than for their own fame, we will have revival.

In anticipation of the sacred assembly coming April 19-22, I am pleading with all of us to become desperate for God.  For a forty day period, March 1-April 9, would you consider a time of fasting and prayer?  You might fast for one meal a day, or for all but one meal a day, you might fast all day and drink only liquids, or you might deny yourself of a favorite food or all sweets, you might abstain from media or a hobby—but the main thing is that you will use the time to be in prayer, seeking revival!  Ask God to lead you, and He will.

Let’s be desperate for God!