There Is More! Pursuing Personal Revival

“As long as we are content to live without revival, we will.” Leonard Ravenhill

“We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” G. Campbell Morgan

"If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.” A.W. Tozer

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

You are not enough. God is enough. You don’t have what it takes. God has unlimited power available to you! 

“Luke 11:13 encourages believers to ask God for the Holy Spirit’s continued work and influence in their lives, not to receive the Spirit for the first time, since Scripture elsewhere teaches that all believers receive the Spirit at conversion (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13). All believers have the Holy Spirit, but not all believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time event but may happen again and again in the Christian life.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:15-23 

“The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.” A.W. Tozer

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

“Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

Baptism of the Holy Spirit = Happens the moment that you are saved.

Being Filled with the Holy Spirit =  A day to day commitment to be controlled and empowered by the Spirit.

“Paul uses a present tense imperative verb that could more explicitly be translated, “Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

3 Attitudes That Foster The Spirit-Filled Life 

1. Desperation: Where Hunger Meets Humility

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” He said this about the Spirit.” John 7:37-39

“God waits for the hungry heart. The degree of fullness in any life accords perfectly with the intensity of true desire. We have as much of God as we actually want. I have often said that a Christian is as full of the Holy Spirit as he wants to be.” A.W. Tozer

“Just as water seeks to fill the lowest place, so the moment God finds you humble and empty, His Spirit flows in.” Andrew Murray

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6

“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.” William Law

“God wants you to have something far better than riches and gold, and that is helpless dependence upon Him.” Hudson Taylor

2. Consecration: Repentance and Surrender 

“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." Jeremiah 17:10

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Psalm 66:18

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” D.L. Moody

“The joy all came back in full flood-tide to my heart; I could say anything and feel it then, and the hindrance to blessing was gone—gone, I trust, forever. I well remember how that night, as I went home to my lodgings, my heart was as light as my pocket. The lonely, deserted streets resounded with a hymn of praise which I could not restrain. When I took my basin of gruel before retiring, I would not have exchanged it for a prince’s feast and with peace within and peace without, I spent a happy, restful night.”  Hudson Taylor 

3. Expectation: The Forgotten Factor for Revival

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13

“The height of our expectation often determines the depth of our pursuit, and the depth of our pursuit often determines the breadth of our experience.” Brian Hamilton

“We don’t lower our expectations to match our experiences; we raise them to the level of God’s promises.” David Worcester 

"This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15

“Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late – and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work.”  A.W. Tozer

One practical way to grow in boldness is to pray for B.O.B. every day. 

• Burden for the lost. Ask God to break your heart for those without a saving relationship with Jesus. 

• Opportunity to witness. Ask God to open doors for you to naturally point someone to Christ that day.

• Boldness to proclaim the gospel. Ask God for the courage and wisdom to speak about Jesus clearly and make the most of every opportunity.

Free Ebook: 3 Habits For Everyday Evangelism

How To Experience Personal Revival (Spiritual Breathing)

1. Humble yourself and confess any sin that comes to your mind. (Exhale) 

2. Surrender all and ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. (Inhale)

Reflection / Discussion 

1. Read Luke 11:1-3. What stands out to you from this passage? What stood out to you from the sermon on Sunday? What principles for prayer and depending on the Holy Spirit can we apply to our lives? 

2. Why is it important to understand that all true believers have already been baptised and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Read Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:13) and what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? (Read Ephesians 5:18) 

3. Read Galatians 5:16-26. What can we learn from this passage about what it looks like practically to “walk by the Spirit” in everyday life? 

4. Read Ephesians 1:15-23. What does this teach about the power that is available to us as believers? How can we tap into that power?

5. Why do you think so many believers are not filled with the Spirit? In what ways can you foster a deeper dependence and experience of Him in your own life?  

6. Think over the 3 Attitudes that foster the Spirit-filled life. Desperation, Consecration and Expectation. Which one of those attitudes would you like to focus on cultivating the most? What is one practical application that you would like to make? 

Close by praying for one another and asking God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and that you would apply all that you discussed. 

Resources for Going Deeper:

4-Part Article Series on Experiencing The Spirit-Filled Life