Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I know that there are plenty of opinions on this question, and I don’t intend to weigh in on the topic myself. However, the question is intended to be representative of circumstances in which we can’t be totally sure of cause and effect. So in the case of revival, who starts it? God? Or do we? I have a strong opinion on that, and I’ll share my thoughts on it, but first I want to acknowledge why there would be some confusion.
Last week I had the best conference experience of my entire ministry life. Over the years, I’ve been to more conferences and seminars than I can count.
I’ve attended preaching conferences, prophetic conferences, leadership development conferences, spiritual growth conferences, coaching conferences, pastors conferences, denominational conferences—you name it. Some were Pentecostal, some were Evangelical, some were Charismatic, and a couple might have been crazymatic.
Most were really good in terms of achieving their intended purpose. But the best by far was the 2016 Hillsong Conference in Sydney, Australia.
Are you ready for what God has in store for your future? I firmly believe this: God has a wonderful plan for your life! I also believe that the devil has his plans, too, and that he doesn’t want to make it easy on you.
Why should he?
You are a threat to the kingdom of darkness, and he knows it. I hope you know it, too. So we shouldn’t be too surprised when, even as faithful followers of God, we face adversity. A time of revival might just be God’s way of getting you ready for facing down your enemy, the devil.
Remember, Jesus went straight from being filled with the Spirit at his baptism into a time of testing by Satan. (Keep reading to the end for a key insight on what God might be up to in our expectation of a national spiritual awakening.)