Respond to revival

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Being raised in the family of a small town/small church pastor in the ‘60s, I experienced some traditions that may seem a bit out of place in today’s culture.

One of those was the summer “revival” which was held in a large tent in town. By town, I mean a wide spot in the road with a couple hundred people living in it. My dad would arrange for these tent meetings that included a special preacher to preach at the week-long event.

I was about five years old when I experienced my first tent revival. To me, the tent was huge and all the kids had a great time chasing each other around it. While I don’t recall who the speaker was, I recall being drawn to the Lord in a five-year-old sort of way during one of the meetings. The altar-call song – Just As I Am – accompanied me on the seemingly long walk to the front. I remember going back into a make-shift altar room in the corner, where my dad prayed with me. It’s something I’ve never forgotten, and I treasure the memory.

I certainly wasn’t the perfect Christian every year following that early acceptance of Jesus, but I know that it was real and has been something I can look back on.

How many times do we feel the call of God in some area, and we ignore it, pushing it to the back of our minds.

I encourage you to listen and respond. Every time God calls us and we listen - the result is a refreshing in our lives. Take time right now to quiet yourself - ask God to refresh you.

Pray as David prayed:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” - Psalm 51:10 NIV