Ten Revival Warning Signs

I get a daily email devotion from James MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel and want to share today's because it is so practical:

When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord! —Jonah 2:7-9

The verses you just read are the turning point prayer Jonah prayed in the belly of the fish. He knew he needed revival. But how do we know? As with many diseases, the need for revival has certain warning signs—here are ten of them. Each of these statements completes the sentence: Revival is needed when __________. How many of these represent warning signs of needed revival in your life? Revival is needed when:

1. My prayer life ceases to be a vital part of my life.

2. My quest for biblical truth ceases and I become content with the knowledge of Scripture already obtained.

3. I have family, friends, and coworkers who are headed to a Christ-less eternity and eternal separation from God, but that fact ceases to move me to action. 

4. I do not rejoice in the blessings of God upon others, but struggle secretly with envy and resentment. 

5. Aspirations for Christ-like holiness cease to dominate my life and thinking. “I want to be more like Christ. I want to be more like Christ.” When that ceases to dominate my thinking, revival is needed.

6. I can hear the Lord’s name used in vain, and am not offended.

7. I can listen to spiritual things mocked and eternal things flippantly treated and not be moved to indignation.

8. I can watch degrading movies and television and read morally inappropriate literature and not be deeply grieved in my heart and shut it off or walk away, revival is needed.

9. I find more delight in the promotion of discord than in working for unity and harmony among the Lord’s people.

10. Injustice and human misery exist all around me and I do little or nothing to relieve it, I need revival.

Like any warning-sign list, we can ignore these, but to our peril. These points allow us to track drift in our spiritual life. If you cringed when you read any of them, that area needs another look. What is God’s Spirit telling you? Tenderness in a danger zone is a healthy reminder that revival may be necessary.