Looking to Jesus concerning Revival

The focus of faith must be the same as the object of faith. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” 

It’s easy to switch focus to a given outcome of faith. It’s easy, because it is legitimate and even needful to desire a right outcome. The question is where should our focus be to end up with a right outcome? The answer is always the person of Jesus. Outcomes have no power to enable us to get there, but Jesus does. 

This matter of focus is apparent among those who long for and seek revival. Incidents that occurred in a given outpouring of the Spirit can become the focus instead of the outpouring of the Spirit. Incidents such as people crying out for mercy or people being drawn by divine magnetism to a given location where God is working. These are wonderful works of God! We should rejoice in God’s wonderful works. But the key is not a given response from a given occasion, but rather the manifest presence of God. What’s essential is the spiritual manifestation of God’s presence. Incidents vary. So, in our praying for revival, we must keep focus on God manifesting His presence and not a particular set of responses from a given revival. 

The key is God “showing up” and not trying to force the outcome to look like a former situation. God is often doing a new thing. The incidents that occur as a result are amazing. But they are incidental, not essential. Therefore, we must focus on the essential—the manifest presence of God.