The hindrance is, in a word, our sinfulness and disobedience. We deliberately dishonor God on every side. His directives to revival are utterly simple. If we'll humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways He promises to hear, forgive, and heal. He assures us that as long as the branch remains tightly connected to the vine that their will be much fruit. This is not make believe or pie-in-the-sky, this is God's truth. Seek, repent, abide, bear much fruit, and blow the doors off the gates of hell! This is our destiny and the heavenly purpose the Author and Finisher of our faith has designed for us. We have not because we ask not, we are consumed with the things of this world, and we are far from having the mind of Christ. The sad reality is that we live as faithless paupers by choice. We choose to remain babes in the faith.

Each day we choose to do that which pleases the flesh, and in so doing we choose to disallow revival in our hearts and churches. Our priorities are such that instead of writing the commandments of the Lord upon our hearts, and impressing them on our children by our holy lives we worriedly chase after fleeting shadows that cannot satisfy. Our sitting, walking, lying down, and getting up should be under the control of the Master. We should daily be mirroring Jesus by our conversation, by the wise decisions we make, by how we manage the money and possessions God has loaned us, and in everything we touch while on this earth.

During our worship gatherings we should joyfully enter into the presence of the Lord, ministering to one another and looking to the needs of the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned, the widowed, the fatherless, and the stranger. Our gifts should be offered with cheerful hearts and out of the abundance with which we have been blessed, not in a miserly way that doubts that God can really meet all our needs in Christ Jesus. God forgive us for offering to you the leftovers of our wallets and spent lives! Our life in the body of Christ should always be concerned with what is best for others; love should overflow because we want to minister to the other members, and we should never feed an attitude that expects others to serve and cater to us. This is not the way of Jesus.

Revival is not far from us, it is as close as the breath of confession and repentance. When our eyes begin to see as God sees and we focus on His purpose for us, then we will experience Him to the fullest. When we become more consumed with gaining godliness than we are with gaining things, or money, or pleasure, or control then we will begin to know what it is to be revived and possessed by God.

We will recognize when we are at the door of revival when we look into the faces of our brothers and sisters and see tears of broken and contrite hearts who have turned their attention to the Lamb of God. We will know we are pardoned and our land is healed when we have asked forgiveness of those we have offended during times of selfishness and childishness. That joyful day is upon us when the church becomes the body she is meant to be to announce Good News to those beyond the stained glass. When we become the loving, tithing, selfless messengers of the Gospel touching the hurting flesh that is next door and around the world, then we will be a revival! It is not far away at all, but until we reach out and make it ours we'll not have it.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. —1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Meditate on Deuteronomy 6:5-9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 51:17, Psalm 105:4, Joel 2:29, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 6, Matthew 16:18-19, Matthew 25:35-46, Matthew 28:18-20, John 14:6, John 15, Acts 1:8, Acts 17:6-7, Romans 10:14-15, Romans 12:1-8, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Galatians 5:19-26, Ephesians 5:15-21, Philippians 2:1-11, Philippians 4:8, James 4:1-11.