Do you want for a personal makeover? Do you understand what the term “renewal” means? A rekindling, reinstatement, or a new intake of life, strength, love, and power from Christ is referred to as revival. For example, if a person passes out and receives immediate assistance, they will regain consciousness.
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How do you revive yourself spiritually?
What does it mean to resurrect? Simply expressed, it means “to restore the functionality or validity of anything.” So, what about your spirit has become inactive or has lost its validity? Here's a simple test to see if you're ready: Do you find yourself ruminating on minor irritations in your daily life? Do you have a hard time recalling the last time you felt truly happy?
It's possible that your inner spirit requires a “waking,” and spring is an excellent time to assess your situation and take steps toward a more positive, anxiety-free outlook!
Here are three suggestions to help you rekindle your spirit, as well as “5 Inspiring Quotes” from our Cancer Fighters members to get you started.
1. Work on your core
Our entire being is conditioned to perform better emotionally, mentally, and physically when we focus on growing our spirit, the core of who we are. Some exercises to build your spiritual core may include the following, depending on your personal interests:
Any action that brings you closer to rather than further away from your thoughts and feelings might help you live more cheerfully in the present moment. These activities are referred to as “mindfulness” by some specialists. Mindfulness has been shown to increase overall mood, boost emotional, physical, and social well-being, and reduce anxiety, despair, and rage, according to several studies published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Percy McCray, Jr., Director of Faith-Based Programs at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), warns what can happen if we don't take the time to build our spiritual health in his blog, Revive Yourself, Your Spirit, and Your Health.
“It's critical to take a breath and reflect. If we don't, we'll waste our time shopping, eating, drinking, and socializing in vain attempts to resurrect our spirits.” “Instead of re-energizing us, these pleasures might leave us feeling languid and aimless,” explains Rev. Percy. Every human, however, has a thirst, hunger, and yearning for true meaning, value, and purpose in life.
2. Re-establish (or re-establish) healthy relationships
Living with cancer provides many people a new perspective, one that prioritizes relationships over all else. Given the stress of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, it's not unexpected that problems in relationships, particularly between couples, occur frequently. “Fight the cancer, not each other,” says Michael Uhl, MA, MDiv, LMFT, a Mind-Body Therapist at CTCA in Zion, Illinois. He suggests the following ideas for constructing a house:
- Maintain open channels of communication and draw on previous expertise. Whenever a crisis occurs, make an effort to improve communication. Mutual understanding, not necessarily agreement, should be the goal. It may be painful to discuss feelings, yet it is unshared feelings that cause relationships to suffer.
- Make sure you have a strong support system in place. Bringing friends and other family members on board might provide a much-needed reprieve from caregiving obligations, even if your partner is ready to do it all. Both patients and caregivers require “down time” to manage the plethora of experiences and emotions that accompany cancer treatment, recovery, and survivorship.
- Speak with a therapist who has experience with cancer. Speaking with an unbiased therapist who has worked with other cancer patients can assist couples in expressing their emotions and confirming that the sentiments they are experiencing are normal. Discussing all of the emotionsfear, anger, and griefeither together or separately brings them to the surface and aids in the development of useful coping mechanisms.
Relationships with people you care about a spouse, family, or close friends and doing things you both enjoy are stimulating. They have a regenerating and restoring effect.
3. Control Your Thoughts
What do you think about when you're not working? It's only normal for people to inquire “When confronted with a catastrophic sickness, one would wonder, “Why me?” Focusing on this question, on the other hand, can leave you feeling stuck and frustrated. Focusing your thoughts on things that give you hope, on the other hand, might make you feel empowered and revitalize your spirit.
We invited members of our Cancer Fighters group, many of whom are cancer survivors, to provide encouraging remarks “It lifts their spirits.” The following are five of them “To motivate you, here are some “Inspiring Quotes”:
“According to Ardua.”
This Latin phrase translates to “The McIntyre family motto is “despite trials.” Richard A. McIntyre, Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, shared this.
“God is in control of the cancer; the cancer is not in control of me!” Viola Jones of Olathe, Kansas, shared this.
David Brown and Kathy Mosley, a patient and caregiver from Fairbanks, Alaska, believe one of Baha'u'llah's Baha'i prayers in the Baha'i Prayer book brings them much comfort and peace:
“O my God, memory of Thee is my remedy, and Thy name is my mending.
My aim is to be near Thee, and my companion is love for Thee.
Thy mercy to me is my salvation and healing in both this world and the next.
“Truly, you are the All-Abundant, the All-Knowing, and the All-Wise.”
Kimalea Conrad, a cancer survivor from Telluride, Colorado, says Bible verses inspire her; one of her favorites is the one below. “To me, this verse signifies that cancer has no ability to make me terrified unless I allow it,” Conrad explains.
“God did not give us a fearful spirit, but a spirit of strength, love, and self-control.” Revelation 2:7
Surviving cancer typically demands a heroic amount of physical, mental, and spiritual courage, as any survivor or caregiver knows. “Rev. Percy believes that connecting to a greater source of power can bring that balance, stability, and grounding. “Many of us overlook the most obvious sources of meaning, worth, and purpose: service, forgiveness, hope, peace, and faith. Connecting to these global forces of empowerment is, in many ways, the simplest method to rekindle our spirit.”
What are the benefits of spiritual revival?
REVIVAL'S BENEFITS There will be unity when rebirth occurs. Acts 2:43 says that revival gives God-consciousness. Acts 2:47 says that revival causes the Church to develop. Christians confess and repent of the sins they have been committing.
What is the purpose of a revival?
A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services organized to encourage active church members to acquire new converts and to call sinners to repentance. “Many advantages may come to the unconverted as a result of a revival among Christians,” Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon stated in the nineteenth century, “but the revival itself has to do only with those who already possess spiritual life.” Churches or missionary organizations around the world generally host these gatherings. Evangelist Billy Sunday and evangelist Evan Roberts held significant revival gatherings in the United States and Wales, respectively. Local churches, brush arbor revivals, tent revivals, and camp gatherings are all examples of revival services.
How does God refresh my soul?
Every cry of the heart has a response from God. The Father will “send us another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor Counsellor, Strengthener, Standby),” as Jesus says in John 14:16 (AMP).
We're already dehydrated by the time we're thirsty. This holds true for our spiritual lives as well. But finding refreshment in Him is not difficult; all we have to do is position ourselves to receive it.
Our refreshment is directly proportional to the level of our repentance.
“So repent and turn to God, and your sins will be forgiven, and the Lord will send you times of refreshing.” 3:19 (NASB)
The narrative of Gideon is told in Judges 6:124. The Israelites were bad in the eyes of the Lord, according to verse 1, thus the Lord delivered them to the Midianites for seven years.
In verse 6, they say: “cried out to the Lord for assistance.”
God responded by sending them Gideon, a rescuer.
The Holy Spirit refreshes us like a refreshing shower, washing away the dirt that has accumulated on us as a result of living life without God. It could be anything from tension and stress to sadness and grief as a result of difficult circumstances.
To wipe things away, we must acknowledge God and repent before Him, just as the Israelites did.
Repentance entails making a 180-degree reversal and beginning to live life God's way rather than our own.
Our refreshment is greater than our reality.
When the angel of the Lord appears to Gideon in verses 11-14, his initial instinct is to protest and inform him that God has abandoned the Israelites. Gideon, on the other hand, presses the Lord's angel to persuade him that he is the Lord. In verses 14-24, we see how the Lord reveals His strength, instilling faith in Gideon that he and his people have a future. Gideon was able to substitute his image of abandonment for the Lord's promise of future blessing.
(ESV) Isaiah 44:3 God offers nutrition and refreshment by pouring forth His Spirit on us. Our hungry and thirsty hearts can be filled by the Holy Spirit. It's as though water is being poured over a thirsty land when our souls are revived. “The Lord is my shepherd,” says Psalm 23. He takes me to verdant pastures, walks me beside still waters, and refreshes my spirit.”
Our refreshment is to go out to bless others.
Peace and hope are brought by the Holy Spirit. We must, however, spread that serenity and blessing to others.
A “generous person will thrive,” according to Proverbs 11:25, and “whoever refreshes others will be rejuvenated.” It's another example of the Biblical sowing and reaping idea. We receive a blessing of refreshment when we replenish others.
- Discuss a time when the Holy Spirit blessed you by filling you up after answering to a cry from your heart.
- Use this opportunity to pray with anyone in the group who is spiritually parched and in need of the Holy Spirit's refreshment.
What is revival according to Bible?
Murray defines revival as “bringing back to life those who were once alive but have lapsed into what is known as a cold, or dead, state.” They are Christians who have a life, but they need to be resurrected in order to return to their first love and a healthy lifestyle.
What happens when revival takes place?
Everyone seems to have their own interpretation or concept of revival. I'd like to list ten characteristics of biblical revival in this article. J. I. Packer, among the many who have influenced my thinking on this subject, is someone on whom I rely heavily. We'll be fasting and praying for four days at Bridgeway this week. We are praying and seeking God for a number of things, the most important of which is a revival of his people and his church. So, here's what occurs when there's a revival.
1. God is getting closer. God descends. This is most likely the imagery found in Isaiah 64:1-2, which depicts God's presence as a brushfire. “Renewal begins with this probing, burning display of God's presence, and renewal is sustained by its continuation” (Packer, 26).
“If one were asked to characterize in a word the distinguishing aspect of those days, one would unhesitatingly reply that it was a ubiquitous, inescapable experience of the presence of God,” one pastor said during the Welsh revival. There was a strong sense of the Lord's presence all around us. It penetrated, indeed, formed the spiritual environment.”
2. There is a sense of sin. Sin sensitivity is increased. Conviction is a powerful emotion. Tenderize the conscience; break calloused hearts; open fresh wounds. Things that were formerly allowed or overlooked have now become unbearable. The illusion of security has been destroyed. All of this leads to genuine repentance. The soul is changed inside out when God draws near in revival. One's spirit is suddenly confronted with the reality of sin's severity. As Isaiah got nearer to God, a sudden conviction for sin that he had never known exploded from within his heart (Isa. 6:1ff.).
3. God's Word is taken seriously. People fall in love with the Bible and have an outpouring of emotion in response to the Scriptures. 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2:13; Nehemiah 8; 2 Chronicles 17:9. The Bible's message is more sincerely cherished, and its instructions are more zealously followed.
4. The Church transforms into the Church. In the community, there is a dramatic uptick in activity and life. There is a revitalized yearning for corporate gatherings, as well as a reinvigorated sense of love, unity, charity, and self-sacrifice (see Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37). Christians are truly miserable when revival comes because they aren't together!
6. The pursuit of biblical justice is undertaken. Micah 6:8 (justice and mercy) becomes a reality. The destitute, widowed, orphaned, homeless, hungry, and victims of injustice are all receiving renewed attention. The church is gripped by the truth of Luke 4:16-21 (service to the poor, captives, and downtrodden).
7. Things that happen on a regular basis happen quickly. There is an acceleration of spiritual growth and individual maturity during times of revival. Everything that happens during revival may be summarized in two words: intensification and acceleration. Listen to Jonathan Edwards describe what he saw during the First Great Awakening in New England:
“God also appears to have gone above and above in the speed with which he has carried out his work, and the rapid progress his Spirit has made in his operations on the hearts of many.” ‘It is wonderful that people can be so drastically changed in such a short period of time; many have been ripped from their loose and careless lifestyles and seized with strong convictions of their guilt and misery, and in a very short time'old things have passed away, and all things have become new with them' (2 Cor. 5:17). God's work has also appeared to be rather amazing in terms of the degrees of his Spirit's impacts, both in terms of waking and conviction, as well as in terms of saving light, love, and joy that many people have experienced” (Faithful Narrative , 159).
“When God took the work into his own hands in such a stunning way,” Edwards continued, “there was as much done in a day or two as is done in a year at regular times” (Ibid.).
8. It is pleasing to God. The first time I heard that basic notion, it astounded me. My conventional sensibilities were startled by the concept that God enjoys being enjoyed. However, consider what the psalmist says:
“Wilt Thou not resurrect us, that Thy people might exult in Thee?” Psalm 85:6
Don't miss a word he says. This isn't only a directive to be happy. It is a prayer for God to resurrect his people in order for them to enjoy him! The psalmist isn't just talking about celebrating; he's talking about finding joy, delight, and happiness in God. This always happens during times of renewal and rejuvenation. “In your presence there is fullness of delight; at your right hand are joys forevermore,” David exclaims in Psalm 16:11.
As a result, God wants us to enjoy him since it is when we are most satisfied in him that he is most exalted in us (Piper).
9. Worship has been re-energized (see 2 Chron. 29:25-30). “Many express earnest longings of soul to praise God; but at the same time complain that they can't praise him as they would do, and they want to have others help them in praising him: they want to have everyone praise God, and are ready to call upon everything to praise him,” Edwards wrote during the revival in New England (Faithful Narrative, 184). Sarah, his own wife, had a similar experience. Edwards characterized her as “remarkable.”
“a great delight in singing praises to God and Jesus Christ, and a desire for this present life to be, as it were, one continuous song of praise to God; a desire, as the person expressed it, to sit and sing this life away; and an overcoming pleasure in the thought of spending an eternity in that exercise” (Some Thoughts, 337-38).
10. Faces that sparkle! I'm not talking about putting up a show or pretending everything is fine when it isn't. I don't mean a naive, flippant reluctance to accept reality's hard realities. I'm thinking of what Martin Lloyd-Jones defined as “pure, unadulterated delight that grows from inside and spills over onto others” when I say “shining faces.” This must be what the apostle Peter meant when he spoke of “inexpressible joy and full of glory” (1 Pt. 1:8).