The Ingredients for Revival
In Jeremiah 29:11-14, we find a promise from the Lord that even when it seems evil has conquered and scattered us, revival is possible. His words to the people of Israel back then give us insight into the ingredients for spiritual awakening.
The Shift: Worldly Desires to Godly Passions
We often link revival to places or great leaders associated with previous movements of God, but the only thing revival is actually linked to is a deep, personal desire for the Lord.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Verse 11, while encouraging on its own, has a more specific meaning when placed in its original context. The people of Israel have broken their covenant with God again and again by choosing idol worship over Him, and now they must face the consequences. The Babylonians are at their borders and Israel is out of time and resources.
We often link revival to places or great leaders associated with previous movements of God, but the only thing revival is actually linked to is a deep, personal desire for the Lord.
Even though the Lord is using the Babylonian conquest to carry out judgement for Israel’s unfaithfulness, He delivers this message of hope through the Prophet Jeremiah, beginning with reaffirming His love for and sovereignty over His people.
What verse 11 teaches us about revival is this: God’s plan for our lives is better than anything this world has to offer, and we must shift our personal desires for His purpose.
All humans have desires, and the world feeds off of our longings. The problem is that this world is passing away and can only provide us with temporary satisfaction. Not only that, but this temporary satisfaction also often comes with consequences
But what the Lord offers us is eternal. We must trust in Him over our own plans for success, security, and survival.
The Seek: A Whole-Hearted Pursuit
Trusting in God’s desires for us over our own means pursuing Him.
In verses 12-13, the Lord references this pursuit as Jeremiah continues delivering His message of hope about the punishment Israel is about to experience, saying:
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
What the Lord is saying to the people of Israel here is: you’re being captured and scattered by the Babylonians because you desired to worship and serve other gods when you made a covenant to only worship Me. When you turn from this sin and worship and serve Me only, that’s when your situation will change.
He’s saying the same to us. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to seek God’s kingdom first and “all these things will be added unto you.”
If we want revival, we have to seek the Lord first in all areas of our lives. This means tithing the first ten percent of our income not because He’s told us to but because it demonstrates our trust in Him for provision. This means prioritizing weekly church attendance not because it’s expected by others but because it forces us to orient our weekly schedules around worshipping Him. It means consistently, intentionally meeting with Him through the study of His Word and through prayer because you care about what He has to say to you like you care about what a close friend tells you. It means obeying what He tells you to do even when it makes you uncomfortable because you trust His sovereignty over your life.
The Promise: God’s Guarantee
When we seek the Lord with our whole hearts, He promises we will experience Him.
“I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:14
If you really want to experience revival in your community, it has to take place in the sanctuary of your own soul first. When that happens, it will overflow from you into others.
When we seek the Lord with our whole hearts, He promises we will experience Him.
This post is inspired by message two of our “Awakening” sermon series: “Desiring God” by Dr. Jody Ray.