Revival of the Heart

 Revival of the heart is something that we should constantly seek from God. How often do we find ourselves in ruts or in the everyday slumps of daily routine? We get up, whisper a prayer, get ready for the day, go off to work, come home, hang out until you get tired enough to sleep, whisper another prayer, and repeat the same thing the next day. It is very easy to fall into that mundane routine, but there are ways to avoid complacency. Here are some ideas:

Mornings:

1. Set your alarm an hour early every morning so you can spend that time with a nice cup of coffee while reading a devotion.
2. Pick a story that you have never read, from your Bible, and apply it to your own life and even try to share it with a friend.
3. Text or call a friend and either share a verse with them and/or tell them that you are spending time that day lifting them up to the Lord in prayer and ask them if they have any prayer requests that you would help them pray about. 
4. Go outside first thing in the morning (whether super hot or super cold) and tell God how thankful you are that He has given you another beautiful day.

Afternoons:

1. If you work, try to focus at work, but also keep the Lord as a top priority in your workplace habits.
2. Whisper prayers constantly complimenting God throughout the day.
3. Try to keep on hand some note cards with you that have Bible verses on them so you can try to memorize them to the point to where they will stick with you mentally (if you are at work, looking at your phone for Bible verses makes you look uninvolved at work, so write them down and keep them in your pocket to pull out regularly).
4. Compliment someone on a regular basis. Always, ALWAYS smile, but add a little compliment to make someone feel good.

Evenings:

1. Talk to your loved ones about God constantly and consistently. Make it a habit to lift Him up with the ones you live with and have a regular Bible study with them. Grow together as a family.
2. Pray over every meal, no matter how big the meal. Thank Him for feeding you.
3. Encourage and lift other members of your family up.
4. Don't go to bed angry and always pray with your family at night. Make prayer time a group effort. See it as your family approaching the throne of God in Spirit and bringing to Him your hearts.

Keeping ourselves busy about the Lord's business is the best prevention in avoiding sin. It keeps our hearts and minds diligent and steadfast. Make it a habit to constantly praise him with your mouth and actions. When you feel like you are about to have a bad thought about someone, or an image pops up, or you start to envy or covet something in your mind, do what my pastor's wife says and sign a hymn. Singing a hymn or reciting a Bible verse will immediately shut that door of negativity that the devil tried to swing open for you. Be strong and be an example to others especially little ones who might be watching and remember, this world still belongs to the devil and he still roams it every single day causing problems. Be on your guard, protect your heart, and be careful what you see and hear. Ask God to set a fire in your soul and ask Him for a revival in your heart. He will never leave you nor forsake you!