I don’t know about you, but for much of my life whenever I’d hear the word “repent,” I’d get a pit in my stomach. You might know the feeling. It’s the one that comes whenever you feel as if you have not met the mark.
Let’s be real. It is hard to be corrected.
But repentance is not meant to show us how we’ve missed the mark. Instead, it’s a gift of kindness from God. Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we can surrender ourselves again and turn back to the most loving relationship that we’ll ever know.
And the best part? It’s not intended to stop there. “Revival” is a term most often used to describe a spiritual movement within a large group of people, but in reality, revival starts with the individual. It starts with you. It starts with me. Revival also starts in a way we might not expect - through repentance.
Revival begins with the one who is willing to take courage, turn a different direction, and find renewal and strength from the Lord, thereby being transformed.
So just imagine our church, Friends Church, becoming a people who collectively yield our whole selves; our thoughts, emotions, and actions, at the foot of the cross so that together we are transformed! May our unified gaze be fixed on the One who refreshes our souls, revives our lives, and brings the hope of restoration of all things!
Prayer Prompts:
- Reflect upon the kindness and hope of repentance. How does repentance bring hope and renewal to you and our church? Spend some time in repentance and take notice of your response as you surrender your whole self (thoughts, emotions, and actions) to the Lord.
- Pray for our church, that God would lead all of us together into repentance and the hope found only when we turn back towards God.
- Pray that through our repentance, the body of believers at Friends Church would be mobilized to action and revival through our unified surrender to God.
Katie Crofford
Discipleship Team
