Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait for the Lord (who expect, look for, and hope in Him) will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift up their wings (and rise up close to God) like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired.

Those who wait on the Lord expect the answer. The act of waiting on God requires confident expectation, and the person waiting has engaged their faith. The answer is coming from God. God will strengthen us when we trust and put our hope in Him. 

Acts 3:19

So repent (change your inner self-your old way of thinking, regret past sins) and return (to God-seek His purpose for your life), so that your sins may be wiped away (blotted out, completely erased), so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day).

Keeping our minds and hearts clean and fresh to God’s leading makes all the difference. We don’t have to stay on the sinful path, but we can turn and have our sins wiped away. God will reset our hearts and spirits and renew our faith. Restoration from the presence of the Lord will set us back on track with our faith. 

Joel 2:13

Rip your heart to pieces (in sorrow and contrition) and not your garments. Now return (in repentance) to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness (faithful to His covenant with His people); and He relents (His sentence of evil (when His people genuinely repent). 

The door to God is always open to the person who genuinely repents in their heart. The devil will tell people they can never be forgiven, and he is a liar. If we make a mistake (and we all do), repent and get back in fellowship with God. Bar the door to the past mistakes and turn away from the old temptations. Remind them that God is the savior and made us free from their influence. 

Joel 2:12

Even now, says the Lord, Turn and come to Me with all your heart (in genuine repentance), with fasting and weeping and mourning (until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored).

When we are genuine in our worship, repentance, and love for God, He hears our cries. First, we must remove the barriers between us and God. No, we are not perfect people, but we have a loving God waiting for us to turn back to Him. Clean the slate and stop letting the devil steal the Joy of the Lord from the heart.

Psalm 10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. 

Focusing and attending to God’s word is essential, but it can be difficult if our spirits are tired and worn. If we pray to the Lord to renew our hearts and spirits, He will help us. Restoring the joy of salvation will relight our spiritual fire. When we rekindle the fire of our hearts, God will sustain us no matter what happens in the world. 

Psalm 85:4-6

Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your indignation toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us and bring us to life again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

This world needs a revival, and the people of God can pray for it! When we choose not to be distracted by the coming darkness and focus on the light of God and His word, God is powerful and listens to His righteous people calling for the salvation of our families, neighbors, communities, country, and world. Let’s pray for revival together!

Isaiah 40:6-8

A voice says, “Call out (prophesy).” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” (The voice answered) All humanity is (as frail as) grass, and all that makes it attractive (its charm, its loveliness) is like the flower of the field. The grass withers the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; most certainly the people are (like) grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands.

The world around us is temporal, aging, and fading in beauty. Our lives are temporal and pass by quickly without any permanence. When we change our focus from the temporary to the lasting word of God, we engage what is stable, solid, and will stand for a long time. 

1 Samuel 12:14

If you will fear the Lord (with awe and profound reverence) and serve Him and listen to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, then both you and your king will follow the Lord your God (and it will go well).

When we are willing and obedient to God’s word, our lives will go well. When we rebel against God’s commandments and become gods to ourselves, sin will enter our lives. God’s commandments are a protective cover. Sin will lead to a separation from God and His protective covering.

1 Samuel 8:18

Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day (because you have rejected Him as King). Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us.”

God wanted to be the king of the people and warned them of tyranny that would be involved with the Israelites having a human king. The Israelites thought they knew best for themselves and would not listen to the word of the Lord. In those moments when God speaks to us and we think we know best over God’s guidance, stop! Humble your heart and your thinking, and follow God’s direction. 

1 Samuel 5:4

But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had (again) fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and his head and both palms of his hands were (lying) cut off on the threshold; only the trunk (portion) of (the idol of) Dagon was left on him. 

The Philistines made the mistake of placing a false god next to the true God. People realize that there is something about the true God that they want, but they still want to keep their idols. For example, the two cannot exist together: God and my career, God and money, God and entertainment. God will not share His throne with idols.