A CHURCH PREPARED FOR REVIVAL
Repentance • Holiness • Obedience • The Holy Spirit
By Reverend Gary Hoban
“Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.” – Matthew 3:3 (NKJV)
Revival is one of the great cries of the Church, but revival is not merely something we ask God to send. Scripture repeatedly shows God preparing a people before He entrusts them with a fresh move of His Spirit. The question is not only, ‘Lord, will You revive us?’ It is also, ‘Lord, are we prepared for what we are asking You to do?’
REVIVAL REQUIRES PREPARATION
John the Baptist came with a clear message: prepare the way of the Lord. His ministry confronted sin, called people to repentance and directed attention to Jesus. Preparation remains essential. God is not looking for perfect people, but for yielded people – believers willing to be corrected, cleansed and made ready.
REPENTANCE IS MORE THAN REGRET
Biblical repentance is a change of mind that produces a change of direction. It is not simply feeling sorry about sin. It is agreeing with God, turning from what grieves Him and returning to obedience. A Church prepared for revival must be willing to repent personally, corporately and sincerely.
HOLINESS IS NOT OPTIONAL
The call to holiness is not legalism; it is the call to belong wholly to God. In an age that pressures the Church to lower biblical standards, we must recover the fear of the Lord and the beauty of consecration. Revival that does not produce transformed lives is not the revival described in Scripture.
OBEDIENCE CREATES ROOM FOR GOD TO MOVE
We can pray passionately and still resist the very instruction God has already given us. When the Holy Spirit convicts, we must respond. When Scripture commands, we must obey. When God opens a door to serve, forgive, give, speak or go, delayed obedience can become disobedience.
WE NEED THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Church cannot fulfil a supernatural mission through natural strength. We need the Holy Spirit to convict, empower, guide, comfort, sanctify and equip. Pentecost was not a human achievement; it was a divine outpouring upon a praying, waiting and obedient people.
PREPARE THE ALTAR
Before the fire fell on Mount Carmel, Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord. Prayer altars must be restored. Broken relationships must be addressed. Compromise must be confronted. The Word must regain its authority. Jesus must again become our first love.
REVIVAL MUST PRODUCE FRUIT
A genuine move of God will not simply make meetings more exciting. It will produce conviction, salvation, reconciliation, generosity, courage, holiness and a renewed passion for mission. We should judge revival not only by what happens in a service, but by what changes when people leave it.
DO NOT CONFUSE ACTIVITY WITH PREPARATION
Church calendars can be full while spiritual hunger is low. We can organise conferences, programs and campaigns and still neglect the secret place. Preparation is not busyness. It is surrender. It is creating room for God to search us and reorder our priorities.
LEADERS MUST GO FIRST
Pastors, elders and ministry leaders cannot call people to places they refuse to go themselves. Australia needs leaders who pray, live clean lives, love the Word, honour Christ above reputation and are willing to repent when necessary.
THE NEXT GENERATION MUST SEE AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANITY
Young people do not simply need another religious program. They need to see adults whose lives demonstrate that Jesus is real, prayer matters, Scripture is trustworthy and the Holy Spirit still transforms people. Revival must be modelled as well as preached.
AUSTRALIA NEEDS MORE THAN CULTURAL CHRISTIANITY
A Christian label cannot substitute for discipleship. The nation needs believers who carry the presence of God into homes, workplaces, schools, business, government and community life. A revived Church becomes a missionary Church.
THE TIME TO PREPARE IS NOW
We should not wait until revival comes to become serious about prayer, holiness and obedience. Preparation begins today. Ask the Holy Spirit what needs to change. Repair what is broken. Forgive where there is offence. Return to the Word. Rebuild the prayer altar. Make room for God.
A PERSONAL RESPONSE
Ask yourself: Is there an area of compromise I have tolerated? Is there an instruction from God I have delayed? Is there a relationship I need to repair? Revival becomes personal before it becomes national. Let the work begin in us.
THIS MONTH: PREPARING FOR REVIVAL
We are praying for more than meetings or moments of spiritual excitement. We are asking God for deep preparation in His Church – repentance, holiness, obedience, unity, prayer and renewed dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
10 PRAYER POINTS FOR REVIVAL PREPARATION
• Pray for deep repentance in the Church – Acts 3:19
• Pray for renewed holiness – 1 Peter 1:15-16
• Pray for obedience to God’s Word – John 14:15
• Pray for restoration of the fear of the Lord – Proverbs 9:10
• Pray for broken relationships to be healed – Matthew 5:23-24
• Pray for prayer altars to be restored – Acts 1:14
• Pray for pastors to lead with courage and purity – 1 Timothy 4:12
• Pray for fresh filling of the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 5:18
• Pray for believers to recover their first love – Revelation 2:4-5
• Pray for genuine revival across Australia – Habakkuk 3:2
PRAYER FOCUS
Repentance, holiness and readiness for revival. Pray that believers respond quickly to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, restore prayer and Scripture to the centre, heal broken relationships and walk in renewed obedience.
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
“Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.” – Matthew 3:3 (NKJV)
A PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the name of Jesus Christ.
Search us and know our hearts. Reveal anything in us that resists Your will.
Forgive our pride, compromise, prayerlessness, unbelief and disobedience.
Restore the fear of the Lord to Your Church.
Create in us clean hearts and renew steadfast spirits within us.
Heal broken relationships. Restore integrity. Rekindle our first love for Jesus.
Strengthen pastors and leaders to walk in courage, purity and humility.
Fill Your people afresh with the Holy Spirit.
Prepare our churches to receive the lost, disciple new believers and steward revival faithfully.
Let repentance lead to holiness, holiness to obedience, and obedience to a fresh move of Your Spirit.
Lord, prepare Your Church and revive Australia again.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
OUR MISSION
To equip, encourage and mobilise Spirit-filled believers to pray, proclaim God’s Word and contend for revival, reformation and the advancement of God’s Kingdom in Australia.
CONNECT WITH US
Telegram: t.me/IntercessorsforAustralia
Zoom Prayer Meeting: Wednesdays — 6:30 PM AEST
Email: info@refinerylife.org
Website: www.refinerylife.org
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
— Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
NEXT WEEK
Issue 5 – Continuing the call to watch, pray, discern and stand for Australia.
LET US STAND TOGETHER IN PRAYER. GOD IS NOT DONE WITH AUSTRALIA!
WATCH • PRAY • DISCERN • STAND
