Rhythms for Revival: Remember

Release and Remember.

These two go hand in hand.

A rhythm.

Once we release our burdens, our emotions, our dreams, our expectations at the foot of the cross -

when we surrender and come back under the authority of Jesus Christ - He helps us remember Whose we are.

We are chosen, set apart,

filled with His Holy Spirit,

equipped to do His good work.

Deeply loved, fully known, and created with special purpose.

We find out who we truly are by remembering Whose we are.

We belong to Him. We were bought with a heavy price and we owe everything to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Because of Jesus, we have access to our Heavenly Father - our Creator God who breathed His very life within us. The One who formed the earth, spoke stars into existence, and created mankind in His image. He is is faithful, never changing, steadfast, kind, and good. He desires to be with us - to enjoy a relationship with us. And He invites us to walk with Him and work with Him daily.

What an honor and privilege.

When was the last time you took the time to remember God’s character and remember the magnitude of the kind of relationship He offers us?

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:3-6, MSG: "Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son."

As I have been walking each day and praying out loud through these Rhythms for Revival, my soul has begun to come alive again.

Recognizing and remembering the character of God and what He has done for me fills me and helps me daily replace self with Spirit.

As we release our burdens, release our selfishness, release our very selves…He fills us with more of Himself.

We remember that He is a God of miracles. The God that multiplies.

The God that never forgets, never forsakes, never fails us.

He fills us and He strengthens and sustains us by His Spirit.

He takes our weaknesses and our failures and flaws - our humble meager offering as an empty vessel - and then He empowers us and equips us day by day. Not to glorify ourselves but to glorify His name. To be salt and light in this world.

As we choose to focus on Him, remember His character, and speak that truth out loud solidifying it in our mind and memory for the future, we are truly entering into this rhythm of release and remember like the apostle Paul encourages in Romans 12:1-2, NLT:

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

We give our bodies to God (release) because of all He has done for you (remember).

This is worship.

We release and we remember.

Remember what He has done for you.

Remember His goodness and faithfulness even when our world is broken, imperfect, and circumstances drag us down.

Remember the points in your life when you have tangibly felt His presence, His nearness, His sustaining hand…

Because we won't always feel His presence. We won’t always feel His power within us.

We won’t always feel the direction we are meant to go when decisions are laid out before us.

But our feelings and our emotions are not in control of our minds and bodies.

We acknowledge them but we don’t let them rule and run our lives.

When we release and surrender our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, we can choose, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to remember and tell ourselves truth based on the Word of God. Will you do that today? Here is a personal prayer that I have been praying to get you started - feel free to modify as needed…

RELEASE:

Lord Jesus, I am struggling with _____________(discontentment) today.

I surrender this at your feet.

I am ___________________(weak, selfish, and covetous….).

Forgive me, Lord.

I lay this situation, ________, and this feeling, _______, before You.

You are my Lord and Savior and I trust you.

You are gentle, kind, and offer both grace and truth.

You do not condemn but you do convict me with your Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, refine my character in these areas, _________________.

REMEMBER:

Father God, help me remember that _________________(You are enough for me).

You are enough.

You made a way that I could be with You forever through Your Son, Jesus.

He has the power over life and death and He is sitting at Your right hand right now interceding for me. Praying for me. Uplifting me.

I choose to remember all the times You have been faithful to me, provided for me and my family, _________________________.

I choose to remember ___________________________(that the things of this earth will fade away and only You will remain. People, possessions, places…they hold no value compared to knowing You.)

May I never forget, God, that You are enough.