Do you want Revival?

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land".                      2 Chronicles 7:14.    NKJV

We often hear the term 'Revival'. But what actually does it mean? Let's have a look at this.

Revival comes when Christians stand together in unity, making Jesus their ultimate goal. This requires placing ourselves in the position where Jesus has full access to us. We may often confess to God that we would do anything, and go anywhere but, do we actually mean it? 

Look at today's text above. The text mentions: 

Humble themselves  Are we ready to humble ourselves by shrugging off the selfish attitude and putting on the humility of Christ? This means putting people first and being prepared to take second place. It means being willing to allow others to take first place and praise by getting the credit for what we may have taught them.
Pray and seek My face  How often do we pray and really seek the Lord? Most people offer about 15 minutes before they rush out to work or wherever. God wants people who will pray all the day if necessary. This is possible if we pay attention to what is around us. We can silently pray for whatever needs to be prayed for; and God's door is always open.

Turn from their wicked ways  Do you harbour unconfessed sin within yourself? It is a faith-killer and you never know if the devil will bring this to people's attention some time. Unconfessed sin is like a great weight on our shoulders and keeps us captive to it through fear. There is no need to go and reveal this to the world; Jesus is with you and just wants you to confess this to Him. It may mean though, that He may want you to confess this to someone, especially if you have committed adultery. Scary I know, but if it means the chains fall off and you become free, it is worth it.

In the Bible, revival means a spiritual re-awakening and restoration of believers and the church to a more fervent, active and obedient relationship with God after a period of spiritual decline. It is a sovereign work of God, often characterised by renewed repentance, a deeper love for scripture and worship, boldness in witness, and increased conversion rates. The term can also describe a more literal bringing back to life, as in the Old Testament where "revive" means to live, recover, or be made alive again.

These are the initial requirements for Revival to take place, possibly in your own life firstly and then to fellow Christians in the area. God wants Revival but, it will only come when we get our acts together and get our house in order. Look at Peter that day in Jerusalem after the Holy Spirit had fallen. He preached and more than 3000 souls were saved and this went on for some time afterwards. That is Revival and it is coming. Do you want to be a part of it? If so, then sharpen up your whole spiritual life; get closer to Jesus; listen much more to the Holy Spirit and start your own Revival in your home. If you become ignited by the Holy Spirit as the early Christians were, people will not be able to ignore it. They will want it too. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

                       

Adopt the right attitude

"For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again".    Proverbs 24:16

Someone once said, 'When you can't change your situation, you can change your attitude towards it.' And it is true. We can either fly off the handle when something goes wrong or, we can approach the situation prayerfully and investigate it in a gentle way. The choice is very much ours.

The bible describes attitude as a mindset or disposition that influences behaviour , emphasising humility, gentleness and joy, even in difficult circumstances. It encourages each of us to have a mindset like Jesus.

As we read through Philippians 2+4 we see that it encourages us to practice humility and servitude. It means losing our selfish attitude and acting as Jesus would do - loving, helping and serving people. Think for a moment, when you are in a conversation with someone, do you allow them to speak, letting you know what has been happening to them or, do you rule the conversation and speak about yourself and what has been happening in your life. When we act in such a way, we offer the other person nothing but a selfish report. We should practice looking at the interests and concerns of others before we say anything else.

Jesus made Himself of no reputation (7). He didn't have to, others did this for Him; however, He didn't take it on board loving what He was hearing. His concern was for others and this is what we also should be doing. He brought peace and gentleness to people who were in need. His love for others knew no end. 

Philippians 2:14 'Do all things without complaining and disputing 15 that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. among whom you shine as lights in the world 16 holding fast the Word of life -'

When we become stressed, we do tend to run out of patience and moan and groan about things that are not really important. Paul is telling us in v14 to practice what we preach. This really is the bottom line and one that we should strive to get right. For a good testimony of the right attitude to adopt, use Philippians 4:8 as a prayer: 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

People may say that this is impossible to adopt. Not if you do it through Jesus it isn't. It takes practice that is true but, attitudes can change and when you ask Jesus to help you,  your attitude to things can have a major overhaul.

Why not ask God to help you with this.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Getting things right in marriage

"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered".                  1 Peter 3:7    NKJV

One of the most outrageous thoughts in today's society, is the topic of wives being in submission to their husbands. In this day and and age, people from WOKE would have a lot to say on this subject. However, to get it right, we serve Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour not, WOKE or any other human-based society.

Christians need to get this right. Husbands are not there to rule with a rod of iron but by the love of God. Men and women are equal before God; both are created in His image. However, the woman is not created to be a doormat. Submission is about being in alignment under God and recognising the God-given roles He assigned to husband and wives. A kingdom husband therefore, is to lead his family with love. A kingdom wife is to support that leadership with her gifts and abilities.

If the husband isn't obeying God, how can a wife follow Him? A man needs his wife to help and encourage him to be the leader God appointed him to be. So if some husbands disobey God's Word, wives may be able to win them over by honouring their God-given role without compromising their own commitment.

It is a tall order if a wife is a born again, spirit-filled Christian and the husband isn't. This doesn't mean that she should leave him or set her sights on divorce. Definitely not. She should do as above and show him love and respect but continue to follow Jesus. By doing this, it is hoped that he will see God at work and be drawn into the kingdom. This may take a long time though but, the wife should never give up praying for him and showing him the love of Jesus. She is not a doormat but, a servant of the Most High God.

Where the marriage is based on Jesus, it is necessary to take note of our text for today. Paul was not being derogatory here in referring to the wife as the weaker vessel. Let's get that right to start with. He was referring to the wife as a precious item that could break very easily, if not treated properly. Therefore, this rules out bossy tactics from the husband. Think about Jesus, could He be a bully? Definitely not. Jesus would treat the wive as this precious item that so easily could break if not used properly.

Therefore, husbands, ensure you treat your wife well in all areas. Wives, ensure that you honour your husbands, honouring them as the head of the marriage.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Serving Jesus - it's all or nothing

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him".          Colossians 3:17   NKJV

Notice that this statement from Paul means doing things for Jesus and what we speak about as well. They can't be separated. If we do something for Him but moan and groan about it, then we might as well have not bothered. It is not blessing Jesus, the listener or yourself. Our words must reflect Jesus as well as our deeds.

Doing something in the name of Jesus, is like authorising a contract with His signature on. We need to ask, 'Can I do this in the name of Jesus?' Can I say this in the name of Jesus? Would it bring Him glory? And, 'Would He cause His blessing to rest upon it?

One writer puts it this way: 'Can we speak it and in the same breath, name the name of Jesus? Can we speak it remembering that He will hear?  William Barclay

The Word tells us 'Whatever you do in word or deed.' We cannot be selective here; it is all or nothing. We live for Jesus 24/7 each year. There are no days off. One prisoner who I was visiting wanted to become a Christian and asked me if, he could follow Jesus for 6 days a week, and kick people's heads in on the other day. Obviously, he was disappointed to hear me say that this would not be acceptable Jesus requires every part of our time. It is all or nothing. It is the same with our words, out of the same mouth comes praise and worship and then words of hostility or harmless jokes (James 3:9). They are not harmless if swear words and/or innuendo's are contained in them. 

Another writer puts it this way: 

'The New Man, lives his life for Jesus. He will only seek to do the things that he may do in the name of the Lord Jesus, and he will persevere in the difficulty of doing such things, knowing that he is doing them in the name of the Lord Jesus.' Enduring Word. David Guzik 

So there we have it, following and living for Jesus requires an all or nothing approach. Nothing else will qualify. It may sound harsh but so was the nails that pinned Jesus to the cross. Think about it.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Have I pleased You Lord?

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer".           Psalm 19:14.  NKJV

Back in the '80's, I heard a preacher from another country preach at a nearby church. He said that at night before he went to sleep, he would always say in his prayers, 'Lord, have I pleased You today?' This had a lasting effect on me and I can remember it as if it was yesterday. I thought, what a challenging question to ask God each evening.

I personally feel that the text above perfectly underpins that question he asked the Lord. It is us, baring our soul to God and asking Him if we have pleased Him in all that we have done for Him Many of us, would have to add our requests for forgiveness before we had the nerve to ask Him this. but really, if we had the habit of asking Him for forgiveness straightaway after we know we have sinned, this wouldn't be a problem. Don't forget, once we confess our sin, we receive forgiveness at once, we don't have to keep on asking Him, no matter how convicted we feel.

So, is this something you feel would be good for you to ask each evening? If so, incorporate it in your end of day prayer. As you get used to this, it most certainly makes one think of how we need to be more and more respectful to Jesus. He is our friend, this is true. But He is also our King - our God. We wouldn't dare consider being disrespectful to our King here in the UK, so we should remember that Jesus is the King of all kings.

There is a need to be careful what comes out of our mouth each time we open it. We also need to clean our heart up because this is where the stuff comes that feeds our mouth with bad things. Once we can say this verse without stumbling, we will know that we have got it right. Our words and our actions will be acceptable to Him and, His love and power will surround us. 

Try and keep sight of the fact that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. God purchased us at a great price so that we would be able to respect and serve Jesus. We were on route to hell but Jesus grabbed us from the flames and declared that we were His and His alone. When you look at it this way, words become impossible to thank Him for this. But we don't have to, all He wants is our love and allegiance to Him.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Do Axe Heads Float?

"But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”    2 Kings 6:5   NKJV

Life for a student can be hard work - lots to do, essays, exams and home work each evening. Add to this they may have very little cash to live on, and getting a part time job can be a priority.

We read that Elisha had started a School for Prophets which was well attended. However, after time, the place in Jericho was found to be too small for the students. Therefore, they decided to go and build a new place near the Jordan and asked Elisha to go with them, which he agreed to.

One day as they were cutting down trees, one of the students, lost his axe head and it sank into the deep water. He was beside himself with worry. The axe, which was an expensive one, had been borrowed and the student had no way of retrieving the axe or buying one in replacement. Furthermore, as it was borrowed, he would need to pay the cost to who had loaned him this. It was an impossible task - and impasse, and the student was out of his head with worry and fear. He did the right thing and ran to Elisha and blurted out what had happened. Elisha asked him to show him where it had occurred.

They both looked into the water but it was not possible to see it. So Elisha, cut a stick and threw it into the water where it had fell. Immediately, the axe head floated to the surface. Elisha said, 'Well I've done my bit, now you can do yours. Pick the axe head up. (my words)' Notice that God will do what He has to do but, will expect you to do your bit too. This was a mind-blowing miracle. This axe head was solid iron and very heavy. There is no way that this could float - was there? Yes, as we've seen time and time again, nothing is too hard for God to do. He cares and is interested.

God saw the student's problem. He was in debt with no chance of paying for it. He could go to jail for this but, God saw all of this and rescued the student from the clutches of being a debtor. The Formula was:

THE PROBLEM  The axe head was very heavy and costly too. The student had borrowed this, probably like we would from a hire service. They would want their axe head or money back. But the student couldn't do this. He was in an impossible place to be.

THE MIRACLE  Elisha got a stick and threw it into the water in the area the axe and sank. With that, the axe head rose out of the water and floated on the surface.

THE MEANING  This shows God's care and compassion for His people. This young chap was on the brink of a wonderful career but without the axe head, he was in big trouble. God, reached down and changed the situation.

And He will continue to do this as we walk in step with Him. He is interested in the big and the very small areas of our life and is willing to demonstrate this whenever there is a need. Are you missing an axe head? You just need to call on Him!

'If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

Dry as Old Bones

"And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”   Ezekiel 37:3.  NKJV

Just think of your spiritual life at the moment and ask yourself this question, 'Can these bones live?" Only you know the answer to this question, no one else can answer for you, not even God. God offers here a chance of New Life to whoever will accept it. What He offers is a cure for the dryness that you may be feeling at this time. I'm not speaking of a bone condition or arthritis but a spiritual dryness. 

Be honest, do you feel dry? Why is this? There is a need to find the answer to this condition. What is making you feel dry? Dryness brings a brittleness about it caused, probably by lack of moisture, lack of life and loss of vitality and hope. It makes you feel like saying, 'What's the point?'  There is every point but you need to trace the beginning of it and throw it out in the name of Jesus. Amen?

When you're withered, weak and have a feeling of dryness and drought, this often signifies God's judgement or withheld favour. Don't forget that brittleness brings a tendency to break easily, and this is something that you need to stay on top of. How can you confess that you are a Child of God if you're on the floor more times than you are full of life?

Ask yourself, do you have a feeling that you are not good enough. Others are far more brainier than you are and this is why they are successful. Stop there. Number one, you are good enough; God made you in His image so if you have a feeling that you are lacking in some area, try and find what that is. Look at the disciples, they were a bunch of uneducated fishermen and yet, they moved with the power of God when they finally realised their worth. Come on, get back up again.

You are good enough; you are accepted by Jesus, He thinks so much of you that He went to the cross in your place. Stop thinking negative and stop distancing yourself from the one who loves you more than anyone could do. Jesus is you friend and you'll never find anyone more faithful as He is.

Read your bible, pray and enjoy each moment with the one who says about you 'My dear friend, you are special to me. I love you".

'If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard.