You have undoubtedly heard of revivals such as the Great Awakening, the Methodist Revival , or even the Moravian Revival with Count Zinzendorf. But are you familiar with the revival that takes place every time you practice Christian visitation?
Revivals are often described in terms of a “visitation from God.” J.I. Packer said, “Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God’s near presence and holiness.”
To be honest, most visitations that we practice today do not bring revival of any sort. Going over to a friend’s house to watch the game or visiting your parents for a home-cooked meal isn’t really restoring a deep sense of anything related to God.
True Christian visitation, however, is an embodiment of 1 Corinthians 5:20 which says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
When you visit others in the name of Christ, you bring God’s care – His eyes, hands and touch to people who need it most. When you visit others in the name of God, God is visiting through you. Don’t misunderstand, you don’t become God in any way, but as His eyes, His hands and His feet you represent God’s care and compassion to the world around you.
This is exactly what Moses did when God sent him to free the people of Israel. God heard the cry of the people of Israel, He saw their suffering (Exodus 3:7), so He sent Moses to bring them out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10). He sent Moses to be a part of a revival . . . He sent Moses to visit the Israelites on His behalf.
Do you want to be used by God to start a revival? You don’t have to be a dynamic preacher or top-leader in a dynamic ministry. You only have to be willing to visit others as a messenger available to God.
If you viewed each and every one of your opportunities for Christian visitation as an opportunity for God to spark revival in someone’s life, how would you visit differently?
- Would your attitude change in anyway?
- Would you look for more opportunities to visit?
- Would you make your actual visit more about Christ and less about the weather?
- Would you seek to understand and experience God’s holiness in your own life while helping others to understand and experience it?
Do the Word 
Thank you for this one. The Lord has been challenging me to visit someone who has been hard to me, to visit with kindness. This is confirmation that it is the Lord’s way.
Glad to hear you were encouraged and challenged by this post! I’d love to hear how your visit goes.
I went and took my children. Though the woman who was hard to me did not respond very positively, it was a wonderful day for her husband and a stranger who came down the hall to visit! Praise to God! (These people are in rehab–like assisted living–right now.) It was also a wonderful day for my children and me. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that you followed through with your visit and it sounds like a great example for your kids! When we follow God we are often blessed by the results, but God’s word also promises difficulties and persecution – 1 Tim. 3:12.
My mom just left a few hours ago after being here for a week from Washington. So this was more of “opening your home”. She is Catholic, and I’m not sure if she is saved. But over the last few years, I have really opened up to her about the gospel. While she was here, we read some of the Bible together. Also, she knew “Abide with Me”! She used to sing it in Sunday school. So we sang that and another hymn. We talked about a lot more than the weather! I continue to pray for her, that if she isn’t truly saved, that she will repent and be saved.
On Saturday, Mike’s sister’s son (my nephew) had his confirmation. (They are Catholic too.) So we had a big dinner at a restaurant after the Mass with extended family. Then on Sunday, we got together with Mike’s family for Mother’s Day brunch. His parents were in town for the weekend, so they were there too. 99% of the time, when we get together, we do just talk about weather and other small talk. I so long for that to change!! So I will keep praying for opportunities to truly share the gospel and the love of Christ with them. :>}
Thanks for sharing Jody – this gives me some new ideas on how to pray for your family! And by the way . . . “Abide with Me” is one of my favorites 🙂