Marriner’s Moment: REvival of the Heart – Part 1

By Pastor Melvin O. Marriner
Grove Church

Want to love others as God has loved you? Come thirsty. Drink deeply of God’s love for you. Ask him to fill your heart with a love worth giving!
Max Lucado

Frequently we hear discussions (or sermons) about revival. In fact, at Grove Church, we have themed 2016 as our Year of REsurgence (or revival). Realistically, though, revival does not necessarily start or take place in the church; true revival starts within the depths of our hearts. Revival means to be restored, quickened or delivered from something, such as illness or pain, hurt, discouragement, or death. And, it’s only when we have had the awesome privilege and experience of being ‘alive in Christ’ that we can truly appreciate what it means to be revived from a state of spiritual faintness.

One of the best ways to experience a revival of the heart is to ask God to reveal the hidden things that block, hinder or impede our hearts from functioning as He had intended. You know what I mean—the unforgiveness that we cling to, the private (and sometimes sinful) thoughts that occupy space in our heads, the bitterness that we bare, or when our talk simply does not align with our walk. When worship becomes a ritual and praise is all pretense, it is time for a revival of the heart. In the coming weeks, we will explore ways to seek a revival of the heart. In the meantime, walk in your greatness and know that God loves you and so do I!

© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner, June 2016

We invite you to join us at Grove Church, 5910 West Norfolk Road, Portsmouth, Virginia, Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.