Preparing the Soil of Our Hearts

Scripture Invitation

As we embark on this journey of preparation for revival, I invite you to turn with me to the book of Hosea, chapter 10, verse 12.

Here, the prophet Hosea delivers a timely message from the Lord, urging us to prepare our hearts for His coming work.

Bible Passage

Hosea 10:12 CSB

Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.

Introduction

My brothers and sisters, as we stand on the precipice of a mighty move of God in our midst, we must ask ourselves: are we ready?

Are our hearts prepared to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

The reality is "You cannot change your life until you change something you do daily."

Tonight, we will explore how we can change our daily habits to cultivate a heart that is ready for revival.

Establish the Setting

In the days of the prophet Hosea, the people of Israel found themselves in a state of spiritual decay.

They had turned away from God, pursuing idols and living in sin.

Yet, in the midst of this darkness, the Lord extended an invitation through His prophet.

He called them to break up the fallow ground of their hearts, to sow seeds of righteousness, and to seek Him wholeheartedly.

This message is just as relevant for us today.

We live in a world that is filled with distractions, temptations, and spiritual apathy.

It is easy for our hearts to become hardened, for the soil of our souls to become rocky and choked with weeds.

But God is calling us to a higher standard.

He is inviting us to prepare our hearts for the rain of His righteousness.

So I ask you tonight church, what does the soil of your heart look like?

Is it soft and receptive to the work of the Holy Spirit, or has it become hardened by the cares of this world?

Breaking Up the Fallow Ground

First, we must learn to break up the fallow ground of our hearts.

Fallow ground is land that has been left uncultivated, allowed to become hard and overgrown with weeds.

In the same way, when we neglect our spiritual lives, our hearts can become callous and unresponsive to God's voice.

The truth is “Revival begins with the individual. It starts with you and me getting honest before God and dealing with the issues in our lives that are hindering our relationship with Him."

This is the first step in preparing for revival - acknowledging the areas of our lives that need to be broken up and surrendered to God.

It may be painful to confront the hardened places in our hearts, but it is necessary for growth.

Just as a farmer must break up the hard soil before planting, we must allow God to break up the stubborn areas of our lives.

Through confession, repentance, and humility, we can create space for the Holy Spirit to work.

Sowing Seeds of Righteousness

Once the ground of our hearts is broken up, we must begin sowing seeds of righteousness.

This means actively pursuing a life that honors God in every area - our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

We need to understand that "Your destiny is not just to go to heaven when Christ returns, but to bring heaven to earth while you live."

Sowing righteousness involves making daily choices to follow God's will.

It means studying His Word, engaging in prayer, and serving others with compassion.

It means living a life of integrity, even when no one is watching.

These small seeds of obedience, planted consistently over time, will yield a harvest of righteousness in our lives.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:7-8,

Galatians 6:7–8 CSB

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

We must be diligent in sowing to the Spirit, knowing that our labor is not in vain.

Seeking the Lord Wholeheartedly

In addition to breaking up our fallow ground and sowing seeds of righteousness, Hosea calls us to seek the Lord with our whole hearts.

This means making God our highest priority, pursuing Him above all else.

"The greatest need in the church today is for believers to fall in love with Jesus all over again."

Seeking God wholeheartedly involves setting aside time each day to be in His presence.

It means worshipping Him in spirit and in truth, not just going through the motions.

It means crying out to Him in prayer, pouring out our hearts before His throne.

When we seek God with sincerity and devotion, He promises to be found by us (Jeremiah 29:13).

The servant of the lord penned these words saying, "A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs."

This revival begins with each one of us individually seeking the face of God.

As we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

Anticipating the Rain of Righteousness

Finally, as we prepare our hearts and our church for revival, we must do so with great anticipation.

Hosea declares that as we sow righteousness and seek the Lord, He will come and rain righteousness upon us.

This is a beautiful picture of the abundant life that God desires to give His children.

The rain of God's righteousness brings refreshing, cleansing, and growth.

It washes away the filth of sin and causes our spiritual lives to flourish.

&” What we must realize is “When God sends revival, He doesn't just revive the church, He revives the community."

As we anticipate this rain of righteousness, let us do so with faith and expectancy.

We must believe and know that God is going to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Tonight we must position ourselves to receive all that He has in store for us, both individually and corporately.

Closing & Appeal:

As I close this message, I want to remind you that we serve a God who specializes in bringing life from barren places.

Just as He caused streams to flow in the desert and the wilderness to blossom, He can bring revival to the dry and weary soul.

So I ask you today, will you allow Him to prepare the soil of your heart?

Will you break up the fallow ground through repentance and humility?

Will you sow seeds of righteousness in your daily life?

Will you seek Him with your whole heart, holding nothing back?

If you will do these things, I believe that we will see a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

We will see lives transformed, families restored, and communities impacted for the glory of God.

For when we prepare the soil of our hearts, There is no limit to what God can do.

When we sow seeds of righteousness, We will reap a harvest of abundant life.

When we seek the Lord with our whole hearts, He will rain down righteousness upon us.

And when the rain of His presence falls, Every dry and barren place will spring to life.

So let us prepare our hearts tonight, Anticipating the glorious work that God will do.

For the rain is coming, church, The rain of revival is on its way.

And when it falls upon the soil of our surrendered hearts, We will see the fruits of the Spirit blossom in our lives.