River Flow

The Holy Spirit woke me up in the night & began speaking to me about rivers. It was crazy, things like swimming, rafting, etc…

He kept pointing out that there were right ways & wrong ways to be involved in river activities.

I feel like He led me into this so we could look at some things that will help us to flow fruitfully & safely in the Rivers of Revival.

I. There is always a process to learn…

a. Know the waters where you are going.

As I began to look at what is the protocol for going whitewater rafting this was one of the things that came up.

You need to be familiar with the waters & their obstacles that could potentially be a problem.

What does this have to do with Rivers of Revival?

As you step out on your faith journey it is a must to learn how things flow with the Lord.

Psalms 5:8 NLT Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make Your way plain for me to follow.

Jesus shared how important it is to know where you are going.

John 12:26 TPT If you want to be My disciple, follow Me & you will go where I am going. And if you truly follow Me as My disciple, the Father will shower His favor upon your life.

b. Safety requirements for the journey.

Again, I was checking things out lately because I thought we were going rafting in TN.

While looking some things up I saw something that showed up on almost every sight I looked at…

• Wear proper clothing

• Wear a helmet at all times

• Keep lifejacket on & tight at all times

• What to do if you fall into river

• Listen to your guide

All these were safety requirements for a good experience.

Joshua 1:7-9 NLT Be strong & very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day & night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper & succeed in all you do. This is My command—be strong & courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Can you imagine that rafting guides speak the same kind of wisdom that God does for us to have a great experience on our journey with Him.

• Strong & Courageous

• Obey the instructions

• Don’t get discouraged or fearful

WOW! I don’t know about you, but this is great & very helpful to me for navigating the Rivers of Revival journey that I am on.

It is clear that listening & obeying is critical to the flow that we are in with God’s plan.

II. Maneuvering with the Flow…

I want to use some of the rafting terminology on this point as well.

• On whitewater raft you always keep one hand on the very end of the shaft of the paddle; this is called the “T-grip.” Your other hand should remain somewhere along the halfway point between the T-grip & the tip of the paddle. If your hands are in any other position, you will lose grip & control very quickly.

To have a successful & enjoyable trip while on the river it is imperative that you learn to maneuver whatever you are riding in for the journey.

The time we are going to spend in the Rivers of Revival are going to be filled with twist & turns, challenges & difficulties…

It will be critical to learn how to maneuver effectively so as to have a successful journey.

Romans 8:14 NLT For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

The Rivers of Revival will not be successfully traveled without learning to flow with the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, & no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything & shows us God’s deep secrets.

No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, & no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

• Seven things Isaiah told us about God’s Spirit.

• Fruit that the Holy Spirit brings.