Despite all his sin, Abraham died right with God. Not through anything he had done, for nothing he did could make him right with God, but through faith in the one who was to come, the Messiah who would come from his bloodline. For Abaraham “believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Gen 15:6) Are we right with God, have we had our sin dealt with?

Abraham’s life had ended with him “full of years”, having had a ripe, fruitful life serving God. If we put our life in God’s hands, trusting his Son, then his Spirit will dwell in us, and our lives also will be fruitful. The Spirit will work in us, changing us, sanctifying us.

For ultimately, Abraham was received into the presence of God, not as a sinner, but a sanctified, purified glorified child of God. If we are not justified before God and if we are not sanctified by God, we cannot be received by God into his presence as his children.

Meanwhile, in Nehemiah 10, we see that the revival of God’s people, was accompanied with his word. The people had rediscovered it, they opened it and read from it. Many examples of revival in the history of the church were also accompanied with the word of God.

True revival will affect all areas of life, from the revitalising of the church, through to the everyday workings of life. It will begin in the heart of people, changing their lives from within so that their lives, in all its aspects, will have a marked difference.

Through this, communities will be affected as God’s Spirit convicts people of sin, people turn away from sin and so God’s people increase. In some cases this revival can affect whole nations and prevent revolution and carnage.

With all the above in mind, revival always starts with the people of God. They are not pray and then to sit back and wait for revival to happen. They are to pray and live according to their prayer. They should study his word, they should put that word into practice. There should be no sacred-secular divide. For God works through his people.