2 Kings 5:11-12  – “But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, two distinct words flooded my consciousness. Pride and Repentance.   Biblical repentance is so much more than emotion or even a sense of guilt and shame.    Biblical repentance is to do a 180-degree turn and go in the other direction. It is to change the mind.   It involves demonstrable righteousness.

In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, the Syrian’s pride, almost kept him from healing. But he repented [changed his mind] and acted on the Word of the prophet. Healing came!

Many are crying out for a move or outpouring of the Holy Spirit in revival. That’s good, but no revival ever comes unless it is preceded by deep repentance.

Revival only comes when repentance is prevalent.  Matthew 3:2 – “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In verse 8, John said, “Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance.”    A changed life always accompanies repentance.  No change, no repentance.

Matthew 3:10-11 reveals that repentance is also accompanied by the purging fire of the Holy Spirit.   True repentance leads us to God.  Pride drives us from God.  When the heart is set to seek God, two doors become visible. It is either the door of Pride or the door of Repentance.

Remember James’s words: “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.”  Notice the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, as described in Matthew 4. He fasted and prayed for 40 days (Submitted to God). Then the devil came, and in each temptation, Jesus resisted with the Word of God. He resisted, and the devil departed from him.    Then, something else happened. The angels came and began to minister to Him.

The message of John, Jesus, and the Acts Church was repentance.  The message of every revival has been repentance.   Repentance involves demonstrated righteousness.  Repentance is to abandon self and seek God.  Repentance is to put pride aside and surrender to God. Repentance is the door to revival, renewal, and restoration.

The call of the Holy Spirit is “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”   Matthew 6:33 provides the pathway to God’s fullness!   If we will set ourselves to seek and submit to God, three things will happen. The enemy will come to attack. If we resist, he will flee, and then the angels will come to strengthen us.

One more thought is from 2 Kings 4:1-7.  The widow with the bottle of oil and Elisha.  She prepared (borrowed containers for the oil).  She poured (utilized what she had prepared).  She exhausted her capacity (ran out of containers). The oil stopped flowing. She set her limit of blessing.

If we pursue God and repent with a transformed heart, we give God a vessel in which to pour His oil. The only limitation is the depth of our repentance and surrender. We set the limit of our revival. How much do you want?

May 180 Degrees from the Old Path, your targeted New Path!