I recently started school, again, and last night was the first time I attended chapel. (It was great.) The speaker asked the question, “Where does your soul need restoration?” Wow! See, many times we ask God to restore us but what exactly are you asking for? I mean, what part of your soul needs to be restored? No, I am not saying you have to babble on and on in your plea to God but sometimes you need to be specific. “God, restore my mind.” “God, restore my health.” “God, restore my strength.” “God, restore in me your word.” “God, restore my family.” “God, restore my finances.” “God, restore my ministry.” “God, restore my marriage.” Sometimes, you need to get explicit in your asking. Look, restore means to bring something back to an earlier and better condition or to give somebody new strength or vigor or to return somebody to a previously held rank, office, or position or even to reestablish or put back something that was once but is no longer there. So where does your soul need restoration?
Beloved, every now and then you need to ask God, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:12).” Every once in a while, you need to stop crying and complaining and pray for your soul. Because it is then that you’ll be restored. Yes, you’ll have to go through some things but that’s because we still fall short of God’s glory but don’t complain because it should be worse. This is why God asks the question of us like He did Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 30:15, “Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.” Oh but then He says in Jeremiah 30:16-17, “But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.” So come out of that woe is me closet. Cut off the ‘I can’t do it,” reality show. Turn off the ‘what if I fail,” radio station. And get away from ‘I wouldn’t do it if I were you,’ folk. Get down on your knees, get in your prayer closet or your prayer place and ask God to restore you. Stop walking around here with your lips and heart closed off to God. Fast until you have clear insight on the part of your soul that needs restoration so that you can pray specifically for it and it be restored. Where does your soul need restoration?
Lakisha, the Author 