In the context of the Bible, "stirrings" often refers to the movements or promptings of the heart, spirit, or emotions, typically initiated by God or the Holy Spirit. These stirrings can lead individuals or groups to action, repentance, or a deeper understanding of God's will.

Old Testament Stirrings

In the Old Testament, God frequently stirred the hearts of individuals to fulfill His purposes. For example, in the book of Exodus, God stirred the hearts of the Israelites to contribute to the building of the Tabernacle. Exodus 35:21 states, "And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments."

Another significant instance of divine stirring is found in the book of Ezra. After the Babylonian exile, God stirred the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Ezra 1:1 records, "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing."

New Testament Stirrings

In the New Testament, the concept of stirring is often associated with the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit stirs believers to faith, action, and spiritual gifts. In Acts 17:16 , the Apostle Paul experiences a stirring of his spirit when he sees the idolatry in Athens: "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols."

The Apostle Paul also encourages believers to stir up their spiritual gifts. In 2 Timothy 1:6 , Paul writes to Timothy, "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands." This stirring is a call to active engagement and development of the gifts given by God.

Stirrings in Worship and Prayer

Stirrings are also evident in the context of worship and prayer. The Psalms frequently express the stirring of the heart towards God. Psalm 45:1 declares, "My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer." Here, the psalmist's heart is moved to worship and praise.

In prayer, believers are often stirred to intercede for others or to seek God's guidance. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in these stirrings, as described in Romans 8:26 : "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

Stirrings and Repentance

Stirrings can also lead to repentance and a turning back to God. In the book of Nehemiah, the reading of the Law stirred the hearts of the Israelites to repentance and renewal of their covenant with God. Nehemiah 8:9 describes the people's response: "Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, 'This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law."

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, stirrings are a divine mechanism by which God moves His people towards His purposes, whether through the prompting of the heart, the work of the Holy Spirit, or the call to repentance and action. These stirrings are integral to the life of faith, encouraging believers to respond to God's call with obedience and devotion.1995. hamon -- a sound, murmur, roar, crowd, abundance
... 14), many (3), multitude (31), multitudes (2), noise (2), people (1), populated
(1), population (1), roar (1), rumbling (1), sound (1), stirrings (1), tumult (9 ...
/hebrew/1995.htm - 6k

How a Man Should have Him in Beginning of this Work against all ...
... HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER How a man should have him in beginning
of this work against all thoughts and stirrings of sin. ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the one and 2.htm

Of the Indifference which we are to have as to Our Advancement in ...
... passion, that is, to certain startings, strong movements and sallies of an angry
heart, which the Chaldaic paraphrase calls stirrings (tremoussements), saying ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vii of the indifference.htm

Of the Shortness of this Word, and How it May not be Come to by ...
... grace to the first state of man's soul, as it was before sin, then thou shouldest
evermore by help of that grace be lord of that stirring or of those stirrings ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the fourth chapter.htm

That in this Work a Soul is Cleansed Both of his Special Sins and ...
... For out of this original sin will all day spring new and fresh stirrings of sin:
the which thee behoveth all day to smite down, and be busy to shear away with ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the three and 2.htm

Third Part of the Book.
... my foe, whom I cannot see, stands ever against me with his bow bent." Therefore,
if necessity make man to go into this world, where are so many stirrings to sin ...
/.../the form of perfect living and other prose treatises/third part of the book.htm

Christ and the Unstable.
... long before, cast out the crying abuses from the temple and cleanse His Father's
house, He felt that He could now do; He felt that these stirrings of feeling ...
/.../schleiermacher/selected sermons of schleiermacher/v christ and the unstable.htm

Sin is Spiritual Slavery
... of the Spirit of Grace, and the ordinary workings of a rational nature not yet
reprobated, he is at times the subject of internal stirrings and aspirations ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/sin is spiritual slavery.htm

Second Part of the Book.
... else. S. Bernard, for the liking that he had for such stirrings desired
that matins-time might last till Dooms-day. Think, when ...
/.../second part of the book.htm

"The Great Awakening. "
... Notwithstanding these occasional local "stirrings of the heart," at the beginning
of the second quarter of the eighteenth century a cold, formal piety was ...
/.../chapter ix the great awakening.htm

Attendance on Holy Communion.
... life and godliness." He has been urgent with us in the very morning of our days,
and by the fulness of His grace has anticipated the first stirrings of pride ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon xi attendance on holy.htm

Stirrings (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Stirrings (1 Occurrence). Isaiah 63:15 Let your eyes
be looking down from heaven, from your holy and beautiful ...
/s/stirrings.htm - 6k

Stirs (23 Occurrences)

/s/stirs.htm - 12k

Stirring (20 Occurrences)

/s/stirring.htm - 12k

Sin (782 Occurrences)
... Jesus honored the Law, but He pushed the keeping of the Law back from the mere
performance of externals to the inner stirrings of motives. ...
/s/sin.htm - 82k

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