As wonderful as the work of the Spirit in Old Testament times had been, God had still greater plans. All of these outpourings were rooted in God’s desire to bring his people alive—not just physically but spiritually. He wanted a people who would know him personally and live in a relationship of love and obedience with him as their Father. They needed a “new heart and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26). Only God himself could accomplish that.