“We need revival.”
You will hear this from about every Christian, every preacher, and every church.
Yet, in the church today, people claim to want revival but are bothered if their preacher goes a few minutes too long. Sure, we want revival, but we want it on our own terms, by our own conditions, and with no interruptions of habit or disturbance of lifestyle. When biblical Christianity reenters a church, it is called "revival." If you feel possessive of your church, don't let this happen.
As this is a huge topic to cover, here 10 scattered-but-directed thoughts on this subject as it pertains to us today.
We ought to pray for revival for the same reason we ought to pray for everything else -- because God is God and we are not.1. Our ministries depend upon ordinary means, but we must not fear to hope for extraordinary revival. Spurgeon well said: "If the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival." Pray earnestly for revival. God's fire burning away the filth of sin; God's spirit giving life & empowering His people for godliness & love.
2. Only a wholesale revival will deliver our nation from its depths of depravity. America's biggest need is not a new regime in Washington - but a new revival in the Church.
3. When God brings about revival and reformation, you always find people more focused on, engaged with, and eager to hear the word of God. There is no movement of the Spirit in the history of revival or in the human heart that does not result in a new hunger for God's word.
4. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17). Churches in decline ignore this. Churches in revival relish it.
5. Biblical revival creates a mess. The human responses are all over the place. May we pray: “Lord, create that mess! Your mess is better than ours.”
6. There is no formula for revival, but if there were, we must see an essential ingredient is: pleading, persistent, & desperate prayer before the Lord (Luke 18:1-8). Pray for laborers! Pray for revival! Pray that God's Name be great among the nations & the Lamb receive the full reward for His sufferings. If you pray for revival for other churches in your city, maybe the Lord will include your church too (#sameteam).
7. We ought to pray for revival for the same reason we ought to pray for everything else -- because God is God and we are not. Ezekiel 37:7-8. We pray for *true* revival because something may have all the appearances of life/success but have no "breath.” O God, send a great revival to our churches that will lead to the conversion of the unsaved of our land.
8. Revival will come when the fear of God is back in the pulpit and pew. Reformation is the restoration of biblical doctrine. Revival is the restoration of spiritual life. We need both. Our Lord has both. Let's stay open to Him!
9. If you want to buzzkill revival, put it on the calendar and make a Facebook event post. Having grown up in a church that scheduled a revival every year, consequently, we never had a revival. While working diligently, I nevertheless pray for revival because God is sovereign over souls and my strategies are not.
10. Revival can be loud and dramatic. But revival can also be as quiet and simple as all of us starting to confess our sins. One good reason not to miss church? This Sunday could be when revival breaks out. Don't be the guy who was home sleeping when the glory hit.
