What exactly is a revival? We ask God for it and we sing about it—but what is it and why does it make a difference? The word “revival” simply means to restore to life, to breathe life into, and to make new or strong again. When we ask God for a revival, we are simply asking for a fresh outpouring of His presence that brings a Spiritual awakening in our lives, our region, and beyond. A lot of people think of a revival as a moment, but what if we saw it as a movement—one that we could take into our everyday lives?
In Psalm 85:1-6, the Psalmist remembers the way the Lord has worked powerfully in the life of His people. God poured out His blessings on the land, restored the fortunes of Israel, forgave them, and covered all their sins. The Psalmist boldly asks God to restore and revive His people once again in verse six: “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”
There have been many Great Revivals that have swept through our nation and around the world. They have restored people to new life as they repented, prayed, worshiped, and called upon God’s name. From the Great Awakening that swept through the American colonies to the Businessmen's Revival in downtown New York City in the 1800s, to the Azusa Street Revival in 1906, or the Jesus Movement in the 60s and the 70s—all these revivals had three common characteristics that are still relevant to us today:
1. Revival Requires Repentance
In every revival, there was a call to repentance. Repentance is more than just a recognition of sin. Repentance is a deep remorse for sin and a resolve to turn away from it. If we ever expect to see God bring revival to our city, nation, and beyond, then we, as the people of God, need to repent of the sin in our lives.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The phrase “wicked ways” in this verse simply means anything that's in opposition to the will and way of God—anything that pulls us away from God's best for our life. Repentance is allowing the Holy Spirit to show you those things, confessing them to God, and then turning away from them.
The word in the Bible that we translate as “repentance” means to change one's mind. It's a conscious decision to think in accordance with the Word rather than the world.
Revival Today: What is the Holy Spirit convicting you of today? How might you need to change your mind to think according to God’s Word instead of the world?
2. Revival Requires Holiness
In the great revivals of the past, there was a distinct call to holiness among God's people because the closer you get to God, the farther you move away from sin. The closer you get to God, the more like Him you become.
And when you're in His presence, you begin to hunger for more of Him—the things of the world don't satisfy anymore. During these times of revival, God's people were seeking God's presence and God showed up and changed things. And of course, the greatest thing that God ever changes is us.
Revival Today: Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out? Are you listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit when He tries to correct you or redirect you?
3. Revival is a Call to Prayer
Another common characteristic of Great Revivals was prayer. People would gather to pray not just for an hour or two—they would stay there all night. Thousands would gather for days on end, praying and seeking the heart of God. Buildings couldn't even contain everyone who was trying to get in to pray. And while they were there, they were seeing the miraculous because they were seeking God with all their hearts. He says in Jeremiah 29:13, “Seek me, and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Prayer was the key that opened the door to the power and the presence of God that shook our nation. We need to wrestle with God in prayer to ask God to breathe new life into His people, to revive hearts, and to stir a renewed passion for holiness and repentance among us once again. If we are ever going to see revival in our nation, it has to start with you and me.
Revival isn't something that happens out there somewhere, it happens right here. It starts with us because we are revival carriers. The greatest thing that you can do for our nation as a follower of Jesus is pray because God can do more in seconds than man can do in centuries.
Revival Today: Today, spend extra time in prayer asking God for a revival in your heart and a revival in our community, our nation, and beyond. Use this guide if you need help. Let’s begin to seek Him with all our heart this year, and watch what God does!
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