Praying for revival

The thought of a revival has been heavy on my heart for a long time. I have read a lot about different revivals that have taken place here in the USA, like "The Great Awakening" in the 1730s and 1740s, that swept through the New England and Middle Colonies. Ministers called for "a new birth," a return to the strong faith of earlier days. One such minister was Jonathan Edwards of Massachusetts, who gave powerful sermons for people to return to the Bible. George Whitefield, a minister from England, toured the American colonies preaching in open fields the message of revival from the God of the Bible.

Today there is a great misunderstanding of what a revival is. Many believe that a revival can be scheduled on the church calendar or in a large stadium. That is not a revival, it is just an evangelistic meeting or program. Revival does not come in the trunk of an evangelist's vehicle with hand-picked sermon outlines in his briefcase. Revival does not come in a preacher's charisma or abilities that God has given to him. To know what a revival is we must turn to the Bible to find the answer.

Psalm 85:4-6 provides us a great foundation on true revival.

4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your indignation toward us to cease. 5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? 6 Will You not Yourself revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?

Notice the heart cry, the hunger and thirst of the psalmist. The psalmist is not looking to political leaders, religious leaders, himself or anyone else to bring revival. His sole focus, attention and prayer is to the God of Heaven. The psalmist realizes that revival will not be brought if God does not bring it. Revival must come from God for He is the God of revival.

I cannot bring myself or you to revival and I do not know of anyone that can. Zechariah 4:6 states: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." We must get our focus on God, for He is the mighty person of revival!

In my life I have not seen a nationwide revival, a citywide revival or even a churchwide revival. A revival must start in the hearts of God's people in the church first, then it will spread out. We can have revival again when we, as believers, thirst and hunger for God and want Him more than anything or anybody else.

Many are saying that "It's too late and that America has gone too far, and it is over!"

Yet, I believe the God who brought revival in the past is the same God we serve today. God is still alive and on the throne! He is all powerful and my heart cries out to Him, "Oh God do it again when the time's right!"