Category Archives: Revival

Posted on

Where Do We Find Revival?

Personal Revival is The Genesis

In the previous blog article, I mentioned the process that leads to revival and a national awakening. In this article I want to address our own personal revival that can become the catalyst for larger accomplishments. To begin this discussion, we need to examine some scriptural illustrations of Jesus as a guide for today’s need.

Jesus’ Habit of Withdrawing

Mark 1:12,13, 35-37 – Jesus begins his ministry with 40 days in the wilderness (12,13) and then early in the darkness of morning, Jesus finds a solitary place. Notice the Disciples remarks; “…Everyone is looking for you!” It seems logical that if Jesus, part of the Trinity pulled away for prayer that we should be pulled away from our screens to spend some one-on-one time with the Creator.

Mark 6:45-50 – Between the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water, He went to the mountainside to pray. Let’s state the facts of observation, The miracles that were being performed were not like anything people had previously witnessed. Yet, the Savior of the world maintained a foundation of prayer and intimacy with His Father.

Luke 5:12-16 – Jesus heals the leprous man. The report of this miracle brought the crowds to Jesus, yet during opportunity Jesus does not allow fame to take precedence over His prayer life.

Where Is Revival Located?

Pastor Jon Tyson of the Church For The City in New York suggests a five part response that is confirmed by other scholars.

Prepare and Embrace the Crystallization of Discontent – This is the moment the battered spouse decides to leave. It is the moment you wake up to the realization, I am in a cult. It is the moment the addict realizes a need for help and sets his/her purpose on change. With the foundations of our civilization shaking, right now is a moment in history to realize my religious systems and methodologies are broken. I need transformation. Reformed and reborn for such a time as this.

Be Willing to See Your Personal Inadequacies – This part of the journey is painful. However, this is one of the great things God can do for us, awakening a consciousness of our unpreparedness. It is easier to maintain surface happiness when we believe we have arrived.

Seek God in New Ways – If you are not experiencing the crystallization of discontent or seeing your own inadequacies, try seeking God in new ways. Start by practicing spiritual disciplines you have never attempted. Dallas Willard is a great author that has wrote numerous books on spiritual disciplines. His classic The Spirit of The Disciplines  is an excellent resource. Another book of Willard is Renovation of The Heart. Seeing God in new ways can enlighten your spirit-man by given fresh insight to old revelations or even new revelations.

Rededicate Yourself to A Life of Prayer – One of the most effective ways to stir revival is to dedicate ourselves to a life of prayer. Pastor Tyson’s church in New York City invests a quarter million dollars to support their prayer endeavors. What would it look like if we invested at a higher level in renewing prayer in our life? How would that stir hunger in your life? How would it change your life rhythms? 

Reorient Your Life Around A Desire for Personal Revival – The simple truth of the matter is that unless you make some changes in our life and dig into a new desire for God, we probably will not experience the inner renewal and revival that we desire to see in the lives of people around us.

Posted on

The Problem With Hoping For Many

How Does Revival Begin?

Please God, we pray, make a difference in the lives of the people around me, draw them to yourself, Jesus! (Common Prayer)

The next natural step is to start asking ourselves how we can make this happen. What are the things that we can do? What should we say? What books can we give them? What inspiring videos do they need to see? What meme or truth-telling photo can I share on Facebook or Instagram?

Is it wrong to pray for and desire that many to come to Christ? NO! That is a good desire. But what is at the heart in our hope for the many to come to Christ? Is it an empty auditorium? Is it shrinking offerings? Is it to appease my lack of response, “…here am I, send me…” Hoping for many isn’t a wrong desire. It is, however, a wrong beginning point. What God wants even more that for us to hope for the many is for us to HUNGER for Him!

Our desire for revival must begin with the cry, “Revive Me!” YES, I am well aware we are in a post-Christian era. The tendency would be to think that no one is interested in spiritual discussions. That is far from the truth. It is reported that 47% of non-Christians and lapsed Christians have unanswered spiritual questions. Consider that 39% of this same group say they are seeking something spiritually better.[1] Millennial non-Christians report being twice as likely than older non-Christians to learn about Christian faith and its impact on their lives[2].

Let’s examine closer at how revival actually is awakened within us. Evaluate these 4 actionable steps to see where you find yourself

  1. Regeneration – This arrives in the form of conviction in which we see our need for God, Jesus, and the Cross. We become new creatures in Christ. Think of it as a personal revival in which we are awakened to spiritual truth. It begins with the cry of “Revive me!”
  2. Restoration – Because of God’s unfailing kindness to restore us and bring us to Himself, He begins a work of restoration by replacing what was lost because of sin. Perhaps it is finances, family, or health.  What a beautiful thing restoration can be in the life of the one receiving and those observing.
  3. Reformation – This is a time of struggle and engagement with God not like anything previously experienced. This is when we really begin to die to the flesh and put on the spirit and armor of God. This is a season of incredible spiritual growth and maturity.
  4. Renewal – This is a season we walk more in the spiritual realm and not by human leadership techniques. This is a legitimate working of the Holy Spirit not experienced previously. This is a fresh season of God’s energy flowing through our lives personally and the church corporately. Have you ever reached this season?
  5. AWAKENING – This is a time in which God transforms entire cultures, cities, and nations.[3]

What I have listed is in a prioritized order. This means that you cannot jump to nations awakening until you first consider the previous four actions that precedes it. We all desire to see this magnitude of awakening in our families, cities, and nations. We desire to see churches filled and hearts in untold numbers running to the Mercy Seat – repenting and turning to Jesus.

[1] Reviving Evangelism (Barna Group 2019) p.73

[2] Ibid.

[3] Jon Tyson, Teach Us To Pray. YouTube Series on Prayer 2018.