Key Words: Wilt thou not revive us again
Revival is an invasion from heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God. ~ Stephen Olford
Revival is that sovereign work of God in which He visits His own people, restoring and releasing them into the fullness of His blessing. ~ Robert Coleman
Revival cannot be organized, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again. ~ G. Campbell Morgan
Revival is the visitation of God which brings to life Christians who have been sleeping and restores a deep sense of God's near presence and holiness. Thence springs a vivid sense of sin and a profound exercise of heart in repentance, praise, and love, with an evangelistic outflow.
Each revival movement has its own distinctive features, but the pattern is the same every time.
First God comes. On New Year's Eve 1739, John Wesley, George Whitefield, and some of their friends held a "love feast" which became a watch night of prayer to see the New Year in. At about 3 a.m., Wesley wrote, "the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground." Revival always begins with a restoration of the sense of the closeness of the Holy One.
Second, the gospel is loved as never before. The sense of God's nearness creates an overwhelming awareness of one's own sins and sinfulness, and so the power of the cleansing blood of Christ is greatly appreciated.
Then repentance deepens. In the Ulster revival in the 1920s shipyard workers brought back so many stolen tools that new sheds had to be built to house the recovered property! Repentance results in restitution.
Finally, the Spirit works fast: Godliness multiplies, Christians mature, converts appear. Paul was at Thessalonica for less than three weeks, but God worked quickly and Paul left a virile church behind him.
David asks in Psalm 85:6, “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”
I close by asking, “Do you really want revival?”
What to do:
✞ If you really want a revival, ask God to bring revival and let Him begin it with you.
Are you Saved? | Get These Free Devotions Everyday By Email
