Revival to the nations: when God visits his people
Throughout history there are moments when God seems to draw near to his people in an extraordinary way. Churches fill up, people weep over their sins, families are reconciled, bars and prisons empty, prayer becomes fervent and the Gospel spreads with a force no human strategy can explain. These times are called revivals. Today, in a wounded and confused world, many believers in every nation cry out with the prophet Habakkuk: “O Lord, revive thy work.”
In this article we explore what a revival is according to the Bible, what past revivals teach us, the signs of a true move of God and how we can pray and prepare for revival to reach the nations.
“O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.”
Habakkuk 3:2
What is a revival?
To revive means to give new life, to rekindle something that was going out. A revival is not an organised event, a mass concert or an advertising campaign, although God can use all of these. It is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit that awakens the Church from spiritual slumber and, as a result, reaches those who are far from God.
Two related realities are often distinguished. Revival is the renewal of believers’ spiritual life: a new love for God, deep repentance, hunger for the Word and passion for holiness. Awakening or harvest is the effect that revival has on society: multitudes turning to Christ, transformed communities and a visible impact on culture.
The psalmist prayed: “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6). Revival begins in the house of God and overflows to the nations.
Revivals in the history of Israel
The Old Testament records several moments of spiritual renewal. Under King Josiah, the book of the law, which had been forgotten, was found in the temple. On hearing it, the king tore his clothes, humbled himself before God, renewed the covenant, removed idolatry and celebrated the Passover as it had not been celebrated for generations (2 Kings 22-23).
Under King Hezekiah, the closed doors of the temple were opened, God’s house was purified and worship was restored with great joy (2 Chronicles 29-30). In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, after the exile, the people gathered in the square to hear the law read from morning until midday; they wept as they heard God’s words, and then they were told not to grieve, for the joy of the Lord was their strength (Nehemiah 8).
These revivals share common elements: the rediscovery of God’s Word, sincere repentance, the removal of idols, the restoration of worship and deep joy.
The promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14
One of the verses most often quoted when praying for revival is God’s answer to Solomon at the dedication of the temple:
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
This passage describes four attitudes of God’s people —humbling themselves, praying, seeking his face and turning from their wicked ways— and three responses from God: hearing, forgiving and healing the land. Although it was spoken to Israel in a particular context, it expresses a principle repeated throughout the Bible: when God’s people turn to him with all their heart, God responds with mercy.
Pentecost: the great revival
The most important revival in history took place in Jerusalem fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection. A hundred and twenty disciples were continuing with one accord in prayer. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, tongues like fire appeared and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
Peter, who weeks earlier had denied Jesus, preached boldly, and about three thousand people were baptised that day. The book of Acts describes the fruit: they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers; they shared their goods with the needy; they praised God with gladness, and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Peter explained that the prophecy of Joel was being fulfilled: God would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh. That promise was not limited to one day; the Spirit went on driving the Church towards Samaria, Antioch, Asia, Europe and to the ends of the earth.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”
Joel 2:28
Great revivals in Church history
Since then, Christian history has seen many times of renewal in different traditions and continents.
Renewal movements in the early and medieval Church. Monks, preachers and movements of evangelical poverty, such as that of Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, called people back to the simplicity of the Gospel and renewed the faith of multitudes.
The sixteenth-century Reformation. The rediscovery of Scripture and of God’s grace, and the translation of the Bible into the languages of the people, brought deep renewal in Europe. The same century also saw movements of spiritual renewal within the Catholic Church.
The First Great Awakening (eighteenth century). In Great Britain and the North American colonies, preachers such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley saw multitudes moved by the preaching of the Gospel. The Methodist movement took the faith to miners, labourers and the poor, and promoted schools and social work.
Herrnhut and the Moravian missions. In 1727 a community of refugees in Herrnhut, Germany, experienced an outpouring of the Spirit. There began a chain of prayer that, according to its history, lasted about a hundred years, and from that community missionaries went out to the Caribbean, Greenland, Africa and other regions.
The Welsh Revival (1904-1905). Through prayer meetings marked by repentance, thousands of people were converted in a few months, and visible changes in social life were reported, such as a decline in drunkenness.
Azusa Street (1906). In a modest church in Los Angeles, led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher, people of different races prayed together at a time of strict segregation. From there the Pentecostal movement spread, which today numbers hundreds of millions of believers, especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
The growth of the Church in the global South. Over the last century Christianity has grown remarkably in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In many places this growth has been accompanied by intense prayer, witness amid persecution and renewed love for the Word.
Signs of a true revival
Not everything presented as revival is revival. The Bible calls us to examine the fruit. A genuine move of God usually shows these signs:
Christ is exalted. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus (John 16:14). The centre is not a charismatic leader but the Lord.
There is deep repentance. People recognise their sin, confess it, restore what they have taken and are reconciled with those they have hurt.
God’s Word is loved. Hunger grows for reading, studying and obeying the Bible.
Prayer multiplies. Believers pray fervently, privately and together.
There is holiness and love. The fruit of the Spirit appears: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
There is unity. Believers from different churches pray and serve together.
There is compassion and justice. Authentic revivals have driven care for the poor, education, healthcare and the struggle against injustice.
There is mission. Renewed believers do not stay shut in; they go out to proclaim Christ to their city and to the nations.
When, on the other hand, the emphasis is on emotional manipulation, spectacle, money or the exaltation of people, it is necessary to discern humbly with Scripture in hand.
Why do the nations need revival?
Many societies face deep crises: violence, family breakdown, addiction, corruption, hopelessness among the young and loneliness. Political and economic solutions are necessary, but they cannot transform the human heart. Only God can make all things new. That is why praying for revival is praying for the healing of the nations, beginning with the Church.
At the same time, in many parts of the world there are still peoples who have not heard the Gospel. A genuine revival awakens in the Church a missionary passion that drives it to take Christ to the ends of the earth. Read also our article The hope of the nations.
How to pray and prepare for revival
Begin with your own heart. Revival starts with real people who humble themselves before God. Ask the Lord to examine your life, as David prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23).
Return to the Word. Spend daily time reading the Bible. The revivals under Josiah and Nehemiah began with the rediscovery of God’s law.
Pray persistently. Join others to pray for your family, your church, your city and your nation. Set a weekly time of prayer for revival.
Seek unity. Pray with believers from other congregations. Psalm 133 says that where brethren dwell together in unity, there the Lord commands the blessing, even life for evermore.
Serve and bear witness. Don’t wait passively. Share the Gospel, visit the sick, help the needy. God often revives those who are already obeying.
Wait in faith. Revival is a sovereign work of God; we cannot manufacture it, but we can cry out for it trusting his promises.
A prayer for revival among the nations
Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. We humble ourselves before you and confess our sins and the sins of our nations. Forgive us and heal our land. Pour out your Holy Spirit on your Church as on the day of Pentecost. Awaken in us a new love for Jesus Christ, hunger for your Word, passion for prayer and compassion for the lost. Unite your people in every nation. May families be restored, young people come to know you, captives be set free and your Gospel reach the ends of the earth. May the earth be filled with the knowledge of your glory as the waters cover the sea. In the name of Jesus, amen.