The revival at Asbury University garnered quite a few headlines last year. What began as a chapel service turned into a weeks-long revival. Recently, we have seen college students on other campuses experience a time of spiritual awakening and a deepening hunger after God including the University of Georgia where 7,000 students gathered at Stegeman Coliseum and a number of baptisms took place on campus.

We rejoice to see such moves of the Holy Spirit, especially among the younger generation. With so much sin and brokenness in the world, it is encouraging to see revival blossom on college campuses. And when we see these revival fires burn brightly across our nation, it stirs up a deeper desire in us to see it happen in our community, our church, our family. But … do you really want revival?

Revival has been defined in many ways by many people. J.I. Packer provides this definition: “Revival is an extraordinary work of God the Holy Ghost reinvigorating and propagating Christian piety in a community.” (“Jonathan Edwards and the Theology of Revival,” in Puritan Papers: vol. 2, 1960–1962, ed.)

John Piper provides a more comprehensive definition saying that Revival is “a sovereign work of God in which the whole region of many churches, many Christians has been lifted out of spiritual indifference and worldliness into conviction of sin, earnest desires for more of Christ and his word, boldness in witness, purity of life, lots of conversions, joyful worship, renewed commitment to missions.” (“What Is Revival and Where Do We Find It?”, Interview on desiringgod.com)

Timothy Keller provides us with three results of revival (“Lord, Do It Again: Tim Keller on Revival,” adapted from Timothy Keller’s workshop at The Gospel Coalition’s 2013 National Conference):
(1) Sleepy Christians Wake Up
(2) Nominal Christians (Christians in name only) Are Converted
(3) Conscious Non-Christians Come to Faith

What we in the south routinely call “revival” is a series of scheduled services in a church building or a tent where church members are encouraged to invite their friends to hear a guest preacher who presents a clear and compelling presentation of the gospel and invites those attending to respond. I am certainly not critical of these revival services. Many have come to faith in these planned meetings, and many others have experienced major life changes, but having such meetings does not mean revival will happen.

But I return again to the previous question – Do we really want revival to occur? Let’s face it; revivals can be disruptive to our routines. When God’s Spirit moves, it can sometimes make pastors and church members uneasy. A sovereign work of God is not something that can be controlled or steered by human beings. I’m not saying that we will see the Day of Pentecost repeated on the streets of Greensboro, Georgia, but when revival does occur it will radically change lives and disrupt the norm. It will bring great joy to many and great concern for many others. Christians may be accused of turning the world upside down, just as we find in the ancient city of Thessalonica after the ministry of Paul and Silas (Acts 17).

If we are willing to give up control and trust the Lord to bring revival, what is it that we can do to hasten such a spiritual awakening in our community? I offer these as a starting point for Christians desiring to see a great sweeping move of the Spirit:

(1) Pray daily and fervently for God to bring revival – to your community, to your church, and to your family.
(2) Pray daily and fervently for your church leaders to be open to seeing God do something in your church He has never done before.
(3) Saturate yourself in the Word of God, know that it is the “sword of the Spirit” that penetrates to the heart and divides right from wrong.
(4) Examine your life for unconfessed sin, confess it, ask the Lord to change your heart and your passions, and find an accountability partner who has permission to speak hard truth into your life.
(5) Tell some one about Jesus, in fact, make it a daily commitment to look for every opportunity to tell someone about Jesus and invite them to respond to Him.
(6) Live with urgency knowing that the souls of men and women hang in the balance, and that no one is promised tomorrow.
(7) Live with expectancy as you look for God to do something that is beyond anything you could ask or even imagine!

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! (Psalm 80:19)

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? (Psalm 85:6)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:7-10)