So my last blog sparked a discussion, mainly on my FaceBook wall in regards to what is revival, why it tarries, is an end times revival even Biblical and comments on how we usher in one or if we can at all. What started as a stirring in my spirit about the term revival has grown to a hunger to understand what it is we are really asking God for and what our role is in it.
Here are some thoughts or questions that I have about the topic:
- Revival is not a Biblical concept, it is not sought after by Jesus, the disciples or the early church.
- Are we seeking first revival instead of His kingdom and His righteousness?
- Do we limit our expectations when we pray for revival? One definition of revival is bringing back, or reviving that which is dead. This being the case, it is a reversion to a past condition. Doesn’t that limit our expectations to what we have already experienced and thus negate greater things?
- Revive what? Since revival is a bringing back from the dead or a refreshing, one has to first be alive or fresh. Have our churches experienced true life? What is the reversion we are looking for, in other words revive what? The former condition of the church? The former condition of all man before the fall? What are we asking for exactly?
- Is revival selfish? One definition of the word is – a refreshing. So we want God to refresh us, is that it? What about the lost? Another definition is to bring back that which was alive, by that definition revival begins and ENDS with the church as the unsaved have not been made alive spiritually, yet.
- What are we truly asking God for? A refreshing, an outpouring, an awakening? The lost to be saved, the sick healed, the dead raised? All of those things exist in a culture of the kingdom, but not necessarily in revival.
- Why not pray like Jesus taught us to? “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Will not the coming of His kingdom and will in our lives refresh us? Is it not His will for us to heal the sick, raise the dead and be resourced for our calling? It is also His will that none should perish which takes it out of just the realm of the church and brings in His compassion for the lost.
- Is revival temporary? Do we want to revive the last revival? Which one, Lakeland, Brownsville, the days of Finney or Lake? Why not instead ask for a sustainable environment or culture of the miraculous, His abiding presence, ongoing fruit in every area from healings and provision to repentance and disciple-making?
- What is our role in what we seek? Is revival brought about by our efforts? If so, is it formulaic? Do we pray and fast a revival in? Is it really dependant on us?
- Do we already have what we ask for? They tarried in the upper room waiting for the Holy Spirit to come, we already have Him. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us – what more do we need? “Go and I will be with you always.” We already have His promise of abiding presence. “These signs will follow them that believe…” Were we not sent forth already to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons? What else are we waiting for? Do we think we lack and that the Holy Spirit must come in MORE power?
When we closely examine the life of Jesus and we see the reflection of His teachings and actions lived out through the disciples in the early church it is hard to make a case that we lack anything! As His disciples, we are to DO what He DID! He demonstrated and taught the good news of the kingdom. The sick were healed, the dead were raised, provision was brought forth supernaturally, storms were calmed, fish were wrangled, wine was made and the oppressed set free. On top of all this many were brought to repentance as they experienced the kindness of God in this culture of the kingdom.
The entire discussion and the concepts/questions laid out here are vitally important for the purpose of clarity and expectation. What are we asking God for and what are we aligning our faith with? Is it what we need? Do we have it already? Could we be walking in an outpouring of the Spirit of God while instead we fast, pray and wait in our churches and houses of prayer? I wonder if those who are seeing the fruit that we all seek (missionaries in foreign lands for example) are praying for it day and night or if they are just walking in it.
Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near you.” In other words, change your thinking, you have access to the perfection of heaven, to pull it down to earth and see it manifest. Romans 12:2 says:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
If real, sustainable life transformation is what we seek, then Paul tells us to change, or renew our minds. Repentance in the case of Peter changed him in an instant from a fisherman to a follower of Christ, interesting how it happened AFTER he was given access to supernatural provision. Could it be as we step out in faith, with the power of the Holy Spirit that we already possess, we will demonstrate and teach the good news of the kingdom which will provide access to the perfection of heaven and cause repentance at the same time?
OEAII…
You could not have summarized it any better. The truth is that so many of believers do not know what is truly available to them by way of their legacy, because there is very few ministers teaching the truth. What is being taught is a collaborative interpretation of what is agreed upon the scriptures are saying, versus what the scriptures are actually saying. The breakdown most rampant is the one that encourages believers to practice spectator or non-engaging Christianity. “Don’t get out of your prayer closet and help someone! Stay on your knees and seek God to do something!” This mindset is a doctrine that is in direct conflict with the doctrine of the Kingdom of God. If all of this effort of fasting and praying for revival was being imitated by the Holy Spirit then where is the fruit? There maybe a couple more questions you should ask… How much praying do we need to do? 6hrs, 12hrs, 24hrs, 40hrs????? How much fasting? 1day? a week? How about a hunger strike till “Revival” comes? If you subscribe to the idea that this is the way, then why are you still eating?
I appreciate your comments William! I wonder what would happen if we started going out to where people are, demonstrating the kingdom of heaven and declaring to people, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…” like Jesus did.
Thank you for posting. As small as it seems, your blog remendid ME TO PRAY FOR MY DAUGHTER and all of you so that she may be closer to God. I will be on my knees (literally) in a few minutes to pray for her. Be safe and take care. I’m keeping up with you all.
Beth Anderson
This was my comment on John’s Facebook post: All I have to say is AMEN!!! I completely agree! especially with your comment Janeile: “God’s plan didn’t change because of sin and that role He established for us back in Genesis is still relevant. Now we have the power through the Holy Spirit to walk it out. We cheapen the totality and completeness of what Christ did when we limit God to salvation – there was so much more that Christ did – a perfect work! – so that we can live this life the way He intended it to be lived. We are blessed to BE a blessing – not pray for a blessing.” God desires for us to take part in his plan, to be partners with him in establishing His kingdom on the earth! Instead of getting in the game we tend to sit on the sidelines and cheer for Him. I want to get in the game and work along side of God not cheer him on from the sidelines.
Love these comments Amanda! It saddens me that many churches and ministries are salvation focused and not kingdom focused. Jesus told us to go and preach the Gospel of the kingdom, to go and do what He did, instead we just tell people about Him which is a cheap substitute for showing them, I agree! Let the church arise as agents of the kingdom that we are called to be and go make disciples of all nations!
So far, I have found that my desire to have God’s antitteon in this matter has been a detriment to temptation. I know there are a number of things that we have done to try and avoid temptation. But in answer to my prayer, I have, today, been able to say, No to temptation, because my desire is that God would truly listen. I also wonder maybe a day of fasting would be good at this point. It’s to late today, but tomorrow, will be a fast from morning to evening. Tomorrow, I will also add to the prayer. We will find that the honesty required for tomorrow’s prayer is indeed humbling, maybe even brutally honest. Stay tuned.
First prayer answered with a resounding, YES! Thank You, Lord! Thank You that You chose to protect Jo Anna and Abigail (Lyle may need Your protection too). Father we expect a miracle but accept Your perfect will for tomorrow. May we say Thank You in advance for the grace we know You have ready for tomorrow and the next day and the next!. Lord, I pray as the early disciples prayed in Acts 4:29-30, Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” We beg You for a miracle. Enable us to confess our sins and be empty of self, fill us with Your Holy Spirit as we pray for a miracle.
Answers: 1. Christianity started with Jesus. Therefore Christianity did not need a revival (although the human race/spirit did)… 2. We should NEVER seek anything in place of his kingdom and his righteousness first. The revival itself is great but the greatest reward for the child of God is, and always will/should be, knowing the Father and his son. Eternal life… 3. Mistake. Don’t limit revival to ONE definition. According to your Hebrew account of the definitions, 2 of the 6 don’t mean “again”. It just says “to live, and to breathe freely”. So it’s not always about doing something again (although this is good too when needed). In Websters account of definitions you give – here should be the prayer focus: Act or instance of reviving or being revived ( we pray for holiness, true repentence, renewed love, renewed passion,etc IN THE CHURCH. local or wherever desired to aim your prayer. wherever the body of Christ has fallen asleep). A new presentation of something old/ a period of renewed religious interest ( we pray for any geographical area that was once prominently Christian that is now complacent, swaying, or at worst – totally turned the other way.. toledo? USA? my family? my public school? my city? your city? etc.). An often highly emotional evangilistic meeting or series of meetings (these are glorious when they are real, and if they are real then they began with true repentence). A restoration of force, validity, or effect. ( Should we not be praying for all of these?? Can you imagine?… of course we say yes it can because it has and will again… if we seek God’s help…by praying/asking for it
…. 4. (see answer 3)… 5. Revival is not selfish for if you are praying for it, it means that most likely you have already lived/received it yourself. You pray for the dead/asleep/complacent/lukewarm body of believers that need it so they can come alive and then actually be fruitful and effective to evangelize. Paul said if you see a brother who is in sin (that does not lead to death), pray for him and The Lord will restore him. Ain’t nothing worse than being alive in Christ and seeing a complacent and often sinful brother or sister (or whole congregation) in Christ who is/are not alive and refreshed. Because you know that they lack fruit, are ineffective in EVERYTHING, and in the worst case – possibly cut off in the end all together…. 6. A revival in the land is a deposit of his “kingdom come”, for his kingdom does not FULLY come until Christ himself comes back. Look at a revival of the land as The Holy Ghost moving in freedom amongst a people, and the land itself (crops, trees, cleaner water..ITS HAPPENED)!!…. 7. The “kingdom prayer” does refresh us. It also puts us in line with the revelation and desire for his full earthly kingdom to be established forever (…as it is in heaven). The “revival” prayer is an intercessory prayer. Christ intercedes for us (his bride) as the high priest. We as the Royal priesthood intercede for everyone else. If we ONLY pray and intercede and DO NOT then walk/evangelize/preach/teach/love/heal/witness etc. then we ARE missing it. Prayer/fasting and intercession + worship is the FIRST weapon in our attack of love and evangelism. Is our battle not against principalities and powers and demonic forces in the heavenly realms that can only be moved/pushed back/brought down/bound thru prayer? You’d be hard pressed to find many people that didn’t find out that someone was praying for them first before they were convicted in their heart by the Holy Spirit and then repented and turned to The Lord…. 8. Good point and thought. We want that sustained kingdom environment, we just need the environment revived first. Pray for it using whatever words you would like. The most sustained and long lasting revivals usually (but not always) revolved around an environment of 24/7 prayer and worship in a region, and those that copied King David’s order of worship in his tabernacle (there’s SO MUCH power in GOD’S design for Worship that he revealed to David). Check out the history of Bangor Ireland, Herrnhut, the Moravians, and more. Thru this “kingdom environment” and habitation of the Holy Ghost amongst God’s united people, great men of God would always go forth from there and evangelize with Great power…. 9. When you ask “is it really dependent on us”, I’m reminded of a conversation I had with a brother named John Redenbo a couple yrs back at a wedding. He was getting bright eyed and stirred up talking about envisioning a great mass of people standing before one preacher. And as the preacher looked at the crowd all he said in a soft voice was…”if my people…”, then slightly louder “IF my people”, then louder “if MY people…”, then louder “if my PEOPLE…”, then finally at the top of his voice “IF MY PEOPLE…!!!!”. LOL I hope you remember this 
it was great! If only HIS PEOPLE would truly unite and DO this (2nd Chronicles7:14 as you were referring to). God gives us promises in his word that are gifts. Other promises require action by us first. HALLELUJAH!!!…. 10. The answer to this is simple. Yes we are given everything we need thru Christ, and we can say Christ had everything he needed. Yet Christ spent more time in prayer than ANYONE. Who is more effective in public ministry – the tired man or the refreshed man?? We need constant infillings of the spirit. We DO need constant refreshing. I ask anyone reading this blog to name me one great man or woman of God in all of history who wasn’t wholly devoted/dependent on prayer. Blessed is he who is poor in spirit! For they seek God for their strength constantly… A Chinese missionary recently came to America in the last 10 yrs and after his tour of the country and contact with the body of Christ in America they asked him his thoughts. He said ” I am amazed at what the body of Christ in America gets done without the presence of God!”…WOW. SCARY. Sounds like much of America’s church tactics were little prayer, weak preaching, motivational speeches, no presence, ice cream socials, church growth strategies, bigger productions, bigger buildings, secular music from the worship team, and inviting the world to our Sunday services (when we should be consecrated and Holy when we gather to worship)…. The most effective men/women of God are those that spend the most time in his presence first. PERIOD.(Look at the life of Jesus!). They radiate and walk in HIS Glory and HIS presence. (Moses’ face eventually dimmed down again in time right??) #I thank you John for writing this book 
I pray that people become challenged and edified thru this ENTIRE discussion. I hope people get a fuller understanding here, in the word, and in their own prayers and revelations from God on the importance of prayer- individual and corporate, and a better understanding of the wide umbrella of “revival prayers” and what they mean and how they are effective. I am praying for a revival of Christianity and Holy living in HolyToledo that will flourish and sustain until our Savior comes again. And I pray that NO ONE else hesitates or is insecure of using the word “revival” in their discussions or their prayers. #GODisGOOD <3
URGENT Please ask your church and everyone you know to please pray for Dr. Jerry Coyne. He is what the evolutionist would claim to be one of there top scientist of today.. He has literally put his middle finger up to there even being a possibility of God.. I would like you to ask your church and friends to pray that, if its Gods will that He would show himself to Jerry Coyne.. and that Coyne would then turn his life over to serving the Lord.. I believe that God can do through this man to evolutionist and other non believers, what God did through Paul for the Jews and Gentiles Thank you
Okay I’m convinced. Let’s put it to atcion.
Sean,
I appreciate your thoughts but most importantly your heart! This whole discussion for me boils down to this…Is Revival better than “…on earth as it is in heaven…” I believe people in our churches and houses of prayer crying out for revival are seeking the culture that Jesus created in His ministry and that the early church was launched in, that being the case, let’s ask for it! Revival is a new word and without definition and understanding, we can raise up entire generations of Christians praying “God refresh me” instead of “Thy kingdom come”. We may mean the same thing, but it is a DRAMATICALLY different ask! Could it be that the reason “revival tarries” is because we are asking for the wrong things? It could be as simple as change your prayer life – change the world!
Your thoughts have, once again challenged me to dig deeper in the Word and in Him more understanding on this and topic and others discussed here. Thank you for sharing your insights! I appreciate you!
I am asking for prayer for our 3 yr old foster son Marcus.. His bio mom past away about 2 yrs ago.. He has been with me all his life. About 1 year ago his Aunt Karen who about 55 yrs wanted him so they set up visits over 3 months. She only came 3 times, then we did not hear from her again until Friday she wants visits again. I pray that GOD would allow us to adopt him and to remove aunt Karen from the picture. Please pray for our family as we go thought this with Marcus and to help our hearts..