Do you really want a Revival?

Throughout my Christian life, I have heard Christians in various ways express the idea that we desperately need a Revival from God to sweep through our churches and our nation. Over the years as I thought and prayed about this, I have come to some conclusions.

First, the basic sentiment is correct. Any spiritually sensitive Christian watching the news with its reporting of the violence, immorality, and evil sees the need for a mighty touch from God. Looking at the church: with the efforts to sanctify immorality and general lukewarmness of the western church, we definitely need a mighty touch from God!

Second, I am convinced that God is more anxious to send revival than his people usually are to receive it! While God is sovereign and definitely has his own sense of timing, throughout the Bible we see God's willingness to bless his people. Usually the question is not God's willingness but his people's willingness. Take 2 Chronicles 7:14 for example: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." The conditional part of this promise pivots around his people being willing to humble themselves, pray, seek him and repent. History shows that often God's people are not willing to live that kind of life. Pride is more common than humility.

Third, I wonder how bad we want revival. History is littered with genuine revivals, instances where God touched in such a special way that individuals and whole regions were transformed. But, why are there not more? Today there are reports of tremendous things happening in the third world. Some of the stories sound like things you read about in Acts. The news from the western church sounds more like the churches scolded in Revelation.

While there are many factors involved, one is the cost involved; 2 Chronicles talks about the cost. Humility is expensive and the first item in God's prescription: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves. Related to this is repentance or as 2 Chronicles puts it: "turn from their wicked ways." This means we change our actions and lifestyles to reflect God's ways instead of ours. This change is often expensive, sometimes materially, sometimes emotionally, sometimes in relationships, and always in pride. Do you want true revival in your life enough to pay this cost?

2 Chronicles also mentions seeking God. Other verses expand on this, for example: "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." {Deuteronomy 4:29} and "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." {Jeremiah 29:13} One of the things that impresses me in the accounts of revivals is they involve people who are desperately seeking God. People who pray and meditate on God's Word throughout the day every day.

My experience is that many, many devout American Christians are not seeking God wholeheartedly. One evidence of this is the common observation by Sunday School teachers that people rarely do even minimal homework in preparation for the classes. Another evidence is that historical accounts talk about Pastors spending long days, most every day studying the Word to deliver quality, godly sermons. Today many Pastors are pressured to do so many other things that they have less time to spend studying the Word and so they utilize the sermon helps and even prewritten sermons that abound today. Many of these are the spiritual equivalent of "junk" food they taste good but little nutrition.

Decide to go beyond moaning about how much we need a revival to deciding to step out and pay the cost preparing you to receive God's reviving touch in your life. As the hymn says, "let it begin with me."

Written by Rev. Daniel B. Baker January 2004



Articles by Rev. Daniel B. Baker :: Webmaster: Joseph I. Baker