When Revival Happens

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up (Isaiah 6:1)

Revival or spiritual renewal occurs when believers and churches experience a special manifestation of the Lord. There are many such experiences in the Bible.

It happened in Isaiah’s call to the ministry, in The transformation of Saul the Pharisee to Paul the Apostle, and in the 120 who were praying in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost. There are many more examples in the Bible.

“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.” (Acts 9:3, ESV)

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1–4, ESV)

Each experience of revival or spiritual renewal is unique. There is no specific formula for achieving one. However, there is one constant. In each example God manifested His glorious presence in a unique and powerful way.

Because these times of renewal, both individually and corporately, came only when the Lord our God showed up by manifesting His presence in a powerful way, we realize that there is only one thing we can do. The only thing the church corporately and believers individually can do is to pray for the Lord to manifest His power and bring revival.

Pray for God to manifest His powerful presence to bring personal renewal like your spiritual life depended on it, and it does.

Pray for God to manifest His powerful presence in your church with the same desperation, like the life of your church depended on it, and it does.

And do not give up praying for this now. And even when He sends revival, which He will, keep praying. For once He sends it, you and your church still need it every day and every week.