Christian Discipleship Course 45.

Question and answer: “What is Revival?”

Revival is a sovereign move of God when the Holy Spirit comes down and visits His people in a special way. Firstly the Holy Spirit comes to revive the church (usually by deep conviction of sin) leading to repentance and restoration and then the evidence of a more godly life (spiritual fruit). Secondly He comes and pours out His Spirit on an unbelieving community, bringing forth a spiritual awakening, so that they can come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ‘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 heal their land’. Nehemiah 9:17 ‘But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness’

Revival should always start from within your own heart, Psalm 139:23-24. Revival is a sovereign move of God, but like all of God’s promises there are conditions, which we need to appropriate. We need to:

1. Repent of our sins and humble ourselves, Lamentations 3:40-42a, Psalm 32:5-6a.

2. Turn from our sinful ways, Psalm 15, 18:24-26, 24:3-5a.

3. Pray and seek God’s face, Psalm 25:5b, 14, 27:8,13 and Matthew 6:33.

4. Have unity between the brethren, Psalm 133 and Ephesians 4:3.

Proverbs 1:23 ‘Turn at my reproof; surely I will pour out My Spirit on you; I will make my words known to you’

Wisdom: Don’t stay in your comfort zone. Press in hard after the things of God and you will be surprised what He can do for you and your nation.

When revival touches people lives they are deeply changed. With much repentance comes restoration and differences are settled. Sadly with any move of God there will be opposition, Matthew 12:1-32, Acts 3, 4:1-22.

Fact: More people get saved in a revival than in fifty years without one.

Think: Do I want to see a revival within my own life and community?

More Info: 2 Chronicles Ch 28-29, 34-35, Psalm 9:10b, 80:3, 85, 94:14, 119:136, v149b, 154, 156, 159, Isaiah 32:15, 64:1-4, Jeremiah 14:7, Hosea 6:1, 10:12, Habakkuk 2:14, 3:2, Zechariah 10:1a.

Conditions: Psalm 4:3, 20:7, 28:7b, 33:18, 34:18, 35:13b, 37:4, 39:1a, 42:1a, 50:15a, 51:10, 55:17, 62:8, 63:1, 8, 66:18, 73:1, 84:11, 86:11b, 97:10, 100:4, 105:4, 123:1-2, 144:5a, Isaiah 44:3.