2 Chronicles 7:14
In the time I have been saved, I have heard a lot of talk in the “big C” Church about revival. Let me just say this at the outset. I’m no expert on the topic of revival on a macro level. I know there are amazing people of God who are nearly scholars on the topic. They have studied all the great revivals and can speak to them in detail. That is not me, and I am going to leave all that to those experts.
I simply know there were famed revivals in the past that are still heralded today by Christians – especially the more charismatic types – because of the impact these had on people and the Church. One famous revival I hear about a lot is Azusa Street, for example. Asbury, too. In fact, my husband and I went to the most recent Asbury Revival in February 2023:
I share this to acknowledge that I too as part of the Church have sought revival, and I have attended revivals. Ultimately, I found myself getting caught up in this idea and concept of revival without truly understanding what it means.
What is Revival?
Well … this is an interesting question. The word “revival” as we often use it is not in the bible. Yet, if we know our bible, we know from the Old Testament on through the New Testament, it is a collection of stories and events that describe how God has revived His people over and over.
So, as I sought understanding about revival for myself, I’ve come to realize revival is not a specific place or church or ministry. It’s not an event or conference. It’s not some catchy phrase or marketing campaign.
Revival is personal. It’s found in people. It happens when we (you and me) make a personal decision for God through the person of Jesus Christ. Revival is found in the person of Jesus, and it happens within you and me. Hence, the title of this blog: “Revival is You, Revival is Me.”
Therefore, I believe the best answer to “What is revival?” is found in these verses in 2 Chronicles:
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. 2 Chronicles 7:14
These words are spoken by the Lord to King Solomon. King Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem, and upon dedicating the temple to the Lord, the Lord speaks these words to the King. I believe there are several key points in these verses that point to what revival is. Let’s explore these.
Awakening
While not in the verses above, before our personal revival can begin, we need to have an awakening. I acknowledge this term has been totally perverted by New Age, and I want to be clear that I am not referring to that at all! I am speaking of a biblical awakening.
This is where our spirit “wakes up” from its spiritual slumber and begins to become aware of and acknowledge God. That is, the One, True, Living God of the bible. God put a spirit in us for this purpose. He is Spirit (John 4:24), and He draws our spirit to Him through the person of Jesus Christ (John 6:44), awakening us to Him (Ephesians 5:14). It’s no accident that two mass revivals of the past have been called The Great Awakening.
This is a great prayer point if you are led. I often feel the unction to pray for people’s awakening. This is the catalyst! We have to first be aware of God before we can know God.
Humility
In verse 14 above, we see humility as a key component of revival. The opposite of humility is pride, and it is most often our pride that creates a blinding force and stumbling block between us and Jesus. Pride partners with deceit, and it lies to us about who we are, who Jesus is, and what He did for us on the cross. If we then go further with that, we know deceit is the opposite of truth, and the bible tells us that the truth is Jesus (John 14:6). So, we see then how pride is in opposition to Jesus.
It is humility that enables our spiritual sight and allows us to see the truth about Jesus and ourselves. It’s not a popular truth, but a truth nonetheless. We are all sinners in need of both the saving power and Lordship of Jesus Christ. When our humility allows us this revelation of truth, we will almost naturally pray and seek His face as verse 14 continues.
Here are some symptoms indicating we may be struggling with pride:
- Rejecting or ignoring Jesus
- Self-sufficiency / Independence
- Being unteachable / Resisting or rejecting correction
- Lack of self-awareness / Blindness to our own faults and shortcomings
- Believing we are infallible or above reproach
- Refusal to see any perspective other than our own
Repentance
Humility opens the door for repentance. This is (1) the act of asking God for forgiveness through the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross, and (2) turning away from that sin (our “wicked ways” as stated in verse 14).
When we know the truth of Jesus as Lord and Savior, we understand that he died to become our sin:
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
Repentance is humility in action, and it is meant to be a lifestyle for born-again Christians. If we’re not repenting regularly, we may want to check our hearts for pride and/or sensitivity to Holy Spirit who is the One who convicts us of our sin.
Revival is You, Revival is Me
I say all that to say this: I believe that if we want to see revival on a macro scale again (Him healing our land), we need revival on a micro scale first. For the non-believer and perhaps even the lukewarm, it starts with an awakening. For born-again believers, it’s a lifestyle of humility and repentance. Our homes then become revival epicenters, and the wave of revival can’t help but spread from there.
It starts with us – our prayers, our humility, our repentance. Be encouraged and empowered by that! Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)! We have nothing to lose and so many souls to gain for the Kingdom and God’s glory!
Revival is you, revival is me.
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