I hope you’ve heard by now about the revival that is happening at Asbury College. It’s been all over the news. It started after a typical chapel service when three students knelt at the altar to repent and pray. However, it never ended, more and more students joined. As I write this, it has continued for over 50 hours and more and more people are arriving in buses to be part of this great awakening of God. As the students have continued to repent, pray, and worship, the presence of God has been palpable. 

I know many of us have been praying for revival, not only for our nation but also for our world. Revival must start in our own personal lives first. From there it can flow out to others.

As I have studied the greatest revivals in history, they all had certain common denominators. We must bring these elements into our own personal lives if we long for revival to sweep our nation and our world.  

3 Essential Elements of Revival

Repentance. The Psalmist wrote, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). 

As I’ve studied revivals throughout history, at the core of the revival is repentance. If we truly want revival we must invite the Spirit of the Living God to examine our hearts to see if there is anything that does not align with His thinking. When you invite the Spirit to examine your heart, it’s good to ask yourself: Have I been judgmental? Am I harboring bitterness? Have I been truthful? Have I become cynical?

When God reveals an area that’s not in line with His heart, we confess and ask Him to cleanse us and create in us a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). Our journey of repentance is to be ongoing. It’s to be a regular part of our prayer lives, because most of us miss the mark daily in some area of our Christian walk. If you want to see revival, get in the habit of inviting the Holy Spirit to examine you daily. 

Prayer. Every revival includes crying out to God for more of Him. The Psalmist wrote, “You God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

In the great revival that happened in South Africa during 1860-1861, the revival began with 3 people consistently praying together. Jesus promised that where 2-3 are gathered, He would show up and answer (Matthew 18:20). As people begin to cry out for more of God, the Holy Spirit begins to move. He has moved in inexplicable ways in every revival. 

Worship. In every great revival, people have worshipped. The Psalmist wrote, “Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (Psalm 95:6). As we worship, the Holy Spirit brings our hearts into deeper union with God’s heart. He allows us a deeper experience of God’s presence and we become more focused on holy living. In every great revival, worship has gone on for hours. People have experienced a renewed sense of God’s presence and a renewed commitment to holiness. 

Friend, I long for revival and I realize in some parts of the world it is happening. But I am more and more aware that revival must start in my heart as well. Will you join me in this prayer?

Lord Jesus, I bow before You and invite Your Spirit to search my heart. Reveal any part of my life that is not in sync with Yours. I long for more of You and I cry out for more of your character to flow from my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit as I bow down and worship You. 

Pre-order Our Father. Hey friends, I am so excited about the Our Father Bible study that will release on April 4th. You can pre-order now and invite a few friends to join you as you take a deep dive into the Lord’s Prayer.

This week on The Connected Mom Podcast we have guest Pam Farrell and we’re talking about keeping love alive in your marriage even in the thick of parenting. Listen on Google Podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.