Is Revival Finally Here?

For the past weeks, my social media feed has been flooded with stories out of Asbury University, where a worship service has been ongoing since February 8, when students attended a regularly scheduled chapel service. Deeply moved by the message that day (which was not about revival), about 30 students stayed to continue praying and worshipping. More returned throughout the day as word spread that worship was continuing beyond the normally scheduled chapel service. Over the past two weeks, over 50,000 individuals have flocked to the campus to be part of the movement being described as the “Asbury Revival.” The worship, repentance, and prayer has now continued 24/7 for two weeks. Similar events have been reported at college campuses across the nation, including Cedarville University, Samford University, and Lee University. 

Something that has struck me so strongly about this event is that it is originating with college students, and was not pre-organized at all. Statisticians have told us this generation is beyond the reach of the Church, but no individual or generation is beyond the reach of the Holy Spirit. I am overjoyed to see young people leading us into an energized, passionate, and urgent personal relationship with Jesus Christ. These young people face challenges to their faith within our culture that we can hardly imagine, and I believe God is anointing the leaders who will carry His message into the coming years.

Another observation I have made is that this movement is occurring in a variety of denominations. Asbury University is a Methodist college. Samford and Cedarville are both affiliated with the Baptist denomination, while Lee University has a heritage in the Pentecostal movement. While we have many denominations, we are one body in Christ, and any true revival will sweep through all His followers!

So, is this the revival we have been longing and praying for? The answer is… I don’t know. But I can tell the Holy Spirit is moving, and if this is “it,” I don’t want to miss it!

In the Old Testament, we see precedents for revivals leading to nation-wide renewal of faith in God for the nation of Israel. These revivals were born out of a time of depression and strife for the country, often because of an evil king leading the nation into sin. They began with an individual or small group who are obedient in their faith to God, and this spark spreads through the country, and they were often followed by a time of prosperity and productivity for Israel, as the people had renewed their faith in the one true God.

Furthermore, our own nation has a history of great revivals changing the course of history. In the 1730s and 1740s, the First Great Awakening moved Americans with a sense of personal guilt, drawing them to salvation. This event had a permanent mark on Christianity in America because it moved us away from dry ceremony to true personal relationship with Christ. Throughout our history, revivals have occurred, resulting in changed lives.

I do not claim to know the workings of the Holy Spirit, but I pray we are witnessing the Holy Spirit moving in a big way today. I pray this is the spark that will sweep the nation and beyond, and be the catalyst to turn our hearts back to our Creator. Several of the marks of a true revival will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and changed lives, widespread confession of sin and repentance, a movement of evangelism to help others develop and grow in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and a sincere desire of Christians to return to righteousness, serve and obey the Lord, and seek His will for our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am praying that the spark for a revival has been lit and it will continue spreading like wildfire through the nation and world to bring more people to salvation and eternal life with the Lord.

Restore us, Lord God Almighty! Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved!

– Psalm 80:19