Revive Us Again

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Psalm 85:6 (NIV)

“The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it.” — Leonard Ravenhill

Observing contemporary culture and even the church, it would be hard to reach any other conclusion than this: “We Need Revival.” For quite a while, at least to outward appearances, it may have appeared that things were somewhat fine, but looks can be deceiving. I once knew someone who was an undertaker before becoming a pastor. He said, “It was good training because it taught me how to make the dead look like they were alive.”

We think of Christ’s words to the church at Sardis: “…You have the reputation of being alive, and you are in fact dead. Wake up and strengthen whatever you have left, teetering on the brink of death…” Revelation 3:1–2 (CEB). It almost seems like a contradiction. If someone is dead, how can they “wake up and strengthen what they have left?”

In the classic film, The Princess Bride, the hero, Westley, is tortured in the Pit of Despair and left for dead. His compatriots bring him to Miracle Max, who after examination declares, “It just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

The difference between dead and mostly dead is the difference between resurrection and revival, but it also misses the point. If we think that revival is for the individual or the church for whom the spiritual medics have called a Code Blue[1], we are likely to dismiss the need for revival. God desires us to be fully alive in him and therefore revival is for those who are 50% alive, 75% alive or even 99% alive. If we are content to just be more alive than the next person, we will fail to grasp how needy we are.

The world needs to see a church that is fully alive. We must be Christians who are passionate about God. John Wesley reportedly said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.” Taken literally, this statement is offensive to some, but it is not so different from what Jesus said: In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NET)

There has always been an argument concerning how revivals start. Some claim that they are simply a sovereign move of God and there is nothing that we can do to initiate one. And yet, at the genesis of every revival there is an individual or a small group who grab hold of God, and like Jacob, refused to let go until they received the blessing (Genesis 32:26-28). Historically, revivals that have impacted millions have ignited because of those who were so desperate for God that they refused to give up.

While there is no singular formula for revival, we can identify some common traits. As previously stated, it begins with a passion for God. Revival is always birthed with a deep desire for more of God. There is discontent with the status quo, even if it is relatively good. There is an awareness of sin and the lostness of humanity. Those who seek revival see themselves and the world through the eyes of Jesus.

Additionally, revival is marked with these traits: prayer, repentance, worship, and persistence. It is prayer and repentance that will break through the barriers that sin has erected between ourselves and God. Worship then ushers us into his presence where we abide in the illumination of his holy character and nature. There must be a persistence that will not settle for less, no matter how long it takes to breakthrough.

We are reminded of David’s heart cry: 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. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Psalm 63:1–2 (NIV)

Revival comes at a cost that few are willing to pay. Undoubtedly, revivals and mighty moves of God have begun because there are those who have been willing to pay the price. Most are unknown to us as they labored in anonymity, seeking no glory for themselves but only for God. Others, well-known, often still paid a dear price, allowing themselves to be used up and expended for the sake of others.

Revive us again – fill each heart with thy love;
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.

Is not it time for us to rise up and plead, “Revive Us Again?”

Steve Ekeroth

[1] Code blue means that there is an urgent medical emergency. This is usually a patient in cardiac or respiratory arrest.