The Search for Revival

When we see various occurrences of God moving in the hearts of young people, when we see the surveys that are encouraging about church participation, especially among the younger generations, it is a natural progression to believe that the revival, or spiritual awakening, that so many have sought throughout the years has perhaps finally arrived.  And, there is evidence that, at least in some areas, described as "pockets," that we can see God moving in tremendous ways.  God wants to revive His Church so that we can show Jesus to the world.   Hosea 6 (ESV) contains this passage:
1 “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. ”

There is a distinction between revival, which is marked by a return to the Lord, a renewal in a person's or a church's walk with the Lord, and spiritual awakening, which is typlified by people coming to the Lord, as well as the Church waking up.   Generally, increased Christian activity is described using the word, "revival."

A recent Fox and Friends segment contained three encouraging trends that point to an increase in Biblical activity over the past few years:
* There is a 41% increase in Bible sales since 2022, according to Circana Bookscan
* A 79% increase in the number of downloads of religion and spiritual apps since 2019 has been reported by Sensortower, and
* A 50% rise in Contemporary Christian Music streams on Spotify since 2019 has been reported by Music Insights and Luminate.

There has certainly been some online debate about whether or not we are experiencing a revival - I would submit that there are certainly encouraging signs, but we need to see these moments of encounter with God grow and spread.  In so many ways, the Church is still in a state of slumber.  But, we can be encouraged that God is waking it up.

Greg Laurie, heard weekdays at 2 p.m. on Faith Radio, wrote recently, "Today, things are changing in America, and they’re changing for the better. There’s a new wind blowing across the nation, not only for the older generation, but among the young as well."  He added: "The last time I felt such cultural stirring was during the Jesus Movement. And it is my prayer that we are headed toward another great spiritual awakening."

Revival can, and ideally start in the heart of every Christian believer.  That's consistent with a point Luke Smallbone of Christian band, for King and Country, made in a recent CBN.com article, in which he is quoted as saying, "I think a lot of times when people talk about the word ‘revival,’ I think that they think about it, like, for everyone else,” adding, “And it’s always about, like, ‘Well, it’s for young people. It’s for this.’ No, no, no, no. Start with yourself.”  The article adds:

His point? Revival is something that starts with the individual and snowballs, impacting families and institutions along the way.

“Don’t start with a state or a nation first,” Smallbone said. “Start with yourself and who you are, individually.”

As for the droves of young people currently flooding to churches and faith, Smallbone said there’s a clear level of “desperation and hunger” among youths.

Luke also stated, "The youth have tried everything else...And the reason why they’re coming back to Jesus is because [they’re saying], ‘I’ve literally tried everything else and everything else is hopeless. I need something that is real, that is true.'”

There are several points to consider on this topic of revival.  We can evaluate our own personal relationship with God - because each of us is a contributor to revival in the Church.  What we bring in to the church context can be multiplied and used of the Lord for His glory.  

We can also consider how well we are radiating that faith, demonstrating the love of Jesus to the people with whom we interact and being prepared to tell them what the Lord has done in our lives.  With people searching for answers, seeking truth in what I believe are unprecedented ways, God can use that sense of inquisitiveness to make Himself known.

We can also rejoice when we see God at work.  That can provide encouragement to our lives, and remind us that we serve a God who is active, earnestly desiring for people to come into a saving knowledge of Christ and for those who have, to grow in their walk with Him.