When God’s people lose track of their calling, it can result in lukewarm Christians, empty worship, and a decreased urgency to share the Gospel with others.
Daniel Henderson has studied great revivals throughout church history and is convinced that we need to awaken as a people for the sake of God’s Name. He shares four characteristics of revivals that need to manifest in the Western church.
An awakening to hear and apply the Scripture with ruthless authenticity.
When God moves in a powerful way, people develop a hunger for the Bible, its truth, and its preaching.
“I think that environment of hunger for God’s Word has always been embedded in revivals in the past… not only through preaching but leading to a clear conscience and getting things right based upon the truth.”
Revival means we seek conviction, transformation, and a deeper knowledge of God through His Word.
An awakening to the seriousness of sin leading to a new and powerful repentance.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus had a message for seven churches. For many of them, the overarching message was one of repentance.
“They had lost their first love; they needed to repent of that. They had become lukewarm; they needed to repent. They had a false sense of their spiritual health. They had a name to live but were really dead.”
Jesus still walks among His churches today; His message for us may also be one of repentance.
An awakening to the beauty and blessing of prevailing prayer.
Daniel defines prayer as pursuing an intimacy with him that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes. This is a key in any revival.
“There has never been an awakening in the history that did not begin and movements of united prayer.”
An awakening to the tragic heartbreak of the lost condition of relatives, friends, neighbors, and work associates.
When God’s people are revived, a surge of evangelism always occurs. In the last Great Awakening, over one million people came to faith in Christ in just one year. That would be the equivalent of 11 million people choosing to follow Jesus today! Daniel credits the Holy Spirit for that work.
“It’s not because they developed a new evangelism strategy. They just could not help speak of what they’ve seen and heard, and God had shared His heart with them concerning the lost-ness of their friends, relatives, and neighbors.”
With our world changing as rapidly as it has been, revival is more needed than ever. Are you hungry for the Bible and biblical teaching? Are you feeling the weight of loved ones and coworkers who don’t know Christ? Maybe God is calling you to a radical personal awakening. Daniel shares more about true revival in his new book, Old Paths, New Power.
Key Scriptures: Psalm 15:1-2; Acts 6:7
Featured Songs: Same Power by Jeremy Camp; Jesus, We Love You by Bethel Music; Thank You by Bethel Music
