In the book, Touch the World Through Prayer, the author asks, “Just what is real revival?” I love his answer. He writes this:
“Revival is a manifestation of the holy, sovereign, almighty God. It is God visiting His people with special and renewed blessing. Revivals usually bring a new God-consciousness, a new revelation of God, a new sensitivity to God, at times an awesome sense of God’s holiness and righteous demands. These are times when God makes bare His holy arm in salvation and His holy voice in the inner consciousness of people. Revivals are sudden interventions of the sovereign, supernatural working of God in the life and witness of the church. . . they are always the work of the blessed Holy Spirit.
I’ve been thinking about this definition for several days now. It guides my prayer for revival for my city: I pray that God manifests His holiness, sovereignty, and might. I pray for that special and renewed blessing. I pray that God removes the “spirit of stupor” (Romans 11:8), “confusion” (Galatians 5:10), and “error” (2 peter 3:17) so people experience a profound sensitivity to God. I pray for God’s holy voice to speak to the inner consciousness of people.
Can you imagine revival like this in your church, in your town, or even in your state or country? Let’s pray together for this. And when it comes as a sudden intervention with many people seeking God, we will be ready.