Revival or Revivalism: Understanding God’s Presence and Our Role
Do We Work for Revival or Is It a Gift from God?
I was once asked, “Do we work for revival? Is it something that we work for, or is it something God grants to people?” This question was not meant to confuse “work” with good deeds. Paul is clear that mighty miracles were not done through “works of the law but hearing in faith” (Galatians 3:5). Do we have to do anything in order for God to move, or does God move sovereignly on His own terms?
For example, prayer is a human responsibility, but Prayer is not a labor of law; it is the relinquishing of your sovereignty to the Sovereign. It is wholly entrusting yourself to the only One who has true power and control. In that sense, prayer is faith, as prayer is interesting yourself to God. So the question really comes down to human responsibility.
Revival History and Human Responsibility
It is a hard question to answer. Revival history is replete with stories of prayer meetings that stirred up the embers of revival. Duncan Campbell’s Hebrides Revival, the Azusa Street Revival, and even the most recent Brownsville Revival all seem to attribute their “moves of God” to the faithful stewardship of prayer by a few men and women who were not satisfied with business as usual. Even the great Charles Spurgeon believed that true revival could not be obtained apart from a people who wholly depended on the Spirit of God to move in their midst. These mighty moves often appeal to passages like Acts 3:19-20, where repentance is necessary for times of refreshing, or James 4:8, which states, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
The Distinction Between Revival and Revivalism
There is, without question, merit to these historical accounts and biblical promises. God does reward those who diligently seek Him; He is faithful to respond to our pursuit. Nevertheless, these passages of Scripture do not promise “revival” as we know it. When people think of “revival,” they often envision a movement that shakes the nation or nations with the Gospel. They often see revival as an end to the means of self-importance. They want to achieve something meaningful and want their church to do it. They want to be the faithful who “sacrificed for the move of God.”
This distortion of revival is often called “revivalism.” For every historical account of “revival” we have, there are countless stories of revivalism burning people out, sacrificing time, money, and energy trying to conjure up revival through emotionalism and self-sacrifice. Revivalism views people as cogs in a machine. If every part is doing its job, revival comes. If people cannot get on board with the “vision,” they are expendable. The objective is a worldwide impact at any cost, often driven by the egos of the men and women at the top.
Avoiding the Pitfall of Revivalism
Legitimate moves of God have graced the people of God as they have prayed for Him to intervene, yet there seems to be a dangerous ditch on the road to revival that we must avoid called “revivalism.” How do we avoid it? I can’t say that I know for sure. I have a guess based strictly on personal experience, and I can’t substantiate it objectively, so take this with a grain of salt. But I think revival works like a surfer out on the ocean. The surfer can’t make the waves come, but the surfer can position himself in a way to ride the wave.
A Personal Experience of Revival
When I was 17, all I could imagine doing was serving in the military. That is, until I caught a BB in my right eye. Long story short, I began to think, “Well, if I can’t do infantry, in the off chance I never regain sight in my right eye, what am I supposed to do with my life?” My youth pastor convinced me to take a semester with him in Bible school. I thought, “Well, I’m only 17, I can’t enlist in the military. I might as well go to Bible school and get a little fire insurance before I serve.” So off to Bible school I went, genuinely believing if my vision came back, I would be off to the military.
Discovering the Presence of God
While in Bible school, something just happened to me. I don’t think I was trying to be an on-fire, zealous Christian. We had the normal 9 a.m. prayer meeting that I enjoyed. After a few months of Bible school, some of the students decided to show up early and pray from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for revival. Then we would spend 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in prayer led by a teacher for chapel. As a youth intern, we started having a lot of success in the public schools, so I showed up from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. to pray for my students. Then something happened: I started praying not for others or myself. I wasn’t even praying for “revival.” I would show up to school as early as I could and just sit in the prayer room for hours. I became obsessed with God’s presence, and I found myself meditating on Jesus—Jesus on the cross, on the Mount of Transfiguration, in the manger. I just sat in a dark room by myself for hours and hours thinking about Jesus.
The Effect of Dedicated Meditation
Something about that dedicated time of meditation felt like spiritual rocket fuel. For months, that little dark room became my sacred space with God. I can’t tell you that I spoke in tongues or had some kind of ecstatic prophetic experience or open visions of heaven. Being with God was the reward. And I was a better Christian for it. I was doing evangelism in public schools, at pizza buffets, and with the homeless. I couldn’t shut up about God. Walking with integrity over lust was easier. I even remember going to a movie—pretty sure it was Transformers—and thinking, “I’d rather be praying right now.” And that’s a miracle, y’all: a 17-year-old boy who wanted nothing more than to die as a soldier for his country turning into a Bible-thumping Jesus junkie. I didn’t try to become this; it just happened. I was caught in a wave.
Seasons of Nearness and Distance
But as seasons come and go, I found myself a few months later further from God than I wanted to be. I had backslid a bit over spring break, holding on to offense and unforgiveness. I went back to school to pray, and it felt like God was a million miles away. I would show up early, pray for hours, I would even fast, but nothing. I was so defeated by it all that I convinced myself to spend a month in the mountains of Silverton, Colorado, praying and fasting. Sure, I felt a nearness of the Lord, but nothing like I had previously. It’s as if the waves were still. I put myself out to sea, but no matter how hard I tried to earn more of God’s presence, I couldn’t make the waves move in my favor.
Recognizing God’s Timing
Moments like this have been repeated in my life multiple times. Seasons where I am just living life as a normal Christian dude, no extravagant prayer life, no sacrificial offering of my own of any kind. And God will suddenly sneak up on me, unbeknownst to me, and spring His manifest presence upon me without any tremendous work or effort on my part. But these moments seem like invitations to seek the Lord while He may be found, to call upon Him while He is near. At times these are just ripples; at times these are waves; at other times, these are tsunamis.
Our Current Opportunity
I suspect we are in one of those moments now. I am not declaring we are in some kind of tsunami revival—far from it! However, I do feel an unusual draw into the Lord’s presence. Worship has had a different quality to it lately. I have heard from multiple people that the sermons have a quality to them that makes them different somehow. Something about the church gathering has sparked excitement and curiosity. It’s moments like this we have the opportunity to steward what God is doing. Who knows how long it will last? Who knows what could happen if we have the courage to ride this wave and steward what God is doing?
God Himself Is the Reward
Here is what I know: I am not promised a grandiose revival in this life! But God has promised us His presence, and in our study through Zechariah, He even shows that He has promised to be the Glory in our midst. What I know for sure is that God Himself is our reward, and encountering Him in a ripple or a wave is still an undeserved encounter with the God I love. I want to cherish those moments and ride those waves every chance I get.
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