The Reality Of Revival

Now when God’s people are blessed, that blessing then overspills to society around and really affects it for good. Pastor Paul Harper comparing evangelism and revival said: ‘Outreach, yes; overflow, even better!’

God’s mercy, not our merit

We can also see that revival is never deserved; it can’t be claimed as a right. Ch 3 v 2(c) ‘…in wrath remember mercy.’ God shows mercy in revival when judgement is actually deserved. What tremendous hope this instils. If God works, it’s because of His mercy, not because of our goodness. Therefore, God can restore us at any time, no matter how bad the times. The basis of Habakkuk’s prayer is God’s glory and honour. As Matthew Henry put it: ‘[Habakkuk] does not say, remember our merit, but, Lord, remember [your] own mercy.’

WHAT MARKS OUT REVIVAL?

Prayer power. It’s usually found that before a revival occurs, God has drawn Christians together specially to pray; put on them a burden for renewal.

We see this action of God in PSALM 102:13,14 ‘You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favour to her; the appointed time has come.’ What’s the evidence of this time of favour? ‘For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.’ Just as it’s unhealthy when God’s people lack interest and concern for God’s work, so a renewed energetic interest and concern is a healthy sign of blessing to come.

The remote town of Pond Inlet is on Baffin Island 400 miles above the Artic Circle. It’s accessible only by plane, thousands of miles away from any population centre. In Feb 1999 God visited this mainly Inuit community in a special way – He brought renewed life to believers and new life to the unsaved. Joshua Arreak was leading worship at the conclusion of several days of bible teaching, and people were in prayer together: He says: ‘And suddenly without our expecting anything supernatural, there was a visitation.’ Those who witnessed the dramatic changes brought by this revival said that it wouldn’t have taken place without prayer. What happened at Pond Inlet was preceded by a year of fervent, regular prayer.

J. Edwin Orr explains: ‘Whenever God is ready to do something new with His people, He always sets them to praying.’

Then when revival comes you can’t stop people praying. This was said about a revival in Wales in 1859: ‘The amazing thing is, that those meetings which were attended by the fewest people…the prayer meetings – those are now pre-dominant. In a real way, it is the spirit of prayer which is poured out upon us in these days.’

June 30, 1905, was the day a revival truly began in India. Pandita Ramabhai ran a Care Centre for Indian Widows called ‘Mukti,’ south of Bombay. She was teaching the Bible when the Holy Spirit came in power. All the women and girls began to weep, confess their sins, and pray for the Holy Spirit. Girls became stricken down under conviction of sin while studying, attending the industrial school or at work. Lessons were suspended, and all Mukti began seeking God. Two young girls were so gripped with the power of the Spirit that they prayed for hours and hours, until their faces literally shone with a heavenly light.