In Your Bible Read This
Isaiah 35, Acts 8, 4-8

Here Is Your Memory Verse
Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3.19,20

Afterwards Talk About This
Does revival just mean more and longer meetings?
What effect should revival have on the community?

Something To Do Before Next Time
Read through all the references to the book of Acts and see for yourself
what happened. Can you find any more reports of church growth?
How did the revivals begin? Did something special like a miracle
or a healing catch the people’s interest?

Written Diploma Work
Find out by asking others or reading in a book about a revival.
Write no more than two pages on what happened.

Meditate Word By Word On This Verse
Psalm 85.6

Spend a Minute to Change the World

Pray For Tunisia - 9,000,000 North African peoples

Christian stronghold in the 1st century, now in great need of revival

99.5% Muslim, 0.25% Christian
 

 

Be sure to teach this lesson to others.

Always pray and prepare well adding

your own verses and stories to bring it to life.

 

In recent years God has been gracious to his people and sent many waves of renewal to every part of his Church that would welcome his Holy Spirit. Renewal brings a welcome refreshing to believers but it is not the same as revival, although it may be the first breeze of that strong wind of the Spirit that brings true revival.

What Is Revival?

However it begins and whatever restoration it may bring to believers and backsliders alike, revival can only be said to have come when men and women who have not previously believed turn to Christ in great numbers and glorify God.

Read About Revival In Acts
Three thousand people added.
The Lord added daily to their number.
The number of men grew to 5000.
The number of disciples increased rapidly.
Crowds heard Philip, saw miracles, evil spirits came out, cripples were healed, great joy in the city.
The Church was strengthened, encouraged by the Holy Spirit, grew in numbers, lived in fear of God.
A great number of people believed.
All were seized with fear, name of Jesus held in high honour, confessed evil deeds, burned books on sorcery.
See how many thousands have believed

In the last century there have also been outbreaks of revival in East Africa, Indonesia, China, Wales, Scotland, Argentina and in America. See Acts 2.41; 2.47; 4.4; 6.7; 8, 4-8; 9,31; 11.21; 19, 17-20; 21.20

Why Does Revival Come?

There is no doubt that the sovereignty of God, that is his sole right to choose times and places of visitation, has been responsible for mighty times of revival.

Who has understood the mind of the Lord or instructed him as his counsellor? Isaiah 40.13; I say, My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.Isaiah 46.10.

On the other hand the Bible encourages us that God will respond to the heart cries of his people, in intercession, invitation and preparation.

Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight in the wilderness, a highway for our God. Isaiah 40.3.

Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway.
Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. Isaiah 62.10

How Can We Prepare The Way?

By Desiring God Above All Else
More than the air we breathe we must long for his glory, his ways and his righteousness. A desperation that fills our heart, our soul, mind and strength.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you O God,
My soul thirsts for God. Psalm 42.1

By Giving Holy Spirit Total Freedom
There was no harder city on earth than Jerusalem. After all it was the very place where they had just killed Jesus. Yet Holy Spirit chose to fall there on the day of Pentecost, and he did things that no one had ever seen before. If we dare to insist that revival can only come in the way we are comfortable with Holy Spirit may well pass us by. Acts 2, 1-12

By Having A Passion For Souls
When our hearts beat in tune with God’s heart and when what breaks God’s heart also breaks our heart then we will struggle with normal church life. The destiny of lost souls will occupy our prayers at whatever inconvenience.
Declares the Sovereign Lord, I will search for the strays, I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. Ezekiel 34.16

By Having A Love For One Another
Jesus said that by this will all men know you are my disciples, and he prayed that we all be one so that the world may believe. John 13.35, 17.21-23

By Dealing Seriously With Sin
People avoid the issue but we should beg to be forgiven for the pain we cause God, each other and to ourselves by unholy living. Deep repentance with restitution before a holy God is a sign of true revival. In days gone by when Jonathan Edwards preached, strong men would grip the pillars of the church for fear of falling alive into hell. When George Whitfield preached rivers of tears flowed on miner’s black faces.

By Living In The Fear Of A Holy God
Lest he should break out against us as he did more than once in Bible days. Believers should be a people set apart by a purity of life and a tongue never curses or accuses another, especially another believer. Psalm 51.10-13

By Prevailing In Prayer To The God Who Answers By Fire
If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7.14, 1 Kings 18, 37-39.

A Prayer Of Habakkuk The Prophet

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. Habbakuk 3.2