Lausanne World Pulse – Seeking God for Revival: South Africa and Beyond
By Francois Carr
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)
Revival is a time when heaven comes closer to earth. It is when the glory of God again becomes visible in the lives of men, women, families, churches and community. The greatest attraction of heaven is not the streets of gold. It is not the tree of life. It is not the angels and the fellowship with others of the faith. It is the constant presence and glory of our Lord. Revival is when we taste something of this constant presence of God on earth and in our everyday life.
Revival
“When revival becomes a reality, it is always manifested in a devotion to be like Jesus.” —George Frizzel
The word revival has a variety of meanings for Christians today. For some it simply means a series of meetings; some think of revival as a time when people place their faith in Christ and receive him as saviour and Lord. Other people have used the term to describe a spiritual awakening during which large numbers of people are converted.
So what is genuine revival? The word, revive is made up of two parts: re, meaning “again,” and vive, meaning “to live.” Thus, revive means “to live again, to come or be brought back to life, health or vitality.” Revival is a time when spiritual life and vitality are restored in the hearts and lives of Christians. Revival is a return to spiritual health after a period of spiritual decline into sin and broken fellowship with God. Revival is for God’s people when they need to repent from their sins, be forgiven and be restored to life, spiritual health and unbroken fellowship with God.
Personal revival occurs when an individual is restored to unbroken fellowship with God. Revival in the home occurs when family members are restored to unbroken fellowship with God and the Lord Jesus is once again the head of the home. Revival in the local church, community and nation is a sovereign act of God and occurs when God restores the spiritual health and vitality of his people on a much larger scale. Revival results in:
- A new awareness of the glorious presence and holiness of God. Today it seems as if we have lost our awareness of the Lord. This is clearly visible in the way we live, our conversations, the places we visit and the way we easily justify ourselves, instead of repenting from our unrighteousness. During the 1904 revival in Wales, a reckless sinner entered into the chapel of Gorseinon during a service. When he opened the door he was overwhelmed by such a tangible awareness of God’s presence that he yelled, “Oh, God is here!” He was so convicted that he could neither enter the chapel nor walk away.
- A new and deep conviction of sin, our own sinfulness and our unrighteousness as we see ourselves in the light of God’s glory.
- A heartfelt repentance from sin that results in a turning away from sin, returning to God and a changed life at home, in church and in the community.
- A new spiritual hunger to hear the word of God (whether through preaching or reading) and to pray (spending time with the Lord). Unbroken fellowship with God brings us closer to his heart and his desire.
- A new concern for the lost. This usually leads to outreaches and evangelism resulting in spiritual awakening among the spiritually dead and non-believers.
Spiritual Awakening
“A revived Church is the only hope for a dying world.” —Dr. Andrew Murray
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Dr. Francois Carr is executive director of Revival South Africa. He is senior editor of an English and Afrikaans journal on Prayer, Holiness and Revival, called Revival and HerlewinG. Carr is also the author of Revival! The Glory of God and Prayer for Revival and has authored several books in Afrikaans. |