Reflections on Revival: What Makes It Real

The Asbury Revival has sparked a lot of talk.

Many have debated back and forth: was the Asbury Revival real? Was this true revival? Is revival coming to America?

I asked those same questions. I wanted to know more. What was happening within the walls of the Asbury chapel that would make someone call it revival?

I confess, my perception of revival is muddied. I grew up during the Old Time Revival era, where each fall, our little church held a 1-2 week-long evening event. We brought in a dynamic song leader and an equally powerful preacher. Leadership pressured us to attend each evening and bring our unsaved neighbors. The revival was a failure if only a few people “came forward” or church attendance dipped the following Sunday.

I was confused. What did they want to see happen? Who was the revival for?

What is revival anyway?

Is the word, revival, even in the Bible?

No. It’s not. And it’s easy for skeptics like me to say that if it’s not in the Bible, then it wasn’t real. It’s just another church program or prolonged worship service.

Oh, but wait. The concept of revival is expressed in Scripture. The word revival isn’t there, but the word revive is.

I did a word search on the word revive on Bible Gateway. As I read each Bible verse that contained the word revive, I got a better sense of what revival is, why we need it, and what happened at Asbury. Here’s what I discovered:

Let’s look at the word “revive.

The word revive means to live again. It means to experience the vitality we had at one time.

I remember when I needed reviving. I was on my way to a training class but missed my bus connection. My destination was a mile away. The bus was due in 30 minutes; I could walk it in 20 minutes, I reasoned. So I took off.

Did I mention it was 105 degrees outside? That was a foolish decision.

I arrived at the training facility looking like a fish out of a fish tank. The facility director took one look at me and whisked me to the coolest part of the building in front of a fan, then fetched a glass of water and kept checking on me. Within an hour I was on my way to my normal self. I had revived.

But that 30-minute period was miserable. I was faint and unfocused. I despaired of life and wasn’t enjoying the living of it. My body craved renewal. If the director hadn’t found water for me, I would have used my last ounce of strength to fight to get it, if my fuzzy brain was clear enough to know that’s what I needed.

What does the Bible say?

The Bible speaks of being revived three ways: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Strong man, Samson, was weak from thirst after one of his battles. God provided water for him out of a hollow in a rock, and he revived (Judges 15:19).

When Jacob’s eleven sons returned home from Egypt with the news that their younger brother Joseph was alive, Genesis 45:27 says that Jacob’s spirit revived. I bet it did! The whole saga of Jacob’s life from Genesis 37 on tells of a man who had lost his zest for life. He grieved over the apparent death of Joseph. Hearing that his favorite son was alive was like a second chance at life.

Psalm 80 and Psalm 85 talk about the condition of someone who needs spiritual revival: faint, defeated, despondent, shedding buckets of tears, and separated from favor with God. Psalm 80:18 says, “Revive us and we will call on your name.” The one who is spiritually faint seeks a change in the status quo; they want to return to a steady relationship with God.

Why is this happening now?

We’ve all experienced a couple of tough years. The pandemic and ensuing fragmentation and social separation has made us all faint and blurry. We’ve lost our connection with God and with each other. We need new life. We crave to taste hope again. Our children and college students were especially hit hard. Is it any wonder college students basked in the refreshing they found in worship and prayer for two weeks at Asbury? They were parched. And God opened a hollow of His favor and is reviving and strengthening them in ways that are inspiring to all of us.

Revival comes from God. But it comes to the person who is weak and weary, and who admits they’ve lost their way. God promises to revive the contrite person who cries for God’s help so they can reclaim the spiritual vitality they once knew, and return to that love and excitement they had when they first met Jesus.

We don’t have to wait for the revival to come to our city.

Will revival spread throughout our country? I believe that’s the wrong question.The more important question regarding the outpouring experienced at Asbury and other colleges is this:

Where are you?

Do you feel spiritually faint? Do you crave more out of life, more from your relationship with God? Are you dissatisfied with the status quo? Is keeping up with life demands and a world whose foot is stuck on the acceleration pad making you exhausted? You can experience revival too. If you cry out to God for you and your circle, God will come to you.

The old hymn, “Cleanse Me,” says it well. “Send a revival. Start the work in me.” When it starts with you, it will spread to others as they watch you and long for what you have.

All of us need reviving, a strengthening of our relationship with Jesus. It’s easy to coast through life, not realizing that it could be so much better: that we could feel more energy in our faith, and that we can walk and even run farther than we dreamed possible. Sometimes we have to come to the point that we’re so desperate for renewal, we will don anything to get what we’re looking for. How desperate are you to get closer to God?

So, I invite you. Yeah, let’s pray for revival. Let’s start the process with you and me. Pray that God will fill the hollow spot in your life with streams of His living water that will revitalize your spirit. Pray that God bring renewal to your community of believers. Ask God to strengthen and refresh all of you so you will find renewed satisfaction in Jesus alone.

“Start the work in me.”