Biblical Pattern for Revival
By Abel Ukachi Amadi
Text: Joel 2:12–13; Habakkuk 3:2
Key verse: 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV): "If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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 will heal their land."
Revival is God calling His people back to Himself. Robert Coleman states that biblically: "The basic idea of revival is always the return of something to its true nature and purpose," (The Coming World Revival, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL p.20). Revival brings restoration of lost fellowship between God and His people. True revival is God’s interaction with His people in order to energise them spiritually. Revival is the restoration of lost passion for God. If the church were living with passion for God as seen in the book of Acts, believers would not need revival meetings. Revival is God’s work to bring the church back to Himself. Revival brings a new and desperate love for Jesus.
Why Do We Need Revival?
Because we have fallen away from God and we need to return back to Him. Revival is God’s new, fresh vitalization of the Church. When revival comes into the church, the church will be filled with all the fullness of God.
How Does Revival Happen?
Revival begins with you. Revival depends on each individual accepting responsibility for having a right relationship with Christ. The church’s greatest need is revival. A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. The cry of our generation is loud, urgent, and undeniable—the Church needs genuine revival. Not mere noise, not emotional excitement, not religious routine, but a deep, heaven-birthed awakening that transforms hearts, restores holiness and repositions the Church for God’s end-time agenda.
Revival is the restoration of spiritual life. It is when God breathes again upon a people who have grown cold, distracted or compromised. It is when conviction replaces comfort, when holiness becomes desirable again, and when the presence of God becomes the centre—not entertainment, not personalities and not systems. The Psalmist in Psalm 85:6 cries: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" This is the heartbeat of revival—a return to God that produces true joy, not superficial excitement.
Malcolm McDow stresses that God cannot be manipulated into bringing a revival or spiritual awakening. Revival requires genuine repentance. Revival begins with humility. Not with crowds—but with broken individuals. Revival is spiritual awakening from spiritual slumber. Romans 13:11 says: "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep…" Revival is when people begin to be convicted of their sins and they confess and surrender their life to Jesus. We only need to do what Jacob’s sons and daughters did that day. They put away their strange gods, and as they put their many idols away, then God came and visited them. And the breath of God came upon them, and they were revived. We need the breath of Heaven in our life, and in our church, and the only way is to put away the things in our life that are hindering God from coming. And then cry out to God for revival and He will hear and answer us.
Revival is an act of the spirit.
- Today’s nugget: Revival is spiritual awakening.
- Prayer: Lord pour out your spirit upon me.
- Prayer lines: 08033299824.
- E-mail: [email protected]
Rev. (Dr) Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria
It is God that sends revival. Revival is the supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the people – it is entirely up to God. We can’t organise it, but we can agonise in prayer for it and call upon God to send it.
