Especially since the First Great Awakening in Britain and America in the 1700s, Christians have discussed and prayed fervently for revival. Back in 2023, many of us heard about the revival that drew thousands of people to Asbury University. I’m sure that if we were asked, all of us would probably say that we would desire to see more revival in our day.
But what is revival? And how should we pray for it?
Let’s start with the first question. In short, revival is the pouring out of God’s Spirit in an amplified way that leads to a powerful work of grace in a church, community, or nation.
We should pay attention to the following three principles about revival:
First, revival is a sovereign work of God’s grace. True revival is never the work of man. Revival cannot be coerced from God’s hand, earned, or manipulated. Revivals come and go according to God’s good pleasure.
We see God’s sovereign work in the few revivals that occur in Scripture, including the reforms of King Josiah (2 Kings 22–23) and the special work of the Spirit in Acts (e.g., Acts 2; 8:4–8). In the first example, God did a surprising work in Judah through King Josiah at a time when there were few good kings in Israel. By God’s sovereign grace, the Law was rediscovered, idolatry put down, the Passover holiday restored, and the tenor of the nation changed (for at time).
In the same way, although the experience of the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2) is a unique, unrepeatable event, it is a model of what we long for in revival: a sovereign outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel.[1] The apostles did not coerce the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, but they did wait, pray, and then preach when the Spirit came. Multitudes were saved, the church grew, and the gospel went forth.
The church should pray for these kinds of experiences, while realizing that we cannot schedule revivals or manipulate the outpouring of God’s Spirit. Revival is a work of God’s grace in pouring out his Spirit. So, we pray, and we wait (cf. Luke 24:49; Acts 2:1–4).
Second, revival is an extraordinary experience of the Spirit’s ordinary work. Revival is a heightening or amplifying of what the Spirit of God is always doing: drawing sinners to the Son and growing believers in the Son through the preaching of the gospel.
We shouldn’t think of revival as a different kind of work the Spirit does. What is extraordinary about revival is the degree of the Spirit’s work, not the essence of the Spirit’s work.[2] Revival occurs when the work of the Spirit is seen in an extraordinary degree. An increasing number of people see the glory of Christ and the depravity of their hearts through the preaching of the Word. They repent and believe the gospel and devote themselves to the gathering of the saints.
We see this at Pentecost in Acts 2. How did over three thousand people come to saving faith in Jesus? Peter preached the gospel to them, and they repented, believed, were baptized, and then gathered together as a church (Acts 2:14–47). All through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Our desire for revival should not lead us to downplay the ordinary ministry and experiences God has given us (Zech 4:10). Revival flows out of the ordinary ministry of the Word that the Spirit blesses in extraordinary ways. Revival may be accompanied by more tears, more fervent worship and prayer, deeper confession and repentance, more soberness and more joy, and more anointing in the preaching of the gospel. But the core essence remains the same: people respond to the glorious news of the gospel and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Third, revival centers around the faithful preaching of God’s Word. Church historian Michael Haykin writes, “Genuine revival is always attended with faithful preaching of the scriptures.”[3] Revival happens as the church obeys Christ’s command to make disciples by “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” (Matt 28:20). Revival will only occur where believers are faithful to preach the Word faithfully, in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2).
The Word of God is living and active (Heb 4:12–13). The Holy Spirit works through the Word of Christ. Revival can never be separated from the faithful preaching of the gospel. It is not merely about an emotional response or spiritual high flowing from crowd dynamics. One mark of counterfeit revival is a counterfeit gospel. True revival will only come where the true gospel is preached.
Based on this understanding, here are several ways we can pray for revival:
(1) Pray for the faithfulness of God’s people in the ordinary days and the ordinary means of grace. If we want to see revival, we should start by paying closer attention to God’s Word and living all of life by faith in Christ and the power of the Spirit. Remember: revival isn’t something completely new; it’s an extraordinary measure of what the Spirit is already doing among us if we are faithful. So, pray that we would be faithful now.
(2) Pray for an ever-deepening understanding of the good news of Jesus. Revival is all about the cross of Christ becoming more precious and glorious to us.
(3) Pray for a special work of God’s Spirit through the preaching of the Word. Make Psalm 119:25 your prayer: “I lie in the dust; revive me by your word.” When it feels like the church lies in the dust, we pray for God to breathe new life into us by his Word just as he did when he breathed life into Adam.
(4) Pray for a deeper conviction of sin in our churches. Revival begins when we confess our neediness and seek the Lord through his Word. King Josiah tore his robes when he heard the Law read for the first time (2 Kings 22:11). Are we praying for that kind of response when the Lord exposes our sin through the powerful working of his Spirit?
(5) Pray for a church-wide, community-wide, nation-wide, worldwide glimpse of the glory of God. That is true revival. British preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones described the heart of revival as a large multitude of people beholding the Lord pass by in his glory. “The prayer for revival is ultimately a prayer for the manifestation of God’s glory.”[4]
When we behold God’s glory, we behold his Name, who he is: “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation,” (Exodus 34:4–7).
When we truly see who God is in his Son through the work of the Spirit, our hearts are wrecked with the glory, the joy, the conviction of sin, faith—and revival happens.
(6) Pray for a deeper passion for and experience of…
- The knowledge of God and his Word. When revivals occur, God’s people are revived in their delight in God through his Word.
- Holiness. Revivals lead to a deeper passion to be holy as God is holy.
- Love. The fruit of the Spirit is love. If we have all other spiritual manifestations but have not love, we are nothing (1 Cor 13).
- Good works. The work of the Spirit in revival leads to a renewed passion to follow Christ and do good to all people, especially the household of faith (Gal 6:10).
Let us pray for revival. Let us long to experience “a special season of mercy” where God breathes new life into the dust.[5] Let us yearn to behold more of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Let us not be content with a tame Christianity but boldly seek the mighty power of God in our midst. Let us take prayer of Moses on our lips: “Lord, show us your glory!” (Ex 33:18).
[1]Michael Haykin, “8 Qualities of True Revival,” Reformation Heritage Books Blog, accessed July 10, 2025.
[2]Iain Murray, Revival and Revivalism, 23.
[3] Michael Haykin, “8 Qualities of True Revival”.
[4] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Revival Sermon: The Glory of God,” MLJ Trust, accessed July 10, 2025.
[5]Iain Murray, Revival and Revivalism, 22.
