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I have a favorite Old Testament verse that many will probably find odd: "Man that is born of woman is of a few days full of trouble. Job 14:1 The reason it is my favorite is because it helps to explain why there is so much suffering in my life and in the world. It can be my favorite bible verse because of my favorite New Testament verse: " In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 Be certain that troubles will continue. But we can be more certain that when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus, we are able to overcome the troubles and trials and tribulations of this life.
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As the wind blows we cannot see where it goes, so is the working of the Spirit of the Living God
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Woodlawn United Methodist Church
Hunger and Thirst for Revival
Hunger and Thirst for Revival
July 19, 2025
The revivals of the 1970s were a time in which the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who earnestly sought the Lord was exhilarating, refreshing, and life changing. In our small church, God sent a dynamic extremely charismatic minister who labored in prayer, fervently asking God for a mighty move of his Holy Spirit. And God certainly did not disappoint.
It was not just a feel-good time. This was a life-changing time; filled with life-altering events. Not only were souls being born again, but bodies were being healed. Spiritual awareness was growing in unprecedented ways. Body, soul and spirit, folks’ lives were being changed. I am praying that God will rekindle in his church that passion for his will, his word, and his works and the souls of men; a reviving of our first love.
I am seeking the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. I am seeking the gifts of the spirit working in the lives of the people of God, in his church, once again. There are churches that are still encountering the supernatural works of the spirit of God. And this is very encouraging. But for many churches it is a struggle to convince folk to come out and participate in the work of the ministry. The people will come for morning worship bring their tithes and or offerings and sit through the preaching of the word of God and go home. Too many of the body of Christ are not willing to be one of the number that will go out into the harvest to labor for the souls of men. Many churches are struggling to have an impact on the lives of those in the communities where they reside. Congregations are aging out and finding it harder and harder to attract and keep young people involved. Congregations are dying and are not able to infuse new life into their membership. In many communities the church is not relevant, or at least not as relevant as it can be.
Now is the time to seek the Lord once again for the moving of his Holy Spirit in our midst, stirring up the works of the Spirit. Now is the time to experience the Fruit of the Spirit once again. The Bible tells us that the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. Against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23. With the combination of the Fruit of the Spirit and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit the body of Christ can reestablish prominence in the communities to make the impact that we are called to have.
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This passion for the will of God, the Word of God, the works of God, and the souls of men is essential for all of the children of God not just the church leadership. In the history of our nation, it has been the passion of individuals and small groups that have sparked revival.
The Great Awakening of the 1700s:
The Great Awakening brought various philosophies, ideas and doctrines to the forefront of Christian faith.
Some of the major themes included:
• All people are born sinners
• Sin without salvation will send a person to hell
• All people can be saved if they confess their sins to God, seek forgiveness and accept God’s grace
• All people can have a direct and emotional connection with God
• Religion shouldn’t be formal and institutionalized, but rather casual and personal
https://www.history.com/articles/great-awakening
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The Great Awakening came to an end sometime during the 1740s.
Second Great Awakening
In the 1790s, another religious revival, which became known as the Second Great Awakening, began in New England. This movement is typically regarded as less emotionally charged than the First Great Awakening. It led to the founding of several colleges, seminaries and mission societies.
A Third Great Awakening was said to span from the late 1850s to the early 20th century. https://www.history.com/articles/great-awakening
The Great Awakening unquestionably had a significant impact on Christianity. It reinvigorated religion in America at a time when it was steadily declining and introduced ideas that would penetrate into American culture for many years to come. https://www.history.com/articles/great-awakening
In researching the subject of revivals in the U.S., I came across the following:
A Christian revival is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that increases God’s kingdom and thus weakens the work of darkness. Revivals impact three spheres of society: personal transformation, societal improvement, and territorial blessing. Revivals can take place in small areas like a university campus or large areas like an entire country. America has experienced hundreds of local and regional revivals, but there have been at least three national revivals – the First Great Awakening (1730-55), the Second Great Awakening (1790-1840), and the Businessmen’s Revival (1857-58). In addition, we've seen moves of the Lord through the Pentecostal Awakening in 1906 and through the Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 70s.
https://www.christianunion.org/the-magazine/7985-when-was-the-last-nationwide-revival-in-the-us
“A Christian revival is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that increases God’s kingdom and thus weakens the work of darkness. Revivals impact three spheres of society: personal transformation, societal improvement, and territorial blessing”
I really want to highlight these two statements. They are significant for anyone who is on the fence about revival. I recognize that not everyone in the church is excited about revival. But I pray that God will pursue to your heart why the church needs to experience revival from time to time. And I believe now is the time.
#1. The work of darkness has gone on a rampage. We not only hear of wars and rumors of war, but we now read about and see on TV attacks upon religious freedoms have increased, even in this nation which was founded upon the principle of freedom of religion. We hear about horrendous disasters that claim the lives of thousands in a matter of minutes. We see ministers of the Gospel falling from grace into lives of duplicity and sin. The Kingdom of God is not advancing. We have an entire generation of young people in this nation who have no religious affiliation at all, let alone a Christian affiliation.
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I have read some soul troubling statistics from an article produced by a research group in 2022. I pray they will stir your spirit as they stirred mine. “Only a few decades ago, a Christian identity was so common among Americans that it could almost be taken for granted.
As recently as the early 1990s, about 90% of U.S. adults identified as Christians. But today, about two-thirds of adults are Christians.”
Same research states, “In 1972, when the GSS first began asking Americans, “What is your religious preference?” 90% identified as Christian and 5% were religiously unaffiliated.” (GSS is the General Social Survey)
Over the next two decades non-affiliates rose to 9%.
“In 1996, the share of unaffiliated Americans jumped to 12%, and two years later it was 14%. This growth has continued, and 29% of Americans now tell the GSS they have “no religion.”
Listen to this, “Since 2007, the percentage of adults who say they are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” in the Center’s surveys has grown from 16% to 29%. During this time, the share of U.S. adults who identify as Christian has fallen from 78% to 63%.”
For me, I agree revival is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that increases God’s kingdom and thus weakens the work of darkness and that is reason enough to pray diligently and fervently for revival.
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#2. Personal transformation, Societal improvement, and Territorial blessing
I desire a closer walk of faith with the God who called me to himself. I want to experience more of his Spirit interacting with my spirit, helping me to be more in tune with the will of God in my life. I desire the renewal of the passions that I once knew as a newborn believer. I desire to see the gifts of the Spirit once again at work in my life and in the life of the church. I want to experience those greater works that Jesus said we would. Somewhere along the way doing church has become too routine and not filled with the remarkable works of his Holy Spirit. I am not talking about having a mountain-top experience every time I walk into our church services, but I would not be upset if it did occur. I do want to experience the moving of his Spirit to direct and guide me in the way the Lord wants me to go. Personal transformation does not happen merely because I want it to. The Spirit of God brings transformation when we humble ourselves and seek his will and works in our lives.
In the process of individuals being transformed there is a contagion that has an impact on the lives of others around us in our community. Oh, I remember what a joy those times were in the early 1970s. We would go from house to house for prayer meetings and spiritual fellowship and enlightenment. And God would always show up with something remarkable that we could tell others about. Individuals, families, couples, were drawn into the presence of the Lord during these get togethers. Folks were healed and delivered from addictions. It was a remarkable time of the moving of the Holy Spirit that we do not see as often as we used to. The advancement of the Kingdom of God was being experienced. It has been a great deal of time since those wonderful times of the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon us.
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Where the Spirit of the Lord is, the workers of iniquity and sin cannot abide. We need to take back the territory that we have lost over the years. We need to pray the Lord of the Harvest will send forth the laborers for a great harvest of souls. I am praying that the Lord will send me into his fields to be a part of his great work.
Personal Transformation, Societal Improvement, and Territorial Blessing
One of the revivals that I was most intrigued with, I want to share more of here. Christian Union.org is described on their website as: a group of 70+ ministry faculty and staff members who are investing their lives and working hard to advance God's kingdom. They are the group that I have gleaned the following explanation.
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The Businessmen’s Revival had a very clear yet almost imperceptible beginning, which shaped the movement and gave rise to its name. It started with the leadership of a layman named Jeremiah Lanphier.Lanphier had purchased and distributed 1000 handbills to announce a prayer meeting for 1 hour between 12:00 and 1:00 in the afternoon. One can only imagine how Jeremiah felt as he sat in the empty meeting room all alone for a full thirty minutes. From 12 to 12:30 pm, not a single soul showed to pray. But then a few believers trickled in until there were six people in attendance at the first noon prayer meeting for businessmen--the start of the Businessmen’s Revival.
From this humble beginning a statewide involvement grew into a nationwide effort. “The press reported on the amazing events in New York, spreading the news across the nation. The New York Herald simply titled one column “The Revivals.” States from coast to coast started to experience similar happenings. Multiple prayer meetings filled cities from morning to evening. Washington D.C. had five daily prayer meetings starting at 6:30 am.” What is most significant for my discussion is found later in the article in which Christian Union offers what all this means to us. “What Christians ought to gain from learning about the Businessmen’s Revival is confidence in the promises of God and a desire for frequent and fervent prayer. God has made many great promises that He will certainly hear the cries of His people, give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, and draw near to those who humbly draw near to Him. God is not a respecter of persons; it doesn’t matter if we live in America or China in the 21st century, the 19th or the 1st. God will most definitely visit His people when they seek Him with all their hearts.” https://www.christianunion.org/the-magazine/7985-when-was-the-last-nationwide-revival-in-the-us#WhoWeAre
From this article presented by Christian Union, I most want to reemphasize the statement made: “What Christians ought to gain from learning about the Businessmen’s Revival is confidence in the promises of God and a desire for frequent and fervent prayer.” (christianunion.org) Frequent and fervent prayer. The key to reigniting a flame that has grown dim in the church. This is why prayer in the church, at home, individually or in groups must begin once again with intent. We cannot hold prayer meetings once or twice and give up because people are not attending. We must be diligent to go before the Lord as long as it takes to draw down the power of the Holy Spirit in our midst. We cannot give up and give in because it is not working out as we had hoped. We cannot wait until the pastor initiates the prayers for revival. We must be the next Jeremiah Lanphier. We must act with the confidence that God hears us. We must act with the confidence that God calls us to bring our petitions boldly before him. We must act with hearts and souls hungering for God’s moving in our midst.
Hunger and Thirst For Revival
Hunger and Thirst For Revival
In conclusion I want to relate one more revival movement. This was the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s.
From an article presented by Founder of Beautiful Feet, entitled 2,514 Revivals, I read: The Jesus Movement of the 1960s and 70s was characterized as a Hunger for God “There was a hunger for God among people of all ages. If Christians were willing to pay the price and engage in evangelism, it was normal for an evangelistic team to lead dozens to Christ on a daily basis.” (Romans1015.com)
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The Jesus Movement itself was predominantly characterized as House Ministries and Coffeehouses. That offered the new movement gathering places where they would not be ostracized or rejected by mainstream congregations who did not like the way they dressed or talked. The Jesus Movement did have an impact on mainstream congregations as well. Many congregations were hungry for God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Significant to me is that for the most part this movement was not under the auspices of any mainstream denomination or congregation. Although Pastor Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel partnered with one of the founders of the movement to expand its reach. The movement was born of a desire to experience God in a different way than what established religion was experiencing. Young people found a greater purpose in the Jesus movement than in the drugs and sex of the hippie scene. They were drawn to the individualistic character of the Jesus movement. They found a personal relationship with God that was not found in mainstream religion. But God used that movement to awaken many mainstream congregations all across the nation. New non-denominational groups began to grow and flourish across the nation. And revival swept through the nation. In some areas it was called the Jesus movement and in some areas it was called a revival spirit.
Here is the thing. All of these revivals indicate that individuals had recognized the times in which they were living and realized that there needed to be more intentionality in seeking God’s working in their midst. I feel this same need.
This article is a result of my being convinced that now is the time for children of God to diligently, intentionally, and fervently seek the Lord for a new revival. That we be transformed personally, that society be benefited and that we take back territory that has been lost to the devil. Think Generationally. I want to see as many of the lost generation in this nation brought into the kingdom of heaven. I want the congregation that I am part of to continue to grow and have a redeeming impact on the communities that we reside in. I am not just looking for a feel-good time. I want real life changing revival.
Father of Heaven, God of grace and mercy, I petition your throne for a great move of your Holy Spirit in our midst once again. Renew your works in our presence. Empower us with your Word and your Holy Spirit. Cause us to walk in the power of your Spirit oh God, that we may be your laborers, your workers, your servants, doing your will. Awaken us, revive us, renew us. Stir in us a passion for your will, a passion for your Word, a passion for your works, and a passion for the souls of men, send us forth in the power of your Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. The name above all names. Amen.
7/19/2025
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Father, I thank you for the timelessness of your Word and your Promises. I pray you will use these words to encourage your children as they grow in their relationship with you. I pray that you will work in the heart of every person who does not know you as Lord to bring them to yourself, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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