Winds of Revival: Is God Moving in America Again?
By Justin Pratt, Clear Springs Baptist Church Senior Pastor
For years, it has felt like our nation has been trapped in a spiritual stillness, a stagnant time where the fire of faith has flickered low and the heartbeat of the church seemed to have grown faint. However, recently, there have been whispers in the air, gentle breezes carrying the hope of something greater to come. I sense that the winds of revival are beginning to stir, shifting the atmosphere and awakening many souls to the possibility that God isn’t finished with us and may still have a plan. What has long felt dry and dormant is now trembling with new life, and if we lean in with faith and urgency, we just might witness a powerful move of God sweeping across our nation.
If you are paying attention, we are witnessing something remarkable, a holy stirring that has ignited a flame of faith in many hearts. Across America, people are returning to church, seeking truth and hope. Millennials and college students, often labeled as the “lost generation,” are surprising society by turning toward faith in search of an anchor that is more stable than our world’s ever-shifting opinions.
As our nation grows weary of political answers and governmental solutions, there is a discernible hunger for more of God and less of government. For the first time in a long while, it truly feels as though people are realizing that what we need is not systems, but a Savior!
Revival is more than just a date on the church calendar. It represents the moment when the spiritual invades the material, and heaven intersects with earth. Revival occurs when God breathes fresh fire into weary and worn-out souls and when the Spirit of God awakens a sleeping church to new life. In these critical times, every Christian in America should yearn to witness God moving and stirring something remarkable for His glory across the nation. We are in desperate need of healing, truth, and hope. This healing and hope cannot be manufactured or produced through politics, programs, or personalities. It cannot be generated by human effort, but it can certainly be brought down through prayer. Revival does not begin in stadiums or sanctuaries but in surrendered hearts that cry out, “Lord, let it (revival) start in me.”
I was encouraged to read a recent report from Barna Research on barna.com titled “New Research: Belief in Jesus Rises, Fueled by Younger Adults.” It was uplifting to see that the statistics shared in the report represent, in their words, “the clearest indication of meaningful spiritual renewal in the United States.” This statement reflects three decades of Barna’s tracking.
What we are witnessing on campuses across America and in our local churches indicates that something significant is stirring. For this momentum to continue, the church and those who identify as Christians must be willing to keep the spirit alive. We must return to church consistently, address our personal offenses and sin before God, and pray earnestly while humbly seeking His face. E.M. Bounds wisely stated, “All true revivals have been born from individuals willing to pay the price. When God’s people become so concerned about the state of religion that they lie on their faces day and night in earnest supplication, the blessing will surely follow.”
I, for one, want the blessing to come, but I must be willing to prepare the altar of my life if I desire to see the fire fall. Only God can be depended on for revival. However, we must be willing to change, repent of our sins, follow where God directs, and humble ourselves. God wants to send revival, but we must remove any superficiality that could undermine our commitment to Him. My deepest prayer is that, for our nation and the next generation, we would experience a fresh wind of revival in these days. It’s important to remember that revival will never come if it remains just a national dream and does not become a personal urgency.
