(Post by: Lilly Hobbs)
Revival.
It’s a word we often throw around in church circles. Sometimes casually, sometimes longingly, and sometimes even fearfully. But what does it really look like? More importantly, what does it take for us to experience true revival in our personal lives, churches, and communities?
Based on some powerful insights I recently read in a book called “Revival Fire” by Wesley Duewel, here are ten truths about revival that stirred something deep in me, and I hope they will do the same for you.
1. Revival Begins When We Break Down Barriers
Revival doesn’t usually begin with a church program or a flashy service. It starts when we, as Christians, become willing to tear down the spiritual walls we have built. These walls can look like complacency, fear, or even pride. Revival calls us out of comfort and into surrender, where we can become more aware of what God actually wants to do in us.
2. Intercession Fuels Revival
Prayer isn’t a side note in revival, it’s actually the fuel. Throughout history, every great revival began with believers hitting their knees, not for show, but out of deep, repentant longing. When we seek Jesus with all we are, not just for what He gives but for who He is, God shows up.
3. Revival Is the Work of the Holy Spirit
We can’t manufacture revival with the perfect worship set or emotional sermon. True revival comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. He chooses the time, the people, and the place. Our role is to remain open, expectant, and obedient when He begins to move.
4. Revival Demands Holiness
Holiness is described as being like a consuming fire that refuses to allow superficial spirituality to survive. Real revival brings a call to holiness, requiring a life set apart from the world. It’s not just about feelings; it’s about complete transformation. When revival hits, we start looking more like Jesus and less like our old, dead selves.
5. Revival Confronts Comfortable Christianity
Revival shakes us. It pushes us out of routines and into radical obedience. The stories I read about revival included people risking status, relationships, and security just to follow God’s call. That’s what real revival does. It makes us ask, “What am I willing to lay down for Him today?”
6. Revival Produces Unity in the Church
At Pentecost, the early Church was marked by unity. They prayed together, loved one another, and walked in the Spirit. That unity created space for God to move powerfully. When the Church chooses unity over division, and obedience over opinion, the result is miraculous.
7. Revival Ignites Evangelism
When hearts are set on fire by revival, they can’t help but burn for others. Evangelism stops being a duty and becomes a joy. Revival compels us to share Jesus; not out of guilt, but because we’re overflowing with love for Jesus AND the lost.
8. Revival Should Reshape Our Lifestyle
True revival doesn’t fade after a worship night or a conference. It changes how we live, how we pray, how we study Scripture, how we treat others, and how we steward our time. It shapes us into disciplined, passionate followers of Christ.
9. Revival Overflows Into Communities
Revival doesn’t stay within the four walls of the Church. It spreads, like wildfire. Families are restored. Leaders are convicted. Culture begins to shift. Why? Because when people are truly changed by Jesus, their neighborhoods and nations feel the ripple effect.
10. Revival Must Be Maintained
Revival isn’t a one-time high, instead, it’s something we are called to steward. It’s easy to drift back into complacency, but we don’t have to. We can remind each other of God’s faithfulness, stay rooted in His Word, and keep the fire alive through daily obedience.
So, Let’s Be the Generation That Doesn’t Settle
We don’t need more entertainment or surface-level spirituality. We’re hungry for something real, for something that matters. What if we became the generation that chased after Jesus so fiercely that revival became our reality?
Let’s break down barriers, hit our knees in prayer, and refuse to go back to business as usual. Revival is possible.
And it can start with us.
References
Duewel, W. (1995). Revival fire. Zondervan.
The Few 
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