"Religion is just the work of man. Everyone has some sort of religion or rules they live by, but this is a trap for Christians. It's a trap because it's all by God's work and grace that we are saved and live as Christians! That's why Habakkuk said ?O Lord, revive your work?, because we can't live this Christian life properly without be fully alive! So let's have a look at what revival really is all about:



WHAT ISN'T REVIVAL?

Revival isn't some freak miracle that happens to us without our seeking. In fact, the way to revival is paved with someone seeking Him for it. Don't get me wrong, we can't have a revival without God working in and through us. But at the same time, God can't work a revival in us until we do some things that pave the way (e.g. A lot of prayer for revival)

Imagine this: Australia's farmers are working hard at the moment. But at a farmer's convention they are all told that God is sovereign and only gives crops when it pleases Him. So if they plant crops and work hard, that means it's taking the work out of God's hands and doing it on their own strength and there is no connection between their work and their crops! What would happen if the farmers believed this? They'd starve! Along with a lot of other Aussies.

It's the same with us and God. If we just sit back and do nothing and trust God to bring us a revival and to bring in new believers, many more would go to hell! If we want revival, we have to get out there and like the farmer, do some work! ?Toil on our knees!? God wants to work a revival; it's up to us to make a way for it.

Oh and by the way, revival isn't just heaps of new people becoming Christians either. Think of the word: Revive. It means to wake up! So when we talk about a revival, we don't mean a lot of decisions for Christ, or even a really good rally night at our youth group. It's when God works in Christian's hearts to wake them up to Him, His power, and His calling. (Then they evangelise with a new passion and power and more souls saved!).

SO WHAT ACTUALLY IS REVIVAL?

Revival is our love for God being renewed, then sinners being saved, then the community waking up to God, and then backsliders being claimed back. It sort of implies that the Christians are a bit backslidden, or have gotten too comfortable or complacent.

When a genuine revival happens, the Christians are always going to have a bit of conviction of sin. People search deep in their hearts and drag sins into the light.

Also, backsliders repent and turn to God again. Revival is really just starting a new beginning of obedience. So backsliders are broken down into humility and forsake their sins and seek God again.

In a revival, our faith is renewed. When a Christian isn't revived, they seem blind to how important souls are. They don't really care a whole lot for someone's salvation, or the state of sinners. To them, truth seems more like a dream, of course they say ?yeah I believe that!? but their lives don't match up, and it has no effect on eternity.

But in a revival they see things clearly and work hard to see the lost saved. They get sad when people don't love God, and they are filled with a tender and burning love for souls! Because they have a renewed love for God, they have a renewed love for men. They will pray hard for their friends and enemies, asking God to save them. They will do all they can to save souls from hell.

In a time when we see advertising everywhere, it seems like we are always being reminded of the world. A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians. They don't care for the latest fashions, and they don't entertain themselves through sin. They get a taste of heaven and nothing else beats that! The power of sin is overcome because they now long for God more.

After all that happens to the Christians, sinners get saved! They go through the same motions of being convicted and repenting and falling in love with God. Only there is a difference: They are helped by the prayers and preaching of all the revived Christians. When a revival happens, you see many really hard and sinful people being softened and saved and transformed.

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, people live holy lives & bring God more glory. Then the church works like God intended and many are saved.

I hope this helps to get rid of some confusion, and helps us to know more on what to pray for. Lord, send revival?"