星空传媒

12 Signs of Revival (and a bonus)

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As our society goes deeper and deeper into its crisis phase, with political and ideological division, a disappearing work ethic, rampant drug use and overdoses and suicide, total confusion in the area of sexual ethics and identity, and many, many other grave problems, Evangelical Christians have begun to call out to God for revival in the church and a great awakening in our society. But many Christians have never personally experienced a great revival and may wonder what revival entails.

What does a revival look like?

The primordial revival, recorded in Acts 2, offers at least 12 signs of revival that have historically accompanied the renewal of churches. Since the revival of Acts 2 marked the founding of the Church, one might think of it more as a “vival” rather than a “revival.” But the history of Israel stands replete with spiritual awakenings and declines. We have this treasure of God in earthen vessels, as Paul said, and no group of people has ever been able to maintain spiritual intensity on a permanent basis. The vival of Acts 2 represented the ultimate revival of Biblical faith and the beginning of its spread from Jews to Gentiles. In any case, it illustrates what happens when people experience a fresh wave of God’s grace that results in spiritual enthusiasm among the faithful and its transmission to unbelievers.

Over and over since the First Century, Christians have experienced waves of God’s renewing grace that have energized Christians and churches and given new seasons of advance and growth. Such revivals include personal quickenings, when individuals experience a spiritual renewal with a newfound focus on Christ; revivals of local churches that may begin in a particular church and then spread to others; and societal awakenings like the Jesus Movement and the Charismatic Renewal, in which Christians receive new enthusiasm and power, millions of unbelievers are saved, and national and even global culture is affected for decades.

12 Signs of Revival

The primordial revival of Acts 2:36-47 illustrates 12 consistent signs of revival that have characterized spiritual renewal over the course of church history:

³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” ³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” ⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. ⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.—Acts 2:36-47 (NIV)

Note the signs of revival in this passage:

1. Emphasis on Jesus (Acts 2:36). In Acts 2, Peter preached to the crowd gathered at Pentecost about Jesus Christ, crucified, dead, buried, and raised from the dead as Lord and Messiah. When revival comes, Jesus becomes the top priority for Christians.
2. Repentance (2:37-38). In revival, people experience conviction for their sins and repent and change their lifestyles. They not only walk away from patterns of sin, but they turn their attention away from petty entertainments to spend more time in pursuit of God.
3. A passion for prayer (2:42). Revival creates in people a new desire to pray, worship, and meditate on God. Sometimes, even in sleep, the prayers continue as God clears away our distractions and speaks to us in dreams.
4. Hunger for the Word (2:42). When revival comes, people want more of the Scriptures, more personal reading and study, and more exposure to preaching and teaching.
5. A burden for the lost (Acts 2:40). Because of the conviction of sin that comes with revival, people realize that others are lost because they are more aware of their own sin and their lostness without Jesus. In revival, we can no longer be content to let people live without being confronted with the love of Christ.
6. Increase in salvations (Acts 2:41, 47). Along with the new burden for souls comes a marked increase in salvations and new converts.
7. A surge in callings to ministry and missions (Acts 4:20). During revival, people sense God’s calling to Gospel service, whether in vocational ministry or in greater consecration of their daily work life in what others would see as secular settings. (Do you see the logical flow of these phenomena?)
8. The manifest presence of God (2:40, 43). God is always present, but in revival, God’s presence becomes obvious among us—whether in conviction of sin, healings and signs and wonders, or reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
9. Greater generosity toward the work of God (2:45). Church offerings and other manifestations of personal giving to the work of God greatly increase during revival.
10. Greater frequency of corporate gatherings for worship and prayer and the Word (2:46). Not only do the number of church activities increase, but Christians begin to meet in homes and at restaurants and other venues to spend time together to share how God is working in their lives.
11. Increased fellowship among Christians (2:46). In revival, God’s people experience greater love for one another that draws them together frequently and attracts unbelievers to their community.
12. Favor with the community (2:47). While the early Christians saw favor with “all the people,” that did not include the Sanhedrin and the Jewish leaders, who immediately began to persecute them (Acts 4:1). Both favor and opposition arise when revival begins. Mockers will always arise when revival occurs, and opposition from people in power also increases. But the joy of God’s favor trumps any form of persecution or opposition.

All these signs represent precious elements of the renewal of God’s work among us, but at least one more bonus sign accompanies revival that the text of Acts does not mention. People who have experienced revival in their spirit experience greater joy in their personal lives and work. They find they have a song in their hearts during their work time, as all of life becomes the temple of our worship and prayer. Their work ethic soars and their prosperity increases, further fueling the greater generosity mentioned in the text. Religious revival is the best thing that can happen to an economy in recession!

More than anything

Our society has many needs and faces many crises today. People disagree about the best ways to improve our common lot. But I believe that, more than anything, we need another Great Awakening in America. It will begin and must begin with the household of faith. We commonly hear that revival is a “sovereign work of God’s grace,” and the reality remains that we cannot “work up” a revival, and we certainly cannot have a Great Awakening across American society by merely urging each other to have one. But we can pray. Prayer has always preceded revival. The Acts 2 revival began with many days of concerted prayer in the Upper Room. It is unlikely that revival has ever begun in any other way. Maybe you have been praying for revival for a long time alone. If not, start now. Maybe it’s time to invite a few fellow believers to join us in our homes to pray for revival. Churches can always increase their prayers. But more than anything else, we need to seek God—for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our country, and our world.