The quest and hunger for revival – Part 10

Hunger for revival is a precursor to experiencing actual revival. No one stumbles on revival by chance. You must be a true seeker of God, the Giver of revival. The hunger for revival is ignited and sustained through various means. Through the acquaintance we keep, through association with men of similar passion, through reading or when God in His mercy decides to create the hunger for His presence in our hearts.

Some preachers and writers ignite the passion for revival in us than others. Phillip’s outstanding ministry in Samaria left an indelible mark on the people in the city. Simon, who before now bewitched the whole city with sorcery quickly abandoned his art to follow Phillip, and even offered money to receive the kind of anointing Phillip had. Such was the remarkable impact Phillip had on the people of Samaria. The presence of Jesus and the supernatural ministry He displayed often left His converts in awe and wonder, and some abandon their profession to follow Him.

Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal and his prayer for rain in 1 Kings 18:41-46, is a constant reminder that intense and sustained prayer must precede spiritual showers of blessings. The prophets posture while he prayed for the sound of the abundance of rain to be actualised, reminds us that prayer for revival is hard work and great sacrifice is needed to translate sound or vision into reality.

Moses’ endless quest for God’s glory encourages us to be unrelenting in our pursuit for the glory of God. Paul’s insatiable hunger for God, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection…” reminds us that we cannot experience revival unless we desperately seek after God and acquaint ourselves with Him.

Some authors ignite the hunger for revival in their reader through their writings and books than others. A. W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, John Armstrong, Edwin Orr, Martin Lloyd-Jones and Wesley Duewel, among others, are some of a kind whose books set a reader on the revival trail. Unfortunately, some preachers and writers hardly motivate us through their preaching and writings.

At times, the longing for revival is put in our hearts by the Lord, so as to encourage us to seek Him more. Joseph Babalola was said to have spent hours daily praying for revival. Evan Roberts, who pioneered the Welsh Revival, has a similar passion for prayer. William Seymour prayed between five to seven hours daily before the Asuza Street revival occurred. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the hunger and passion for what He wants us to do for Him. Just as God gives men the passion for evangelism, for acts of mercy, for music or for a ministry among children and youths, so He gives us the passion for revival.

What do we do while we wait for revival? First, we engage ourselves in prayer (Acts 1:10). We also spend our time watching and waiting as Habakkuk did (Hab.2: 1-3; Mk.13: 31-37). We fellowship with others who share in our passion (Prov.27: 17; Heb.10: 22-26). We persevere in our service to God (Phil 3:12).

Don’t allow any worldly pursuit to douse your longing for revival. Distraction from our main vision is one of Satan’s subtle weapons. Always guard jealously your passion for God and for revival. Keep your hunger for God and revival aglow by reading stories of past revivals, read about the biographies of past revivalists, study the account why revivals fail. And above all, read and reread the accounts of revivals in the Bible. These will keep you on fire for God.