The Secret to a Revival in your Soul

Every week, I’m seeing stories on the “Asbury Revival” in the news. Students gathered for chapel one day and never left, never stopped worshipping, and never let go of that moment. Other campuses are hosting prayer meetings in places that have not seen anything like it in decades. How does this happen? It’s happening now as it always has. The secret really isn’t a secret. It’s not a gimmick. James once wrote this simple statement: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” That’s what you’re seeing happen, and it can happen in your own heart.

Have you ever been so dry, spiritually, that you were starving for a taste of God’s presence? Every major revival in our history has begun with a prayer movement, a concentrated experience of confession, and desperate longings for God’s spirit. Over the last couple of years, Waco has seen a new prayer movement on the Baylor Campus over the last couple of years. The mall area at the center of the campus was covered with 3,000 students who lingered and sought prayer. It was astounding, and it became evident that God was up to something. What’s interesting to me is this: God WANTS to revive us; we often do not want the revival He offers. We can’t pursue HIS ways when we demand that we fulfill our own. We cannot embrace His leadership while we refuse to let go of our own non-negotiable standards. We can’t experience His overwhelming forgiveness while we turn a blind eye to our own sinful patterns. In the vintage wisdom of the Sesame Street tune, “You have to put down the ducky if you want to play the saxophone.”

Do you want a revival in your own soul, in your town, in your own church? It will start with these decisions of surrender. Only one can lead. And it won’t be God as long as you have decided that it will be YOU in the lead.