Day 3

What is revival?

revival

REVI'VAL, n. [from revive.]

1. Return, recall or recovery to life from death or apparent death; as the revival of a drowned person.

2. Return or recall to activity from a state of languor; as the revival of spirits.

3. Recall, return or recovery from a state of neglect, oblivion, obscurity or depression; as the revival of letters or learning.

4. Renewed and more active attention to religion; an awakening of men to their spiritual concerns.

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The topic of revival is often prayed about, but is it really understood?  Why even purse revival?  Here is what a few people say about revival:

"Revival – the inrush of the Spirit into the body that threatens to become a corpse." -  D. M. Panton

“Revival is not the end or the focus of this ten-year-long work by hundreds of contributors, editors and behind-the-scenes workers, the end is the return and restoration of a new relationship with God. Seek revival and you won’t have a

real answer. You seek God, and you may have a revival.” -Winkie Pratney

"Revival is not more a miracle than a crop of wheat.  Revival comes from heaven when heroic souls enter the conflict determined to win or die – or if need be, to win and die!  “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” -  Charles G. Finney

"It is presupposed that the church is sunk down in a backslidden state, and a revival consists in the return of the church from her backsliding, and in the conversion of sinners." -  Charles G. Finney

"Revival, as contrasted with a Holy Ghost atmosphere is a clean- cut breakthrough of the Spirit, a sweep of Holy Ghost power, bending the hearts of hardened sinners as the wheat before the wind, breaking up the fountains of the great deep, sweeping the whole range of the emotions, as the master hand moves across the harp strings, from the tears and cries of the penitent to the holy laughter and triumphant joy of the cleansed." – Norman Grubb

And one more...this one should sting a bit.

"Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work. To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience." - A. W. Tozer