Revival (Article) by Dr. Abidan Shah

Shortly after the Revolutionary War, the people of our newly formed republic began to slouch back into sin and moral decay. Atheism was on the rise and by the 1790s, the nation had undergone a troubling transformation with the westward expansion of its citizens. So, God’s people began to pray, and a series of revivals broke out throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Georgia. According to some historians, the Second Great Awakening led to an estimated one million people embracing a saving faith in Jesus Christ!

Although the Second Awakening manifested itself differently than the First, the principles that brought about this return to God and his ways were the same. People became convicted of their sins, realized their need for God, and many gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Furthermore, there was an acknowledgement that the nation’s survival hinged on God’s presence in the individual’s life. 

Unfortunately, revival fires don’t last forever. By 1857, the United States was in a grave mess politically, economically, and spiritually. But on September 23, 1857, a man named Jeremiah Lamphier decided to hold a prayer meeting on the third floor of the North Dutch Reformed Church. For the first half-hour, no one came. But at half-past noon, one person came and knelt…then another, and then another. Over the next six months, ten thousand at a time were gathering in New York City. It spread from there to Chicago, Louisville, Cleveland, and St. Louis. And thus, the Third Great Awakening was born! It was out of these gatherings that individuals such as Charles Finney and Dwight L. Moody emerged, men who would go on to play critical roles in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in America.

While the twentieth century did not witness large-scale spiritual revivals akin to the previous centuries, it did see numerous movements within various denominations that have touched countless lives with the gospel. President Calvin Coolidge was right when he remarked, “America was born in a revival of religion!”

It is high time that God’s people stop blaming each other for the state of our nation, and instead, learn from our predecessors by accepting responsibility and turning towards God in repentance. 

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God gave the formula for revival. It was a promise given to the nation of Israel, but it is also for all believers. It’s a call for us to humble ourselves, to understand who we are in light of God’s greatness. If we truly pray to God, converse with him, thank him for His blessings and confess our sin, his promise is clear. God hears the prayers of the repentant!