Looking for Revival, Part One
What Habakkuk Knew That We’ve Forgotten
“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” — Habakkuk 3:2 (NIV)
We are living through one of the most turbulent cultural moments in recent history. Massive technological shifts are redefining how we live and think. Political division runs deep. Churches are shrinking. Trust in institutions is eroding. Spiritual counterfeits are on the rise, and disinformation floods our feeds. It begs the question—is faith in retreat?
Or could something deeper be happening beneath the chaos?
What if the answer isn’t found in the next big innovation, but in something ancient—something eternal? What if what we really need isn’t something new, but something true?
Signs of a Spiritual Shift
In recent years, something unexpected has been stirring.
Ed Stetzer, a longtime observer of church trends, recently said in USA Today:
“It’s too soon to announce a change to the direction of secularism... but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
He’s not alone. We’re seeing:
A massive uptick in Bible engagement, especially among Gen Z.
Bible sales spiking—many to first-time readers.
Viral testimonies across social media platforms.
College campuses becoming epicenters of renewed faith.
Revival-like movements surfacing in both the U.S. and the U.K.
There’s a whisper of something in the air—a divine disruption. And it’s here that we meet Habakkuk.
When the World Shakes, Revival May Be on the Horizon
Habakkuk was a prophet in crisis. His world was unraveling. Justice was failing. Judgment was near. But instead of giving up, he prayed a bold, beautiful prayer:
“Lord, I’ve heard of what You’ve done before. Do it again. Right now. In mercy.”
This wasn’t a sermon. It wasn’t a tweet. It was a lyric of longing—a prayer-song born out of holy hunger.
And it may be exactly what we need right now.
What Revival Is (and Isn’t)
Before we rush ahead, we need to clear the air.
Revival Is Not:
A series of hyped-up church services.
Emotionalism for its own sake.
Better branding, louder music, or clever programs.
Revival isn’t manufactured. It’s not marketing. It’s not a strategy.
Revival Is:
Tim Keller once defined revival as:
“An intensification of the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit.”
Revival is when God takes what He already does—and turns up the volume.
It’s a season of God-authored breakthrough that leads to:
A renewed hunger for His Word.
A humble trembling at His holiness.
The conversion of nominal Christians.
Surprising conversions of unbelievers.
A flood of joy in Jesus.
It tends to show up in times like ours—when spiritual darkness thickens, moral confusion reigns, and cultural idols fall apart. In other words, we’re right on time.
The Roots of Real Revival
So how does it begin? How do we move from crisis to spiritual awakening?
Let’s look at the anatomy of revival through the lens of Habakkuk’s prayer.
1. Holy Memory — “I have heard the report of You…”
Revival doesn’t start with us trying to create something new. It starts with remembering what God has already done. Not nostalgia—holy memory.
In 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier, a lay missionary in New York City, put a simple sign outside a church:
“Come for prayer at noon.”
Nobody came the first day. So he prayed alone. By the end of the hour, six men had joined. The next week, twenty. Then forty. By February, the room couldn’t hold them. By March, over 6,000 were gathering daily in New York alone.
It spread like wildfire—across cities and states. Historians estimate one million conversions over the next two years—more than 3% of the entire U.S. population at the time.
It started with one man. One prayer. One moment of remembering what God can do.
2. God’s Glory — “Revive Your work…”
Revival isn’t about our work. It’s about God’s.
We don’t ask Him to bless our plans. We ask Him to do what only He can do.
In 1904, a young Welsh coal miner named Evan Roberts began to pray, “Lord, bend the church and save the world.” That quiet desperation ignited the Welsh Revival—over 100,000 people came to Christ in under a year. No big names. No promotions. Just God, breaking in.
3. Urgent Praying — “In the midst of the years…”
Habakkuk’s cry wasn’t scheduled. It was urgent.
True revival isn’t reserved for the perfect moment. It’s prayed for now.
In 1907, in Pyongyang (now North Korea), churches gathered for confession and prayer. The Holy Spirit fell. Thousands came to Christ. That revival sparked what would become Korea’s modern church movement.
It wasn’t clever. It wasn’t convenient. It was urgent.
4. Gospel-Proclaiming — “In wrath, remember mercy.”
Real revival doesn’t skip over sin. It exposes it.
It brings a weighty awareness of God’s holiness—and an even deeper awe at His mercy. Revival reminds us: God doesn’t cancel sinners. He cleanses them.
It’s not about shame. It’s about grace that goes deeper than our guilt.
Is this a Moment of Visitation?
Revival doesn’t start in stadiums. It starts in:
Living rooms.
Church basements.
Lunch breaks.
Car rides.
Early mornings.
Knees on the floor.
It starts with one simple, dangerous prayer:
“Lord, revive Your work in our time. In wrath, remember mercy.”
And here’s the truth: if your heart is stirred even a little—that’s the Spirit whispering to you.
Don’t wait for the perfect mood or the perfect church campaign. Start now. Invite a few friends to pray. Open your home. Set your alarm early. Make space.
You don’t need to be famous. You don’t need to be a theologian. You just need to be hungry.
Let the prayer of Habakkuk become your own.
A Personal Invitation
If something in you is burning, don’t ignore it. Fan the flame.
“Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me.”
— Daniel Iverson, PCA minister, 1977
Revival isn’t a trend. It’s not a wave to surf. It’s a call from the Spirit of God to return to Him fully.
You don’t have to stage a movement. Just make room for God.
He’s still the same God who shook New York in 1857. Who swept through Wales in 1904. Who moved through Korea in 1907. And who stirred the early church in the book of Acts.
And He can do it again.
Don’t just read about revival. Don’t just pray for revival. Invite the Holy Spirit to revive you.