By Sandra Higley

Note: This Bible study is formatted for small group open discussion. If you use this study by yourself, we suggest that you journal your answers to the discussion questions. Also, biblegateway.com is an excellent resource for looking up passages in translations you may not have at home.

Is There More?

While many long for the next (and perhaps final) great wave of spiritual renewal, some of us can’t imagine what that might look like, much less cry out for it passionately. Never having been touched by a revival firsthand, it is easy to believe that this is all there is—perhaps the miracles of the apostles and fervor of the first-century church are not for today. Since many of us enjoy the somewhat adequate and perhaps satisfying social life found in church today, we wonder, What more is there to want?

The word revive means “to live again.” It implies being restored to a previous state. If we have no recollection of anything other than our current state, we must embrace the idea that there is something beyond what we now experience. It means there is more.

Discussion Questions

Based on the following passages, do you believe there is more to the Christian life than what we currently experience? Why or why not? (Dan. 11:32 [amp or kjv]; John 14:12; 1 Cor. 2:9)

David Bryant lists two alternate names for the coming move of God: Christ-awakening and arrival. Discuss his preferred word choices, and share your thoughts on why these might be appropriate definitions of revival.

The arrival of Christ’s manifest presence will bring great change. Doug Small calls it a “whitewater ride.” Based on these Scriptures, discuss some of the changes that might take place. (2 Chron. 5:13-14, 7:1-3; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:1-13, 40-47; 8:6-8; 5:1-10; 19:11-12)

Most of us were overwhelmed with “shock and awe” as we watched the film footage of Japan’s earthquake and resulting tsunami in March 2011. That earthquake shifted Japan eastward by up to 13 feet, shortened our day, and tilted the earth’s axis.¹ Look up Isaiah 64:1-3 and describe similarities you see in the spiritual realm to what we viewed physically. How might this relate to a coming revival?

Many people fear change—do you? Express any anxiety or concerns you feel about experiencing what the church experienced in the Book of Acts. What excites you about the changes?

What current world situations accentuate our desperate need for a Christ-awakening?

Claude King describes himself as a “prisoner of hope.” How do you hope this move of God will affect you, your family, and friends?

Crying out to God in fasting and prayer seems to be the only hope for our world. But Nancy Leigh DeMoss reminds us that “there are some prayers God will not hear; there are some solemn assemblies He will not attend . . . there are some fasts that are not pleasing to Him.” Read the following passages and discuss God’s posture toward unrepentant prayers. (2 Chron. 7:14; Psa. 66:18; Isa. 1:15; 58:1-14; Ezek. 8:18, esv)

What does the Lord desire from us? (Joel 2:12-17)

Action Steps

Allow each person in your group the opportunity to spend time in personal reflection on the following:

What three things do you believe the Lord is asking of you personally in response to this call for a Christ-awakening? Jot them down and keep them in your Bible. Revisit these action points weekly and evaluate where you are in accomplishing those goals.

Close in prayer.

1. nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/14seismic.html?_r=1

Note: As another action step, if your heart has been stirred by this issue and you desire to commit to regular prayer for revival, we encourage you to go to onecry.com and express your commitment.

Sandra Higley has authored numerous prayer guides and articles on prayer. Her book, A Year of Prayer Events for Your Church, is available at prayershop.org.