Revive Us Again

By Brady Casper

What image comes to mind when you think of revival? Is it the mass evangelism of the 1858 movement where, within two years, one million out of 30 million people in America professed Christ? Perhaps the renewal of sacramental life seen in the Franciscan order of the medieval period transformed the Catholic Church by viewing the world as Christ’s creation. Or is it the hunger for theological purity exemplified by the Reformation, which focused on returning to biblical truth under Luther’s banner of Sola Scriptura?

Revival might evoke the expansive missions of the Moravians, whose century-long prayer movement led to John Wesley’s conversion and the spread of the gospel to all corners of the earth. It could be the rich hymnody of the Wesley brothers, whose thousands of songs continue to be sung today. Alternatively, it might remind you of the renewal of spiritual gifts seen in the Azusa Street Revival, which launched the charismatic movement and rekindled the global conversation about the operation of spiritual gifts.

Revival could also manifest as a heightened concern for the needy and marginalized, reflected in Matthew 25:31–46. Or perhaps you envision it as a pursuit of holiness, like the Welsh Revival, where the coal miners’ donkeys stopped obeying them because they, as new believers, had ceased cursing.

It might bring to mind stadiums filled with people seeking God, as seen in the Billy Graham Crusades, or continuous worship services like those at Asbury. Revival might also be associated with greater generosity, community favor, or cultural transformation.

 

Encountering Revival

I wrestled with this question personally when a single word—revival—was impressed on my heart, seemingly from God. My only context for revival then was from a video game where reviving someone involved stabbing a needle into his or her heart to restore to life.

As a junior at the University of Kentucky in 2019, I encountered revival in a profound way during a particularly challenging week. I was grappling with physical pain, grieving the loss of a friend to suicide, and struggling with the aftermath of assaults on friends at a fraternity house.

Amid this turmoil, I found solace in prayer and turned to the Bible, landing on Psalm 85:6: “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”

This verse illuminated for me that “revival” is a divine act of God, meant to awaken hearts to His glory and bring His people to rejoice in Him.

 

Pursuing Revival

Determined to pursue revival on my campus, I was inspired by Jeannine Brabon’s story from the 1970s, when she prayed for each person by name on her Asbury campus. I requested a list of all students at the University of Kentucky. To my astonishment, they provided the names of more than 28,000 students!

Recognizing the enormity of the task, I sought help and created a website for people to sign up for prayer. Within the first ten days, more than 800 people had joined. Our first official day of prayer coincided with March 17, 2020—the day the university closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In those quiet lockdown months, I often questioned the purpose of our efforts. However, when we finally returned to campus, the fruits of our labor became evident. A small campus ministry grew from 20 to more than 400 members. Around 120 students began sharing their faith daily. The largest gatherings on campus were Christian events, and I witnessed students being convicted of sin in their dorms, experiencing deliverance from spiritual bondage, and making significant sacrifices, such as selling their cars to buy a bus for serving the homeless.

While I would not claim this as a full-scale revival, it demonstrated the power of prayer as a catalyst for spiritual awakening. As A.T. Pierson aptly noted, “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.”

This experience taught me that God, in His sovereignty, is the chief agent of revival. Jonathan Edwards observed that revival is a cry from God’s people, much like the Israelites in Exodus 2 or the early Church in Acts, calling on the Lord who, in His mercy, sends “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). We cannot force revival, but we can earnestly seek it through prayer and trust that God will move in ways beyond our imagination (Eph. 3:20–21).

I encourage you to pray—for evangelism, the poor, your family, healing, and holiness. But let your primary prayer be for God’s glory and for His people to rejoice in Him. This is the heart of revival, and it begins with the prayers of His people.

BRADY CASPER is a campus prayer mobilizer. You can listen to a OneCry interview with him at facebook.com/theOneCry/videos/725305502754000.