Revival is what this generation is longing for in the churches of Jesus Christ. It is a longing to be fully awakened by the First Love; a life of hunger for the Holy Spirit and His manifest presence and to see God’s people unite toward advancing the Kingdom of God, demonstrating His power, and winning as many souls to Christ as possible. Revival is the manifestation of God and His Word. When Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh, revival came and caused a cosmic change impacting the whole earth. God’s word of promise was finally made manifest, and the people during the Lord’s time witnessed God’s power. Many hearts turned to Christ and believed in the Good News.
Nowadays, it can be ironic that the church still needs revival when the Church is God’s. Because of the traditions of men, false teachings of men, and other misconceptions about the truths of God’s Word, some can’t accept the Holy Spirit, which is from the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, many Christians don’t experience revival in their relationship with God. Many Christians find that, in the long run, Christianity becomes boring. But the truth is that it is a great adventure because God is so alive; He wants to be involved in every area of our lives and make us His dwelling place.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that God’s power can be manifested. It is He Who raised Jesus from the dead, and that Spirit lives inside us. So, as you ask how you can pray for revival in your church, ask the Father to open up the hearts of His people to the moving of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is able to move freely, nothing shall be impossible. You can pray for your church in this manner:
Heavenly Father, I humbly come before Your throne as I lift my church to You. Thank You that it is Your desire for my church to be revived, to know the Holy Spirit, and to experience Your manifest presence. I pray that You open up the hearts and minds of Your people to the wonderful presence and moving of the Holy Spirit. Take away every fear and false mindset about Who You are. Let us encounter Your love and experience a burning desire to be fully sold out to Christ—powerful as we walk in our identity and authority in Christ. Let Your Word manifest in our lives so that we may bring glory to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
How to Pray for Revival in Your Church
Know that as you pray for a revival in your church, you should make a prayer strategy. Who are the people that play major roles in your church? Pray for them. Pray for your pastors or co-pastors, leaders, teachers, ministers, elders, young people, parents, and the kids. What are the issues that need to be addressed in your church? Find a Scripture promise and declare God’s Word to the situation. Partner with the Holy Spirit in praying for revival in your church. It is only He Who can show you the truths in your church and the things that you really need to pray for—the will of God.
How do you pray for spiritual renewal?
As you desire revival for your church and in your personal life, God will surely renew your spirit. As you encounter God and the movement of the Spirit, God Himself will renew you. Your life will radically change and be transformed. Your Christian life will never be the same again as you look upon every soul with the Father’s eye. You will desire for everyone to encounter the Father, be saved in the name of Jesus, and be part of God’s glorious Kingdom. To be renewed in the spirit is to renew your mind; to let go of the old wine and old wineskins. Let God birth new things in you and, as He does, be unafraid of what could go wrong. Trust that He is able to handle you, guide you, and protect you the more you are being deceived by the enemy.
Fear is what blocks the moves of the Holy Spirit in most churches. Even during the times of Jesus, the Pharisees and religious leaders of His time were shaken to their core because of God’s power at work in Christ Jesus. They couldn’t accept the Kingdom of God that was coming through Christ. And when He resurrected from the dead, the disciples of Jesus continued the works of Christ. They all walked in power, shaking the kingdom of darkness and forcefully advancing the kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit at work in their lives. Now, some Christians in today’s times think that the Holy Spirit’s works were only for the first-named Apostles of Christ; others believe that the Holy Spirit’s works have already ceased. If that is the case, why is there a need to listen to the Gospel when it’s already history? Why bother to go to church to learn about the Word of God or experience what God is saying, the healing of the sick, the raising of the dead, the casting out of demons, the experiencing of signs and wonders, and so on? Why make disciples of Jesus, only to share mere words without power? 1 Corinthians 4:20 says, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
How to Pray for Revival in Your Church
Fear is the number one enemy of revival. And when you are afraid of God’s manifest presence and the supernatural things He can do, neither your mindset nor your spiritual state will change. You must pray against fear of any kind when it comes to the Holy Spirit and the supernatural moves of God. Simply trust in the Heavenly Father, Who never lets His children go astray. He can take care of you, your church, and everyone else better than anyone on earth.
Here is a prayer for the renewal of mind and heart:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the new things that You are birthing. I lift to You my mind and heart. Reveal to me if there’s any fear in me, and I will surrender it to Your hand. I receive the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit in my life without hesitation. Thank You for renewing my spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen.
How to Pray for Revival in Your Church
How do you organize a church revival?
Organizing a church revival takes a great amount of investment in intercession, strong teamwork, discipline, and persistence to fulfill what God is calling you to do. Depending on what God is instructing you to do, organizing a church revival involves passionate people willing to work with you to push through the event, meeting, or conference. Think about the distribution of tasks and different teams: ushers, food committee, finance team, main speakers, security, main ministers and catchers, worship team, host/s, intercessors, and the overall head of the event. Your team plays a major role in the succession of the revival event for your church, especially if you are aiming to invite larger crowds to attend. You may also want to consider the feasible and realistic venue for all the attendees. But if you are focused on the main church members only, organizing the event can adjust according to the number of your church members. The smaller your church, the easier it is to organize a revival event. But then, of course, with the help of the Holy Spirit, nothing is too hard to accomplish, whatever the case might be.
Moreover, while revival can be held as an event for you to organize, sometimes God’s presence just comes into a service or during a fellowship gathering. You must aim for this kind of revival because a one-time event will never surpass a daily encounter with the Spirit of God. It can be an ordinary Sunday when the people become filled by the Holy Spirit all of a sudden. It can happen during a worship service when people encounter Jesus face to face. Also, even in a prayer meeting, the Holy Spirit will just show up all of a sudden, revealing things and showing the will of God through visions and prophetic giftings. Make it your goal that even if there’s no revival event for the church, you consider every service a moment for God to show up and do whatever He wants. Give Him the wheel and let Him drive so that when the people go back home, they will never forget what they have experienced and encountered. Nothing and no one can ever take that precious moment with God away from them.
May the Lord pour out revival upon you and your church as you desire for it. Let the Holy Spirit come upon your lives and bless God’s people radically and powerfully in Jesus’ name. All glory to God in the highest!