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Revival Resources for a Revival Generation

  • Aug 13
  • 8 min read

Updated: 3 days ago


Dear Readers,

I believe it was in my 20th year that I read E.M. Bounds’ “Power Through Prayer”  for the first time and then John Wesley’s “Journals”. Since then I’ve re-read “Power through Prayer” numerous times seeking to revive my passion for prayer, and then over the years many other works that have thrilled me with what God has done through the Great Revivals and the First and Second Great Awakenings in the 1700's & 1800's and in 1904-1906.


I’ve sensed of late that it is time to create a resource wherein folks can learn of songs, books, articles, websites, and even a movie that the Holy Spirit might use to fan the flame of revival in our hearts and spirits. None of us nor anyone we have ever known (in the U.S.A. at least) have experienced a true revival or awakening of the sorts experienced in the 1700's and 1800's and in 1904/1905. Thus it is critical that we acquaint ourselves with this work and way of God for us to be useable in His hands as instruments of revival and awakening.


May the Lord give you and I an ever greater faith for and zeal to contend for revival and awakening in our day before our Lord returns for His people.


The First Great Awakening: Time Period =1734-43


Places Affected = Started in Northampton, Massachusetts - where J. Edwards was pastoring. 300 converted in six months in a town of only 1,100 people. News of such spread like wildfire, and similar revivals broke out in over 100 towns.

Estimated that 80% of America's 900,000 Colonists personally heard G. Whitefield preach, which started in Philadelphia.


Major instruments used = George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Gilbert Tennet, William Tennet, Theodore Frelinghuysen, John & Charles Wesley, Intercessors who prayed this in;


Major effects on Society = Powerfully exposed the self righteousness, lukewarmness & nominal Christianity that was prevalent at that time for what it was. Brought about more intentional and fruitful ministry to the Indians and to Blacks/slaves. Many congregations accepted their first Black members.Many ministers were converted, which obviously spilled over into their ministries. Preaching and ministering outside of the four walls of a church building became established. New denominations sprung forth such as the Methodists and Baptists that were much more evangelical and evangelistic. Many new churches planted on a more biblical foundation. Conversions estimated from 25 - 50,000 out of a total population of around 340,000 in the colonies. Much of the carnal baggage from the State church in England was exposed and repented of. Many believe the Great Awakening was instrumental in preparing the colonists theologically, mentally, and emotionally for their soon breaking away from Great Britain. All ages were affected. J. Edwards wrote, "In the summer and fall, the children in various parts of the town had religious meetings by themselves for prayer, sometimes joined with fastin; wherein many of them seemed to be greatly and properly affected..." (Annals of America Vol. 1 p. 460). Finally David Brainerd was a product of the first great awakening - a man whose life and writings have impacted many of us since.


The Second Great Awakening: Time Period= 1790's -1840


Places Affected = Logan County, KY may be where it started. New York powerfully transformed. Most of the country eventually affected.


Major Instruments Used in America = Charles Finney; Barton W. Stone; Peter Cartwright; Lyman Beecher; James McGready; James B. Finley; Timothy Dwight;


Major Effects on Society = 500,000 converted via Finney's ministry; 100,000 converted in Rochester, NY in 1831 - spreading to 1,500 towns. By 1850 our nation's population grew fourfold to 23 million. But those connected to evangelical churches grew nearly tenfold from 7% to 13% of the population - from 350,000 to 3,000,000 church members. American Bible Society formed. Kentucky, which was known as a wild and immoral frontier was powerfully impacted with notable societal transformation. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 25,000 frontier people gathered to hear the gospel in the camp meetings in Cane Ridge.


Yale University before the awakening hit them was known as a cesspool of depravity and unbelief. Most of the students were lost and hard hearted. A third of the student body of Yale converted around 1802. God used the new president Timothy Dwight in powerful ways. One student wrote of those days on campus, "The whole college was shaken. It seemed for a time as if the whole mass of the students would press into the kingdom. It was the Lord's doing, and it was marvlous in all eyes. Oh, what a blessed change!...It was a glorious reformation. It put a new face upon the college. It sent a thrill of joy and thanksgiving far and wide into the hearts of its friends, who had been praying that the waters of salvation might be poured into the fountain from which so many streams were annually sent." ("A God Sized Vision" p. 68).


Lots of social activism was inspired by the awakening.


The Layman's Prayer Revival:

Time Period= 1857-1858


Places Affected = Started in New York City; Spread throughout the nation.


Major Instruments Used = Jeremiah Lanphier; lay men and women/business men and women.

J. Lanphier was very sobered by the rising moral slide in America. Businessmen were rocked from the stock market crash of 1857, and banks failing in New York City, Boston and elsewhere. He started a noon prayer meeting for businessmen in New York. Six people came that first day. By the Spring daily prayer meetings were springing up all over and daily attendance grew to 10,000 people.


Major Effects on Society = Estimated 1,000,000 people added to America's church rolls; as many as 1,000,000 of the 4,000,000 existing church members truly converted. D.L. Moody was powerfully affected by this move of God and his ministry was catapulted via it.

Many new and effective ministries of all kinds and especially to the poor were birthed out of this revival. Examples: Y.M.C.A., Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, etc.

Glorious unity of the church was reported far and wide.


Ethics in the business world began to change. Hardened criminals were saved in these prayer meetings led by laymen. Prayer meetings were started also in the evenings and many were converted through those. Crime and immorality drastically declined. Ships coming into the New York harbor came under the power of God's presence. On one ship a captain and thirty men were converted to Christ before the ship even docked. Four sailors knelt for prayer down in the depths of the battleship North Carolina anchored in the N.Y. harbor. They began to sing and their ungodly shipmates came running down to make fun of them, but the power of God gripped them and they humbly knelt in repentance.


The Azusa Street Revival:

Time Period= 1906-1909


Places Affected= Los Angeles initially. Eventually spread throughout the world.


Major Instruments Used= William Seymour; Charles Parham; Frank Bartleman; Jennie Evans Moore, Lucy Farrow, Julia Hutchins.


Major Effects on Society = Birthed the pentecostal and charismatic movement in many ways. Helped the church worldwide re-discover the gift of tongues and that the baptism of the Spirit experienced in Acts 2 and Acts 11 is for any and everyone today. Also re-birthed the importance of gifts of healing, prophecy, etc. Many from around the world came to Azusa Street to learn and experience more of the Holy Spirit's power. By 2005, Statistician David Barrett estimated the number of pentecostals and charismatics in the world at about 600 million. This massive growing movement is the major legacy of Azusa Street.

Racial unity and deliverance and cleansing from racisim was huge in this revival as racism was quite entrenched in that time period.


The Jesus People Movement: Time Period = 1969-1979 ish. Youth of America greatly disillusioned with


Places Affected = Most every city in America. Started in S.F. and then Costa Mesa became the hub.


Major Instruments Used = Ted Wise, Lonnie Frisbee, Chuck Smith,

Contemporary Christian rock bands like: Love Song, Larry Norman, Daniel Amos, Sweet Comfort Band, etc.

Mass Gatherings: Explo 72 in Dallas, TX where estimated 200,000 gathered (mostly young people including myself) to be equipped to know and follow Jesus and start movements back home.


Major Effects on Society = Counter culture hippies were saved in droves. Young people on the fringe of the hippy movement saved. Home bible studies sprung up all over the country. Lots of Christian communal living esp. in CA. Churches eventually loosened up with youth culture and made youth ministry more of a focus/priority.

 

Songs re: Revival/Awakening: “Fall on Us” Brandon Lake; “God of Revival”  Brian Johnson/Bethel Music; “Fresh Wind” by Hillsong & Brooke Ligertwood; “Light the Fire Again” by Brian Doerksen/Vineyard Music; “Save us Oh God” by Kevin Prosch & Brian Doerksen/Vineyard Music; “Rattle” by Elevation Worship; “Spirit of the Living God” Old hymn/chorus; “Revival’s in the Air” Bethel Music; "Awakening" by Chris Tomlin;


Books re: Revival & Awakening:                                                                                                        ”Revival Fire” by Wesley Duewel; George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore (two vols).; The Autobiography of Charles G. Finney; “Azusa Street” by Frank Bartleman; “The Second Evangelical Awakening” by J. Edwin Orr; “The Life and Diary of David Brainerd” Edited by Jonathan Edwards; “The Heavenly Man” by Brother Yun; Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds;

Old Guard: “Hungry for More of Jesus” by David Wilkerson; “The Final Quest” by Rick Joyner; Rees Howells Intercessor by Normal Grubb; Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala; “Prayer: Key to Revival” by Paul Y. Cho; “Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds; “Revival” by Winkie Pratney; “Revival – Its Principles & Personalities” by Winkie Pratney;  “Fire on the Horizon” by Winkie Pratney; “Revival” by Martyn Lloyd-Jones; “Heart Cry for Revival” by Dr. Stephen F. Olford; “Ablaze with His Glory” by Del Fehsenfeld Jr.; “Why Revival Tarries” by Leonard Ravenhill; “Sodom Had No Bible” by Leonard Ravenhill;


Old/New Guard: “A God-Sized Vision” by Collin Hansen & John Woodbridge;


New Guard: “Culture of Revival” by Andy Byrd & Sean Feucht; “Fire & Fragrance” by Sean Feucht & Andy Byrd; “Red Moon Rising” by Pete Greig & Dave Roberts”;


Online: 




Sermons:



 



 

Poems:

GET THE FLAME!

(Evan Roberts’ Message to the Churches. Evan was greatly used of God in the Welsh revival – 1904, 1905)


While the fire of God is falling, While the voice of God is calling, Brothers, “Get the Flame!” While the torch of God is burning, Men’s weak efforts overturning Christians, “Get the Flame!” 

While the Holy Ghost is pleading, Human methods superceding, He Himself the “Flame.” While the power hard hearts is bending, Yield thy own, to Him surrendering, All to “Get the Flame!” 

For the world at last is waking, And beneath his spell is breaking, Into living flame. And our glorious Lord is seeking, Human hearts, to rouse the sleeping, Fired with Heavenly Flame. 

If in utter life-surrender, You would work with Christ, remember You must “Get the Flame!” For the sake of bruised and dying, And the lost in darkness lying, We must “Get the Flame!” 

For the sake of Christ in glory, And the spreading of the story, We must “Get the Flame!” Oh, my soul, for thy refining, And thy clearer brighter shining, Do not miss the Flame. 

On the Holy Ghost relying, Simply trusting and not trying, You will “Get the Flame.” Brothers, let us cease our dreaming. And while God’s flood-tide is streaming, We will have the Flame.

 

Movies: “A Great Awakening” can access on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango at Home. Highly recommended. Based on historical accounts of The First Great Awakening - specifically featuring George Whitefield's amazing ministry and his relationship with Benjamin Franklin and how that all affected the formation of our nation in the early days.

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