According to Dictionary.com, revival is “restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.”  In order to be restored to life something must first be dead or unconscious. Do Arkansas Baptists churches need revival?  I can’t speak for the churches of Arkansas but I can speak for myself when I say I need revival on a regular basis.

As Christians we constantly struggle with issues of pride, jealousy, despondency, greed, selfishness, materialism, lusts, all of which the Bible classifies as sin and therefore, we all have an ongoing need for revival. Revival doesn’t happen just because we calendar a series of church meetings and call it revival. Genuine revival ultimately relies on God’s divine initiative.  But amazingly God allows his people to have a part and he expects us to do our part in revival. Our task is to prepare the congregation to experience revival.

How to Prepare for Revival?

1. Set a date and acquire revival staff. Schedule revival during times of natural growth such as the spring or fall. In today’s busy world you will never find a perfect time for revival, but try to avoid dates that conflict with holidays or community events. Once you have your date set the next step is to acquire a revival speaker and worship leader.

Start early (6 months out) to assure you get the people you want to lead revival. Revival is work, and it’s not over when the date is set and the revival staff is confirmed.  A revival requires many hours of preparation to be successful.  This is where “our part” of revival begins.

One of the mistakes churches make is scheduling revival and then waiting for it to come. They assume no preparation is involved in revival so people show up unprepared. Little doubt nothing seems to change. Revival is not only an event to be scheduled; it is a process that involves our time and effort. That is why Pre-Revival Ministry is invaluable to a successful revival. 

2. Pray. Prayer is the essential ingredient to revival. Churches must do the work of prayer to prepare the way for revival.

Here are some creative methods of generating prayer for revival: prayerwalking, prayer guides, prayer meetings in homes, 12 to 24 hour round the clock prayer vigil, setting up a revival prayer room, developing “most wanted” prayer lists of at least 3 prospects.

3. Establish Committee/ Teams. Teams help organize and share the work of the revival.  The teams should be selected and ready to serve at least two months in advance.  They can be selected by the pastor and/or Church Council.