WHY AREN'T WE SEEING REVIVAL TODAY?

“Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of...” - Judges 6:13

We are living in the best of times --- and the worst of times. When we consider technological and medical breakthroughs that we've seen, we must admit that we are living in the best of times. On the other hand, when we think about the rapid ethical, moral and spiritual decay that is unfolding, we must admit that these are the worst of times.

When it comes to Christianity in America, we see so many positive things. We have Christian bookstores, Bible software, and the abundance of resources freely available on the internet. Furthermore, there's nearly a church on every corner, many of them led by good, sincere leaders. In spite of all that we have available, America is in desperate need of a spiritual awakening.

There are many churches that are growing and doing well. Statistically, most churches in America are either plateaued or losing members. Most churches aren't seeing real revival occurring right now.

Why is that? Why aren't we seeing revival in America? The need is greater than ever. The resources are abundant. The opportunities to spread the Gospel are available. So why aren't we seeing revival?

Many may give statistical data to explain this, but I don't think the issue is a statistical problem. It is a spiritual problem.

Although I am not an expert on any subject, let me give you the reasons why I believe we're not seeing revival in America right now.

1. A LOT OF DISTRACTIONS

First of all, there are a lot of distractions. Social media, television, sports, shopping, hobbies and politics are among the distractions that divert our attention away from God. Have you ever driven on a freeway at night? Although your eyes should be on the road, the lights, marquees and lit billboards can grab your attention. On the highway of life, our eyes should be on Jesus but the enemy has placed all kinds of distractions along the way to keep us preoccupied with unimportant things. Are we spending our time on the things of eternal value? A thousand years from now, it won't matter who won a certain election. It won't matter how many “likes” you received on a Facebook post. All that will matter is our relationship with Jesus and what we have done for him. Distractions are keeping us from experiencing revival these days. Most churches can't even get most members to attend on Sunday, yet alone for any revival or evangelistic meeting. It is time for us to recognize the distractions and keep our focus on spiritual matters.

2. A LAXITY OF DOCTRINE

A second problem that is keeping us from revival is a laxity of doctrine. Most people are interested in hearing jokes, a colorful story and a motivational speech from the pulpit, but there is a lack of hunger for God & His Word. It is sad that many church members derive their spiritual understanding from a slick, polished TV minister rather than the man of God who pastors their church. In some circles, church has been reduced to a music band, comic plays and a feel-good message. We need to hear from God! If we don't get our doctrine from the Word of God, the enemy will surely feed us doctrine that is false. We cannot separate genuine revival from Biblical truth.

3. A LACK OF DESPERATION

Finally, there is a lack of desperation. Desperate people live differently from others. Desperate people bombard heaven with sincere intercession. Desperate people tend to take desperate measures, especially in prayer. Spiritual matters are of utmost importance to desperate people. Sadly, we are in desperate times and most people fail to realize it. Most will angrily respond to political or social issues, but few recognize the real spiritual need that is responsible for the woes we face. We need desperate men and women to get on their knees and cry out to God for mercy and revival. Look at the history of revival and you'll find that revival often came in response to desperate people seeking God.

We need a mighty move of God in America and it must begin in our churches. It is time that Christians turn to God in genuine repentance and seek His face. Sure we can “do church” without God. But we are only fooling ourselves to play this game. While a generation of people are quickly headed to the pit of hell, we need believers to get serious about their salvation and stand in the gap for souls.

Will you join me?