The last great spiritual awakening in America was the Jesus Movement, which began more than five decades ago. I was there, and I believe we can not only learn from history but also be inspired by it.

A few years before this movement took root, on April 8, 1966, a Time magazine cover posed a chilling question: “Is God Dead?” What a difference a few years can make, especially when God intervenes. On June 21, 1971, the words “Jesus Revolution” made the cover of Time with an article describing a very different scene: “Jesus is alive and well and living in the radiant spiritual fervor of a growing number of young Americans. … If any one mark clearly identifies them, it is their total belief in an awesome, supernatural Jesus Christ, not just a marvelous man who lived 2,000 years ago, but a living God.”

Revival vs. Spiritual Awakening

The terms revival and awakening are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. A spiritual awakening occurs when God sovereignly pours out His Spirit in such a way that it impacts an entire culture. This is what happened during the Jesus Revolution and at multiple times in American history, even before the United States became a nation.

A revival, on the other hand, is what the church must experience. It’s when the church comes back to life—when it becomes what it was always meant to be. Revival is a return to passion, a restoration. If I’m driving down the road and see a beautifully restored classic car, I think, Wow, someone took time to bring this back to life. The same can happen in a person’s life—and in the church. 

R.A. Torrey, a contemporary of Dwight L. Moody and a great evangelist, offered a practical prescription for revival during a 1917 address at Moody Bible Institute. He said: “Let a few of God’s people—they don’t need to be many—get thoroughly right with God themselves; the rest will count for nothing unless you start right there; then let them band themselves together to pray for a revival until God opens the heavens and comes down. Then let them put themselves at God’s disposal to use them as He sees fit. That will bring a revival to any church, any community.”

In summary, get right with God; gather with other Christians to pray for revival; and make yourself available to God for His purposes, especially in leading others to faith.

A spiritual awakening—that supernatural outpouring of the Spirit—is entirely up to God. We can’t organize it, but we can agonize in prayer for it and call upon God to send it.

Signs of Revival

What are some signs of revival? One key indicator is a renewed hunger for God’s Word. We’re seeing this right now—Bible sales, according to news reports, were up 22% last year! The Bible is not just a book; it’s the autobiography of God. As we read it, we encounter Him.

I still have my first Bible from the Jesus Revolution days. It’s worn, marked up with notes, and held together with tape. A pastor once said, “A Bible that is falling apart is usually a sign of a life that isn’t.”

Another hallmark of revival is personal repentance. Jesus said to the church in Ephesus: “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4–5 NKJV).

These verses reveal three essential steps for personal spiritual revival:

Remember. Reflect on how your faith once was. Were you more passionate, more faithful? Recall those days.

Repent. Change your direction. Turn away from complacency and back toward God.

Repeat. Return to the actions you did when your faith was vibrant.

Before there can be revival in the church, there must first be revival within individuals. It starts with you. It starts with me. God wants to revive each of us personally.

Revivals Have a Time Limit

Revivals don’t last forever. They have a beginning, a middle and an end. They are like an explosion, akin to starting a car—but over time, the fervor can fade, and we find ourselves in need of another revival.

When asked whether revivals last, evangelist Billy Sunday replied, “No, neither does a bath. But it’s good to have one occasionally.” Revival is something we must seek again and again. Personally, I know I need constant revival. You do, too. We all do.

A Time for Action

As I reflect on the cultural and spiritual conditions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, I see striking parallels to our time. Back then, America was divided, and things seemed incredibly dark. But when darkness pervades, God’s light shines all the brighter.

Billy Graham once said, “The greatest need that we have at this hour is a spiritual awakening that will restore individual and collective morals and integrity throughout the nation.” His words are as relevant now as ever.

America needs another spiritual awakening, and the church needs a revival. Both begin with us. Let’s pray for God to move once again. ©2024 Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie is senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, with campuses in California and Hawaii. He is the author of books such as Jesus Revolution, Billy Graham: The Man I Knew and Lennon, Dylan, Alice and Jesus: A Spiritual Biography of Rock and Roll.  

Photo: Courtesy of Harvest Christian Fellowship