Why does Revival happen? 1/2
Why does Revival come? This is a question I have puzzled over, but have now settled on an answer. It all depends on how you view the Sovereignty of God. An American revivalist called Charles Finney believed that you only have to do A, B and C and revival would come. He therefore believed that the Sovereignty of God had nothing to do with bringing Revival. The flaw in his argument is that many people have since tried his A, B and C and as far as I know nobody has succeeded in bringing down an Awakening.
At the other end of the spectrum some people believe that God will bring a Revival when He thinks fit and there is nothing we can do about it. Therefore the Sovereignty of God is absolute. But I think that is wrong as well. The Bible tells me that we are His hands and feet, so I believe that He wants to partner with us. How far along the line of the Sovereignty of God the truth is, I do not know. I think the truth lies somewhere along the final third of the line towards complete Sovereignty. I believe that when God wants to bring Revival he tells His prophets first. They pick up His intentions on their spiritual antennae and then, having learned the plans of God, we pray them into existence.
