Characteristics / Elements of Revival
Prayer - Seeking God is the foundation and beginning point.
Scripture - The word of God is the guide (the how-to book). The Word of God can
penetrate even the hardest heart.
Layity - Revival begins with the people of God seeking him.
Leadership - Once revival begins, good leadership is needed to keep the revival fires
burning.
Doctrine - Sin, salvation, justification by faith, judgment, grace, etc.
Emotionalism - Appealing to peoples emotions is a call to act upon what they know
they should do but have not yet done it.
Music - Stirs the soul, calms the atmosphere, and prepares people to hear from God.
Repentance - Feeling sorry for going against God and his ways is a must. This is the
critical beginning point of personal and corporate revival.
Locations - held not only in churches but also in jails, prisons, hospitals, coal mines,
outdoors, etc.
Persecution - not much fun but it will happen - Satan hates revival and will stir up
trouble.
Testimonies - give credit to what God is doing and lead others to faith and renewal.
Holy Spirit - We must expect the Holy Spirit to manifest its presence in powerful,
visible ways.
Action / Response -people respond to God calling them to missions, ministry,
service, witnessing, and full time ministry.
Hindrances to Revival
1. The church believing it will not happen.
2. The church deciding it will end.
3. When it is commercialized (excessively advertised and promoted, money is asked
for to continue the revival, personalities become the focus, etc.)
4. Pride (“Our great revival”)
5. Christians believing that it will continue without any labor on their part.
6. Selfish concerns displacing what God wants
7. The workers getting tired and exhausted.
8. When Christians quit praying.
9. When things are done that grieve the Holy Spirit.
10. God not being acknowledged as the source and/or people not responding to what
God is requiring of them (Christian and unbelievers).
11. Proselytizing (trying to get people to leave their denomination and join your
church) or coming against other Christian churches and denominations.
12. Getting away from the main purpose of revival and getting into strange and
unusual doctrines.
13. Christians losing the spirit of brotherly love.
14. Christians not being continually “revived” and unwilling to walk in holiness of
heart and life on a daily basis.
15. Conflict within the Church - usually over things that are being done differently or
because they have never experienced something “We have never done it that way
before.”
16. Events that divert people’s attention from the revival.
17. An improper stance (or none at all) on moral and social issues (drugs,
homosexuality, abortion, pornography, gambling, etc.).
18. Confining the revival to the church and not going into all of the world.
19. Slander and malicious criticism (from inside the church or outside)
20. Lack of support from the governing body (denomination, local or state leadership,
other churches associated legally or through a covenant relationship).
