What do you think would happen if a mega-church or a well-known evangelist organized a campaign that resulted in nationwide revival?  We would attribute the success to the methods of the campaign and the giftedness of the evangelist, and they would accept the credit.  Those who led the campaign would write books and put on conferences.  We would line up to buy their books and sign up for their conferences, taking copious notes on how we can accomplish the same results using their techniques.  And God would immediately stop the revival.  It may well be that the key reason revival doesn’t come is because it would lead to the scenario I just described. 

That’s why Daniel Henderson believes revival will not come through well developed plans put together by highly recognizable people.  If God gives us the blessing of another revival, He will likely do it through an unexpected channel so that no one can take credit.  Henderson is praying for God to raise up 100,000 pastors of churches where the leaders have quietly and resolutely returned to seeking God and surrendering to His ways.  He writes, “In faithfulness and obscurity they are doing what Christ has asked them to do.  In obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in their local context, they can lead each of their congregations to truly become a house of prayer for all nations.” 

If we want to see God bring about revival, then we need to become one of those congregations – quietly, resolutely and obediently seeking God and surrendering to His ways.  We need to be actively obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our local context, not seeking our own way but submitting to His.  We need to spend more time in serious prayer for our hearts, our families, our church and community than we spend complaining about things not being the way we wish they were.  If we and 99,999 other churches would do that, God may bless us with revival even if no mega-church or well-known personality ever joined us. 

Henderson quotes J. D. Greer saying, “True revival is not noisy; at least not at first.  It usually begins in a hushed awe.  Believers get convicted about sin and the seriousness of God’s holiness.  Weeping is heard before shouts.”  I’m praying that God will give North River a new understanding of His holiness, and through that vision, He will make us serious about being totally surrendered to His will and His ways.  If He does that, revival will happen in us even if it never happens anywhere else.  But, if revival happens in us and other churches like ours, God may choose to spread it far and wide.  May it be, Lord Jesus, may it be.