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Revival! (7)
We have heard with our ears, O God,
Our fathers have told us,
The deeds You did in their days,
In days of old… Psalm 44.1
Ministers of Scotland: Lectures on Revival XII
The Rev. Patrick Fairbairn, Minister of Bridgeton
“The last thing to which I would call your attention, as a hindrance to a revived state of religion, is the want of a right state of mind among real Christians in regard to such a revival. In what do we conceive such a state of mind properly to consist? Chiefly in two things – faith in the possibility of the work, and a sense of personal responsibility in regard to its production.”
Most Christians – and most pastors – are unaware of what God has done during past seasons of revival. They have almost no knowledge of the first three centuries of Church history. The Celtic Revival – they’ve never heard of it. The reformations of the 16th century were matters of doctrine, not movements for revival, right? First Great Awakening? Clueless. Second Great Awakening? What was that? 1858 Revival? Welsh Revival? What’s “Welsh”? Azusa Street? Sorry. If God’s people are ignorant of the mighty works of God in past seasons of revival, it is only because we who are charged with telling them about these have failed in our duty. And if we and they remain ignorant, and thus not encouraged to believe God for revival, it is not likely we will do much “in regard to its production.” It’s time to discover the works of God has done in reviving His people in the past, that we may be encouraged to seek Him for revival in our day.
What can we do to fulfill the duty Psalm 44.1 lays upon us?
Praying Together for Revival
You can join weekly with men from around the country and various church traditions to pray for revival. Every Tuesday morning at 10:00 Eastern, we meet for 30 minutes to pray a psalm and seek the Lord together for revival. We’re looking for men who will commit to seeking the Lord with us. If you’re interested, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll make sure you receive the link to join us each Tuesday for prayer.
Examine Yourself, Examine Your Church
Our Pastoral Hope Initiative provides a series of self-assessments to help you examine the state of your walk with and work for the Lord. In 7 online sessions, spread out over 14 weeks, you will gain new insights and perspectives for growing in the Lord, improving your work as a pastor, and understanding the growth needs of your congregation. Men, if you’re interested, watch this brief video (click here), then drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we’ll talk about it. The fee for the Pastoral Hope Initiative is waived, and the protocol and resources it requires are free for men in ministry.
All quotations in this series are taken from Ministers of Scotland,Lectures on Revival, Richard Owen Roberts, ed. (Wheaton: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers, 1980). Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.