Is America's Churches Greatest Need Spiritual Revival?
Q: Recently, our church had a retreat, and the speaker said (among other things) that the greatest need in America's churches today is spiritual revival. Would you agree with him? — D.K.
A: Yes, I would agree. Tens of millions of people attend church every week — and yet every year our society becomes more and more immoral and secular. Surely this wouldn't be the case if God's people took their faith more seriously.
What are the keys to spiritual revival? The first key is repentance — acknowledging that we have strayed from God, and that we have not made Christ the center of our lives. We may believe in Him ... we may have felt close to Him in the past ... we may even have worked for Him and witnessed for Him. But over the years our faith has cooled and we've pushed Christ from the center to the edge of our lives. We've become like the Christians of Laodicea, of whom Christ said, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. .…. You are lukewarm" (Revelation 3:15-16).
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The second key to spiritual revival is a renewed commitment to Christ and His will for our lives. Your life will never be the same once you realize how much God loves you, and how much Christ suffered for you. Nor will your life ever be the same once you realize how much God loves the whole world, and how much He wants to use you to reach out to others with His love.
Revival is our urgent need today — but it must begin in our own hearts and lives. Has this happened to you? May the Bible's prayer become yours: "O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years" (Habakkuk 3:2, KJV).
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Affectionately known as the "World's Preacher" for more than 60 years, the Rev. Billy Graham is one of the most influential and respected spiritual leaders of the 20th century. He has been a friend and spiritual advisor to ten American presidents and has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history — nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories — through various meetings. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.
