WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO BRING REVIVAL: ESSENTIAL KEYS THAT BRING GOD'S MANIFEST PRESENCE

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK

Having grieved deeply the past few years over the spiritual condition of the church in America and much of the Western world, I have often cried out to God for revival and devoted most of my energies to this cause. Personally, I see no other hope for western civilization. That is why I am thrilled when books like this come out, and I am excited to recommend it! It is clear, concise, biblical and very inspirational. I pray that through it, you too will hear the cry of our Father’s aching heart and help prepare the way for revival.

Dutch Sheets, senior pastor, Springs Harvest Fellowship, Colorado Springs, Colorado; author of Intercessory Prayer and River of God

Many books have been written on revival. This book is different. First of all, there is what I call the touch of God on it. But second, it not only captures and imparts a passion and hunger for revival, it also carefully lays out the steps one must take to get there. I highly recommend this book as a guide for leading individuals, groups, churches and cities into revival. This is the day when God wants to bring whole nations to revival. This book is a must-read to help us get there.

Barbara Yoder, Senior Pastor of Ann Arbour, Michigan; author of The Breaker Anointing

The writings of Ian Malins on the theme of ‘Revival’ always stir my heart. I find in him a kindred spirit as he focuses on what is without doubt the greatest need of the Christian Church in this century. I am delighted to recommend his writings to all in my circle of influence".

Selwyn Hughes, former Life President of Crusade for World Revival, Great Britain; and author of ‘Every Day with Jesus’

As a teacher, Ian Malins is sound, solid, biblical, comprehensive and systematic in his analysis of ‘revival.’ But he is also a pastor-missionary and his passion is ‘transformation’ not just ‘information.’ From his own experience of personal and communal revivals, he seeks to show the way out of disappointing and stagnating evangelical ‘religion’ to a vibrant experience of intimacy with Jesus, which is the heart of revival movements and of authentic Christianity. Ian’s clear conviction is that revival is the sovereign working of the Holy Spirit; nevertheless he itemizes a number of practical things that we can do to prepare ourselves for His coming."

Dr. Keith Hinton, former Director of Christian spirituality, Bible College of Victoria, Australia

This book by Ian Malins has come to the Church at precisely the right time. Christians in the West concerned at the decreasing influence of Christianity are beginning to perceive the need for revival. A wave of prayer has commenced. But more than prayer is required. We need to understand the biblical principles by which God works. My personal experience as a leader in the Solomon Islands when revival swept the Church confirms that the lessons contained in this book are essential to any progress toward revival today. I recommend this book to all pastors and praying Christians.

Dr. John Tanner, former Director of The Pines Training Centre, Southern Cross Ministries, Queensland, Australia

© 2020 by Ian Malins

‘What will it take to bring Revival’

First Published in 2004 by Chosen Books

Grand Rapids USA under title:

‘Prepare the way for Revival’

This new 2020 edition is revised with new title:

‘What will it take to bring Revival’

Published by:

Omega Discipleship Ministries,

27 Thiess Drive, Albany Creek, Brisbane,

Qld 4035, AUSTRALIA.

www.omega-discipleship.com,

Email: imalins@operationearth.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

What will it take to bring Revival: essential keys that bring God’s manifest presence / Ian Malins.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-9758288-7-8 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-9758288-8-5 (e-book)

1. Revivals. I. Title.

Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

To my wonderful wife, Diane,

and to my three special sons

—Dallas, Peter and David—

who have shared the journey with me.

In the desert prepare

the way for the LORD;

make straight in the wilderness

a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3

CONTENTS

How to Use This Book

Introduction

Part 1: Prepare the Way!

1 The Fire of Revival

2 Prepare the Highway

Part 2: The Conditions of Revival

3 Our Greatest Problem—Pride

4 The First Condition—Humility

Part 3: A Passion for God’s Presence

5 A Hunger for God’s Presence

6 Prayer and Revival

7 The Marks of Revival Praying

Part 4: Intimacy with God

8 Seeking God’s Face

9 Substitutes for Intimacy

10 Steps to Intimacy with God

Part 5: The Essential Key—Repentance

11 Where Revival Begins

12 Individual Repentance

13 Corporate Repentance

14 Identificational Repentance

Part 6: When the Spirit Comes in Power

15 What Should We Expect?

16 The Fear of Revival

17 The Phenomena of Revival

Part 7: The Fruit of Revival

18 A Revival of Prayer

19 A Revival of Worship

20 Holiness and Harvest

Part 8: Maintaining Revival

21 The Three Stages of Revival

22 Why Revivals Die

23 Revival and Discipleship

Part 9: A People Prepared

24 Preparation Begins at Home!

25 The Power of Unity

26 Lord, Do It Again!

A Final Word

Postscript: A Personal Testimony

Notes

Index

About the Author

Other books by author

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Personal Study

The chapters are short and easy to read. Read one chapter a day, which you may decide to use as the basis of your own devotional Bible study. Read the Bible passage at the end of each chapter and then in a separate notebook answer the questions. You may even benefit more by deciding to spend two days on each chapter so that you have time to complete the questions, meditate on what God is saying to you and let it go deep into your life. Ask God to help you apply what you are learning so that this becomes a life-changing journey for you.

After you have finished working through this book, review the chapters on a regular basis. This will keep your heart soft and open to the Holy Spirit’s working in your life. Then use the book to help others in the same way. God is looking for a people prepared. As you prepare your own heart, you may find opportunities to help others prepare their hearts also.

Group Study

You will gain much more from the chapters, however, if you work through them with other Christians in small groups. You can be accountable to each other and share what you are learning together. Complete one chapter each week. The members of the group should complete the questions at the end of each study before coming to the group meeting so that they are properly prepared for the time of discussion. Read through the chapter together to get the topic in focus; then share your answers to the questions. Discuss what this means and ways of applying what you are learning. Pray together and encourage one another to apply the lessons, so that this will be a meaningful spiritual journey for each of you in the group.

INTRODUCTION

It was the evangelist Billy Graham who said, God often does His best things in the worst possible times. And we are living in such troubled and turbulent times right now.

The Covid19 pandemic that swept the world in 2020 has shaken the world with a health crisis of enormous proportions, and a political and economic crisis as well. It has threatened our two most basic securities – our health and wealth. At the same time there is increasing conflict and unrest across the world, tension between super powers, protests and street riots, breakdown of marriage and family life, drug addiction, and rising mental health issues, with increasing suicide rates particularly among young people who see little hope for the future.

Underneath all this, Western countries have been turning away from the Christian values they once built on – rejecting the very moral foundations that made them strong. When a nation and a people turn away from God, they quickly slide downwards into disgrace and ruin (Romans 1:18-32). Proverbs 14:34 says, Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Which way are we going as a nation? What will it take to arrest and reverse this downward trend? When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Why we need revival

After decades of secularism, materialism, and individualism, many Christians have been influenced by these same secular values and settled for a shallow superficial Christianity rather than vibrant New Testament Christianity. But where there is little spiritual depth, there will be little life-style difference. If the fire of devotion to Christ is burning low, Christian witness and influence will be low also. What then is needed to bring us back to where we should be?

Understand God’s purpose

The Bible makes it clear that God has a great purpose for His people. He calls us to be salt in society to stop decay and to bring a return to godliness. God calls us to be lights in the darkness to show the way to the One who is the ‘light of the world’. But if the Church is not a revived church shining brightly, what influence will it have? A sick church cannot bring healing to a sick world, and a divided church cannot bring reconciliation to a divided world. What we desperately need then is revival.

To change the spiritual state of a nation, God begins with His people. He first cleanses and renews His house (1 Peter 4:17). That is where healing for the nation begins. God could rightly bring judgment, but our only hope is to cry out to Him for mercy to bring revival instead. Only as God breaks into His church and into our lives with Holy Spirit fire will there be any hope of turning the hearts of people back to Him.

God wants to make His Church a glorious, radiant Church so that as the darkness in the world increases, His light will shine even more brightly and unbelievers will be drawn to the Saviour. Perhaps that is why over the past decades especially, we have seen revivals in different parts of the world on a scale never seen before. God is awakening His people. He is breathing fresh life into them. He is preparing His Bride. He is reviving His Church for the last great advance. His light is penetrating the darkness and the darkness will not be able to stop it (John 1:5). Despite the increase in evil, many believe we are seeing the beginnings of a mighty harvest of people into the Kingdom that will take place before Christ comes again.

What is our part?

If that is God’s purpose, what part do we play? Do we just sit back passively with folded arms and watch as events unfold? No! We are called to be part of God’s activity. We cannot bring revival ourselves for revival is not worked up, but sent down. Yet Scripture makes it clear that we must prepare the way for the Lord to come. We must prepare our individual hearts, our homes, and our churches. Then when the time is right and the way is prepared, God will do what only he can do. He will come and his glory will be revealed.

Christians may differ in their views of what revival looks like, but the heart and centre of revival is always the same. Revival is the Holy Spirit coming afresh as fire upon God’s people to refine, purge and cleanse from all that is not honouring Christ, and to set our hearts ablaze with a renewed love and passion for Jesus. Revival is simply the rediscovery of the wonderful sense of the presence of God and a hunger for that presence. Revival always begins with the people of God before it spills over into the world.

Learn the lessons of history

The greatest single lesson from history is this: If we don’t learn the lessons of the past we are bound to repeat the same mistakes and reap the same sad results. If we live in ignorance of the great things God has done in the past, we will not know what He can do in the present. But when we look back and see how God has worked in revival history to awaken believers, revive churches and change nations in dark and difficult times, it will inspire us to believe that God can do the same again in our time. That’s why this book is full of stories of past revivals. God hasn’t changed and the principles of revival haven’t changed either. What God promised long ago still applies to us today: If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Both Scripture and revival history tell us clearly that there are conditions to meet and preparations to make before God can come in revival blessing. This is what we will explore though the pages of this book. We will look at Scripture and stories from past and present revivals and uncover step by step the keys that will transform our lives, our churches, and our nation. At this time in history with the world in turmoil, God is looking for those who will be part of His great purpose.

Do you really want revival? Do you want to be ready and part of all God desires to do in our time? Then begin to prepare the way for the Lord now. The chapters of this book will show you how.

PART 1

PREPARE THE WAY!

Scripture makes it clear that God has a great purpose for His people. He wants to bless us and make us a blessing to others. He wants to make His Church a glorious, radiant Church that will draw unbelievers to the Savior. If that is to take place, God has yet to do something far greater among us. And that is why across the world today we are seeing revivals on a scale never seen before.

For revival to come there are conditions we must recognize and preparations we must make. Revival is not a miraculous visitation of God falling upon an unprepared and unwilling people. We must prepare the way.