A SEason for Revival? : The Radical Transition We’re Witnessing ACross AMerica

As I began this September blog and podcast theme centered around transition and becoming, I never could have predicted the massive shift our culture would witness.

This past Sunday, at the memorial service for young conservative activist and outspoken Christian Charlie Kirk, hundreds of thousands—possibly millions—heard the Gospel proclaimed. They were invited to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and they witnessed Erika Kirk publicly extend radical forgiveness to the gunman who assassinated her husband. Yes, there was political messaging, but above all, the banner of Christ was lifted high.

For nearly twenty years, my mom worked as a media librarian at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, NC. Whenever I visited her, I would wander the hallways, studying the photos of crusades Billy Graham led across the world. Thousands upon thousands of lives were changed by the Word of God and the love of Jesus at those events. I remember quietly praying in my heart, “Lord, do it again.”

The idea of America coming back to Jesus became deeply imprinted on my heart, and I began to write the word revival in my prayer journals in middle school—a practice I’ve carried into adulthood. God and I have been having conversations about revival for decades. And there, on my television screen, I witnessed a memorial service transform into a mighty move of God. The scene wasn’t so different from the BGEA photos I once studied.

It made me ask: Is this America’s transition into a season of revival?

A Quick Look Back at Revival in America

​Here’s a brief history of revivals in our nation to give us perspective:

• First Great Awakening (1730s–1740s) — led by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
• Frontier / Camp-Meeting Revivals (1790s–early 1800s)
• Second Great Awakening (1800–1830s) — led by Charles G. Finney
• Businessmen’s Revival & Prayer Meetings (1857–1858) — during the Panic of 1857
• Azusa Street Revival (1906–1909) — Pentecostal outpouring led by William J. Seymour
• Post-War Evangelism (1940s–1950s) — marked by the Billy Graham Crusades
• Jesus Movement (late 1960s–1970s) — launched contemporary Christian music
• Asbury & Campus Revivals (1970)
  
  

Though each happened in very different social climates, they shared some common threads: prayer and spiritual hunger, conviction of sin leading to repentance, bold preaching, testimonies shared publicly, a tangible sense of God’s presence, and movements that spilled over into broader cultural change.

A simple summary of revival might look like this:
Hunger for truth → curiosity about God → hearing the Word & repentance → evangelists rise up → widespread awakening → national transformation.

What We’re Seeing Today

Based on this pattern, I would say—YES. We may very well be standing at the edge of revival.

Since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, many Christians have confessed repentance for staying silent about their faith. Churches are filling again. Bible sales in the U.S. are rising. And all of this is layering on top of the spiritual renewal already spreading through college campuses, where thousands of students are putting their faith in Jesus and hosting worship and prayer gatherings that sometimes last for days.

What feels unique about this moment is that it doesn’t appear to be confined to the United States. Whether through social media or simply the work of the Holy Spirit, there is a global sense of revival. Reports of spiritual awakening are surfacing in the UK, Africa, Morocco, and other places where Christians face economic hardship or religious opposition.

Across the world, people are experiencing conviction, renewal, and commitments to Christ.

​Our Call in This Season

If this truly is a transition into global revival, then this is not the time for lukewarm faith. It is not the time to shrink back in fear or hold tightly to our resources and stories.
This is the time to:

• Be open about our love for Jesus.
• Boldly testify about what God has done in our lives.
• Open wide the doors of our churches to welcome everyone, without discrimination, as beloved children of God.

What Revival Means

At its root, the word revival means to bring back to life, renewal, or restoration.

And perhaps, just perhaps, we are watching God breathe new life—not only into America, but across the world.

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Reflection & Journaling

Pause, breathe, and ask the Lord to show you where He is bringing new life. Revival often begins in the quiet places of our own hearts before it sweeps across a nation.

Take a few quiet minutes to reflect, and write. Here are some prompts to guide you:

• Where have you noticed signs of spiritual “revival” in your own life lately? (A fresh hunger for God’s Word, deeper conviction, more boldness to share your faith, etc.)
• What fears or distractions have been holding you back from living fully for Christ? Write them down, then pray over them—asking God to replace fear with courage.
• How might God be inviting you to take one bold step this week? (Sharing your testimony, inviting a friend to church, opening your home for prayer, etc.)
• In your own words, write out a prayer for revival—in your family, your community, and across the world.