Revival
Also: Revivals | Revival Meeting | Tent Revival | Spiritual Awakening | Great Awakening
A season of renewed spiritual fervor when many people turn to God and churches come alive, or, especially in Southern and rural churches, a scheduled series of nightly meetings held in hope of one.
What they actually mean
“When a church, a town, or a whole region suddenly gets serious about God again.”
Heard in the wild
“Revival starts Sunday. Brother Tim is preaching every night at seven.”
“We're praying for revival on this campus.”
The Lighter Side
In much of the South, revival goes on the church sign: "REVIVAL, AUG 12–15, 7 PM NIGHTLY." Christians have noticed the irony of penciling in a move of God, and they bring a covered dish anyway.
The longer version
What it means
"Revival" has two related meanings. The first is a period, sometimes weeks, sometimes years, when Christians believe God is moving unusually: large numbers of people come to faith, believers pray more and confess their sins, broken relationships are repaired, and whole communities feel the change. Historians point to the Great Awakenings in America in the 1700s and early 1800s, the Welsh Revival of 1904–1905, the Azusa Street Revival that launched the Pentecostal movement, and, more recently, the days of nonstop worship at Asbury University in Kentucky in 2023.
The second meaning is a scheduled event: a church invites a guest preacher, often called an evangelist, for several nights of preaching, singing, testimonies, and an altar call, sometimes under a big tent, hoping the first kind of revival will follow.
Why people say it
Christians believe the faith can grow cold, in individuals and in whole churches, and that God can bring it back to life. Praying "Lord, send revival" expresses that hope. The signs Christians look for are practical: people repenting, new believers, renewed prayer, reconciliation, and changed behavior. Some past revivals fueled major social reforms, including the abolition movement in the 1800s.
How to respond
If you're invited to a revival meeting, expect a visiting preacher, energetic music, a sermon aimed at people who aren't yet Christians, and an invitation to come forward at the end. You're free to sit, listen, and stay seated. If someone says "we need revival," they're usually expressing a hope for spiritual renewal, not a political program. If you want the history or the theology behind it, the pastor hosting the meeting will be glad to explain.
If you hear it in different churches
Scheduled revivals are a long tradition in Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and holiness churches, especially in the American South. Catholic parishes hold something similar called a parish mission. Reformed Christians have debated revival for centuries: Jonathan Edwards defended the Great Awakening as a genuine work of God while warning against emotional excess, and many later objected to Charles Finney's claim that revivals could be produced by the right methods. Mainline and liturgical churches more often speak of "renewal" than revival.
Where does “Revival” come from?
The word comes from Latin revivere, "to live again," and echoes the psalmist's prayer asking God to revive His people (Psalm 85:6). In the 1730s and 1740s, preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield led the First Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening in the early 1800s brought outdoor camp meetings, such as Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1801, and Charles Finney's Lectures on Revivals of Religion (1835) turned revival into a planned event. Tent revivals and, from 1949, Billy Graham's large crusades carried the tradition into the twentieth century.
Good to know
"Revival" can mean the hoped-for spiritual awakening or the scheduled meetings. Some Christians are wary of manufactured revival that relies on hype or emotional pressure; others use the word simply for a week of special services.
You might also hear
Evangelism
Ministry & LeadershipTelling other people about Jesus with the hope they'll believe — from a quiet conversation with a friend to a stranger with a megaphone.
“"Telling people about Jesus, hoping they'll want in."”
Altar Call
Worship & MusicThe moment at the end of a service when people are invited to come to the front to commit to faith, pray, or ask for help — usually while a song plays.
“"The end-of-service invitation to come up front and make a decision."”
Pentecostal
A Christian movement that began in the early 1900s, emphasizing a direct, powerful experience of the Holy Spirit, often marked by speaking in tongues, along with divine healing, expressive worship, and evangelism.
“Christians who expect the Holy Spirit to show up in visible, powerful ways, like in the Book of Acts.”
Testimony
Salvation & ConversionThe story of how someone became a Christian, or of something God has done in their life — told out loud to encourage others.
“"My faith story — how I got here."”
On Fire (for God)
Salvation & ConversionExtremely enthusiastic about faith — often newly so, and often visibly.
“"Really into Jesus right now, and everyone can tell."”
Mountaintop Experience
Youth Group & CampAn intense spiritual high — often at camp, a retreat, or a conference — when God feels close and everything is clear. "The valley" is what comes after.
“"The spiritual high after camp. It fades. That's normal."”
Common questions
Can you schedule a revival?+
Yes and no. A church can schedule revival meetings (so yes), but Christians would say real revival is God's work and can't be put on a calendar (so no).
What was the Great Awakening?+
A wave of revivals in the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, followed by a Second Great Awakening in the early 1800s, which reshaped American religion.
Is revival only a Protestant idea?+
The word is mostly Protestant, especially evangelical and Pentecostal. Catholics hold similar events called parish missions.
Images
Further reading
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Written by Rev. Christopher D.F. Warrington, Ordained Minister, M.Div. · Pastor reviewed September 2026 · Updated September 2026