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📅 Contending for the Word Q&A, November 27, 2025
The Revival We Should Pray For
Thanksgiving Day Meditation
Theme: Testing the Spirits, True and False Revival
The Question We Are Considering
Question: What should Christians ask God for when we pray for revival?
Revival Begins Low, Humility and Repentance
Biblical renewal does not begin with noise, it begins with need. God looks to the one who is contrite
and trembles at His Word (Isaiah 57:15, 66:2). The prayer for revival begins with confession, turning
from sin, and seeking the face of God in humble dependence (2 Chronicles 7:14, James 4:6–10). Gratitude
on Thanksgiving is not sentimental, it is surrender to the Giver.
Christ Exalted, Not Man
True revival magnifies the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit glorifies the Son, never the
celebrity, the platform, or the experience (John 16:14). Any movement that shifts the focus from Christ
crucified and risen is not a work of the Spirit of truth. The revival we should pray for centers the cross,
the empty tomb, and the reigning Lord.
Word Saturated Renewal
When God revives His people, He does so through the Word He inspired. At Pentecost, the Spirit cut hearts
through the preached Word, and the church devoted itself to the apostles teaching (Acts 2:37–42). Pray for
a hunger to hear, believe, and obey Scripture, for families and churches shaped by the whole counsel of God
(Psalm 85:6, Colossians 3:16, 2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Ordinary Means, Lasting Fruit
Counterfeit revival chases novelty and spectacle. True revival restores the ordinary means of grace,
Scripture read and preached, prayer, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and life together in the church
(Acts 2:42). The fruit is durable, holiness, love, unity, generosity, and perseverance, not a weekend
of excitement that fades when trials come (Galatians 5:22–23, John 13:34–35).
Holy Lives and Holy Love
The grace that saves also trains believers to renounce ungodliness and live self controlled, upright,
and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s appearing (Titus 2:11–14). Pray for integrity in the pulpit
and purity in the pew, for reconciled relationships, for courage to speak truth in love, and for churches
that adorn the gospel by their life together.
Witness to the Nations
Revival that stays in the sanctuary is incomplete. In Acts, renewed believers spoke the Word with boldness
and the gospel advanced (Acts 4:31). Pray that revival fuels evangelism, mercy, and missions, that gratitude
overflows into good works, and that the Lord adds to His church those who are being saved
(Matthew 28:18–20).
Thanksgiving as Posture
Thankfulness both fuels and follows revival. We rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all
circumstances because this is God’s will in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, Colossians 2:6–7). Gratitude
steadies discernment, quiets pride, and keeps our eyes on the Giver rather than the gifts.
Conclusion, The Revival Worth Praying For
The revival we should pray for is lowly before God, loud about Christ, and loyal to Scripture. It deepens love
for the church, sends believers into the world with the gospel, and bears the quiet, lasting fruit of holiness.
On this Thanksgiving Day, let our gratitude become petition, and our petition become obedience as we seek the
renewal that only the Spirit of truth can give.
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