No such thing. Some Christians tend to believe that almost always revival hits a church, or a city, or even a nation totally by surprise. Yes, it can be construed as a breakthrough, it is by all means a Holy Spirit breakthrough … but unaware? Only to outsiders!
The way it happens might be surprising: the details and some particulars of each and every revival might come as a surprise, but there is no such a thing as a revival that was totally unexpected. If anybody dare say that some revival in history just happened when nobody at all was expecting it, then they will have to say also, that those who were praying for a move of God did not believe that God would really answer their prayers.
Nobody Should Expect A Harvest Without Sowing First
Randy Clark was used of God to spark a move of God in Toronto; however, long before that night, the church was praying – they had been praying, seeking God’s face, tilling the ground, and sowing – and many tears of hunger and desperation watered the planting until when they had made themselves ready, God showed up.
In 1904 a revival, that some consider to have been the greatest ever, hit Wales. Evan Roberts was the instrument God used to spark it. There was a great harvest of souls, in the line of about 100,000 souls. But this was not unexpected. The intensity of what and how it happened still marvels us, but nobody can say it was unexpected, for there were many places that I would call pockets of prayer where Christians were crying out for God to move in their nation. Evan Roberts was one of them who actually prayed for 100,000 souls! And God answered.
The Apostles Had No Idea What Would Happen!
Back to the book of Acts, the disciples did not have in mind any past revivals to learn from. Everything was new to them. They did not know exactly what was going to happen. They did not know what, or when, or how it was going to happen, but they were together; they were praying; they were waiting. They were surely surprised – they must have been because of all the wonderful things that happened when the Holy Spirit came. Surprised, yes. Unaware? No sir – they were prepared. The Lord Jesus had told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come.
Waiting for God. Yes sir, that’s it.
They were not about their business. They did not go home to wait, while comfortably sleeping in their own beds. They were not about planning strategies or programs. They were not even about revival itself!
They were waiting for God.
He was found standing in a puddle of his own tears…
In the fifties, Tommy Hick -an American evangelist- was used of God to spark a revival in Argentina. Unexpected? For many people, yes, it was unexpected. But for the students at the Bible College that had suspended their classes and were spending their time in prayer 24 hours a day, for weeks on, no sir, for them it was not unexpected. One of those students was found one day facing a wall, standing in a puddle of his own tears as he prayed for God to touch the nation.
Revival unaware? No such thing.
We should not expect any Randy Clark, or Evan Roberts, or Carlos Anacondia, or any other anointed servant to come and start a harvest where we have not bothered to sow.
J. Conrad Lampan
