The Significance of the Asbury Revival

I had the great privilege of going to the Asbury Revival at Asbury University in Kentucky the weekend before last to partake in the incredible move of God that is happening there. I have so many thoughts about what is happening not only at Asbury, but on campuses all over our country, so I wanted to take some time to write it all out.

Disclaimer: There are a LOT of opinions about this revival. Some people love it, some people hate it, some question its authenticity, some believe it to be the most significant move of God in history, and the list goes on. I am not here to try and debunk opinions or start an uproar. I am here simply to share my experience and what God has been speaking to me during this time.

What is revival?

At its most basic form, revival is an encounter with God. That being said, revival is anything but “basic.” It is a very specific, transformative encounter with God that spans past a single event. I would define a revival as this: a new outpouring from God that impacts His people in a way that transforms their lives and turns them towards Him with uninhibited passion, and consequently empowers them to lead others to know, love, and worship Him.

For me, the defining point of revival is that it is transformative. If you truly experience revival, and your heart is to worship and honor God through it, you will not leave unchanged. Your life will forever be different. You can’t tell me you’ve been revived if your life looks the exact same way it did before. When you experience an outpouring from the Lord so great that it draws in people from all over the world, and your heart is truly open to receiving from Him, you will never be the same. That is revival. It’s not an event, it’s a transformation.

My Experience at the Asbury Revival

So many people are questioning the authenticity of what has been happening at Asbury, wondering if it truly is a move of God or not. With that in mind, I want to say this: based on my experience at Asbury, I believe there is absolutely a genuine revival happening right now. I have been to a lot of Christian gatherings, church services, events, etc., but never in my life have I encountered such radical humility as what I experienced at Asbury. It wasn’t about getting attention or seeing who had the best word. It wasn’t about manipulating emotions or getting everyone in the room to start crying. It wasn’t even about having some outward, physical response to the Holy Spirit moving (which, in the Charismatic world at least, seems to often be a primary goal—and I can say that because that is the world I’ve lived in for a very long time). It was simply a people hungry for the Lord and wanting nothing more than to sit at His feet and worship Him.

Now that I’ve established that, let’s get into some details. Our trip to Asbury was somewhat spur-of-the-moment. My pastor/boss sent us a message on Tuesday asking if anyone would want to go to Kentucky on Friday, and myself and a few others immediately said yes. There wound up being six of us who went: myself, my pastor, and my good friend/work wife (shout out to Allison, love you so much), my husband, and two of his good friends (one of whom I also work with). My pastor, Allison, and I headed out early Friday morning, and after a couple of unexpected detours (that’s a story for another time), we finally made it to Asbury after close to six ours in the car. We then waited in line for over three hours just to get into Hughes Auditorium, and when I say I have literally never been as cold in my life as I was for that last hour, I mean NEVER.

Needless to say, we had a journey getting there, but we finally made it in and boy was it worth it. Now, if I’m being totally honest, it took me a bit to really get into the moment once we were inside. There was so much anticipation leading up to that, and once we were in, it took me a minute to focus in on God. I kept looking around and watching what was happening, trying to take in what was different from what I expected and what wasn’t.

There are a few things I noticed as I observed the room:

Everything was so simple. When we first arrived, there was a guitarist, a pianist, someone on the box drum, and a couple of vocalists leading worship. As far as I know, every person leading was a student. There were no fancy lights or sound systems, and even the songs they chose to sing were songs that almost everyone knew and could sing without having lyrics up on a screen.

It truly was focused on students. They prioritized middle- and high-school students the entire time, and this is something we noticed out in the line. There were signs up directing students to immediately go to the security check rather than standing in line, and once you got inside, they would direct young people to the front while the older generations were taken up to the balcony. It has been abundantly clear to me and those around me that this revival is being led by a young generation hungry for the Lord.

The atmosphere was sweet and peaceful. This is something that I noticed immediately. Growing up in charismatic churches, it’s been my experience that many “church people” expect a certain level of energy and outward expression when encountering the Holy Spirit. Some might even say that it isn’t really a move of God if these things aren’t happening. I simply don’t agree. When I was in Hughes Auditorium, there was no wild dancing, jumping, or yelling, and no one was falling out in the spirit. I’m not saying these things are bad—I absolutely believe there is a time and place for it. But Asbury had such a different feel, and I believe that’s one reason why it has attracted so many people. It really is just about being in God’s presence and seeking Him with everything you have. Once I began really focusing on Him, it was like I had just been cocooned in perfect peace. We were in there for about two hours, but it truly only felt like ten minutes because we were so engrossed in the sweetness of His presence.

No one cared about the presentation. There were people moving things around on stage, students coming in and out, worship teams switching places, lightbulbs were out, and I could go on. But no one cared. Everyone was just happy to be there and be a part of what God was doing.

My Biggest Takeaway

All of the above stood out to me almost instantly, but my biggest takeaway overall was this:

Revival has broken out all over the country because a handful of college kids decided, in complete humility with no expectations, to worship God just a little bit longer than they originally planned.

Campuses all over America are seeing an outpouring of the Holy Spirit because a handful of college kids were hungry for the Lord. Churches are changing their definition of worship because a handful of college kids wanted more of God.

They didn’t plan to start a revival. They didn’t look for recognition. They didn’t ask to be the catalyst of a great move of God. They simply worshipped longer, gave up more of themselves, and asked for more of God. And as a result, thousands of people have flocked to Asbury University to have just a taste of what that handful of college kids offered to the Lord. That is true revival, and I believe God is well pleased with them.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

2 Chronicles 7:13-16, NIV

Why is the Asbury Revival so significant?

We are living in unprecedented times for a number of reasons. Technology has advanced more than ever before, everyone has world-wide knowledge right at their fingertips, and we are seeing drastic declines in mental health. On the “church” side of things, people are appearing to be leaving the Church in huge numbers as deconstruction has become increasingly popular. I don’t bring this up to bash on deconstruction, because I do believe it can be healthy to a certain extent. However, I think there is a very specific reason why so many are leaving the Church and deconstructing (at least in my generation).

There is an appalling lack of raw authenticity within the Church.

To a generation that has been raised on social media–watching fake people live fake lives and spread fake news–the last thing they want to receive at church is the very same things they get online. Yet so often, that is the case. When did church become about hiding imperfections for the sake of being “attractive”? When did church become a concert arena instead of a holy temple? When did Christ-followers stop searching for God and start seeking entertainment?

The truth is, we may have stopped searching for God, but our hearts never stopped longing for Him.

This, I believe, is why revival is breaking out now. There is a new generation rising up that has grown weary of fictional faith and have made a move to have intimate relationship with Christ. The revival in Asbury broke out all because a handful of college students decided that instead of going to watch Netflix, scroll on social media, or even write another paper, they were going to worship God. No agenda, no distractions, no one forcing them to do it. It was just simple, humble worship. That handful of students sparked something that has now drawn thousands of people from all around the world to join in on.

Change is coming, friends! The Lord is doing something special in the hearts of young people, not just at Asbury, but on every college, high school, and middle school campus. In every youth group, college bible study, and prayer gathering. Whether we realize it or not, a move of God is happening, and it’s coming through the hearts of students.

I have the honor of ministering to middle- and high-school students every day, and even if they don’t show it on the outside, I can feel it. I feel the shift, and I fully believe that the Lord is moving through students in a way that will touch the hearts of every other generation. Many of them don’t even realize it’s happening yet, but if you’re paying attention, you will see it. Don’t turn your back on what God wants to do in YOU through this! Be open and be ready.

Humble yourself before the Lord and choose to worship Him, not because you want to spark revival, but because you want to be revived. If this is our heart as we seek Him, He will surely reveal Himself!

What’s next?

A key to having a true revival rather than a gathering for emotionalism is what happens after. Is there lasting transformation? Intentional discipleship? A people earnestly seeking God even when the “high” of the moment is gone? Remember, revival is not an event. If we leave it at that, we are missing the point. We must be intentional in our next steps. Church should not look the same. Church people should not act the same. Discipleship should not be done the same. The Asbury Revival and its spread is a call for us to step up and meet the standard those college students set when they decided that their Wednesday night chapel was not finished yet. Seek God more earnestly, love people better, raise up strong disciples, become a stronger disciple yourself!

We have to pay attention to the shift God is making. There is a generation that is tired of what church has been for so long. We are tired of the fake, tired of the religion, tired of the performances. The Church needs real, raw, humble worship. It needs people who are willing to be vulnerable, no matter how that might “taint” our Christian image. Let’s step up, Church! God is calling us to something higher, and I want to meet that call. I won’t do it perfectly, and neither will you. But I would hate to see students lead the way and no one follow.

The students in chapel that first Wednesday night at Asbury University chose to follow Him, and that’s what we must continue doing. And if that changes our entire definition of church or Christianity, then so be it—after all, that’s what Jesus did!

Let me know what you think of this revival in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts, even if you don’t agree with what I think about it!