Posted by Adeline Ting • Apr 18, 2023

The Asbury outpouring happened in early Feb and ended two weeks thereafter. At the peak of the revival, many travelled from near and far to experience God. They wanted to be there, to experience God’s extraordinary manifestation. They wanted their lives to be touched by God, they wanted healing and restoration, and the peace and power that only God could give.

If I had gone to Asbury, how would I have responded? Would I have been in complete awe as I stood among others? Or would I have just dropped to my knees and cried buckets? Or would I have just kept silent throughout and let the Holy Spirit administer to me? I am not certain how I would have been, but for a person who sometimes tears up during regular worship, I doubt that I can remain composed amidst such an anointed atmosphere.

If I had gone to Asbury, would I have had butterflies in my stomach? I cannot help but to feel slight trepidations that revival is perhaps a double-edge sword for me. While there is great goodness in encountering God and His power, revival also demands that I dig deep into myself and examine my heart for repentance from sin and to seek restoration that can only be done by the Holy Spirit. What if, standing in Asbury, I find areas of my life that I am not ready to confess and repent? What if there are burdens that I still carry alone and not ready to surrender to the Lord? What if, due to my inability to surrender completely, I closed the door to the Holy Spirit to work in my life? What if I carry the shame of an untransformed life, despite standing in such a place of revival?

But I have not gone. I was not in Asbury. I am here in DUMC.

In DUMC, I am a work in progress. But if we encourage one another, we can be ready for a revival. Together, let us learn to pause and take the time to be with God. Let us humbly surrender all to God. Let us stay on after service and pray, to seek forgiveness and repentance, and ask God to be present and manifest His grace and mercy here. Let us cry out to the Lord and be convicted. Let us ask God to make alive again our complacent Christian life. Let us reconnect and revive our first love with Christ and let Him awaken and restore our true purpose in life. God never demands that I have to be perfect to receive a revival, He accepts my imperfections as long as my posture before Him is right.

Let revival come to DUMC. I and others, we are ready.