A Generation Rising: God Is Preparing Your Revival Today

Introduction

Phil, a pastor at King's Arms in north London, came to share with you a picture and a hope: that of a revival beginning to sweep through Paris and France. Riding the Paris metro this week, he watched the little lights switch on one by one at the stops for tourists. And he had something like a vision: God lighting up, line after line, neighborhood after neighborhood, suburb after suburb, prayer points for this city. Not one light, but hundreds. Christians gathering, crying out to God, and watching the Lord's presence return to the nation. This message is a call: a generation is rising, and God is preparing something for you.

The context is striking. At Easter 2025, in France, 17,800 adults requested baptism in the Catholic Church, a 42% increase over the previous year. Sales of physical Bibles jumped 20%. And among these new baptisms, 40% were young people. These are the spring flowers Phil describes: the first signs of what God wants to bring into bloom. The question is no longer "will God act?" but "will you rise up with this generation?"

Message outline

1. A new hunger for the presence of God

In Nehemiah 8, the people gather "as one man" and themselves ask Ezra to bring the Law of Moses. No one forces them: they are thirsty.
Ezra reads the Word from morning until midday, and "all the people were attentive." This hunger to hear God is the first sign that a revival is coming.
At Asbury in 2023, after a service the speaker considered a flop, 19 young people stayed behind to pray. The Holy Spirit fell, and a movement spread around the world. People weren't looking for production, lights, or fog machines: they were looking for His presence.
Like the crowds around Jesus (5,000 men with no food, a roof torn open, a woman touching His garment), this generation is ready to do anything to be with Him. Is that your hunger too this morning?

2. A new honor for the authority of the Word

In verse 5, when Ezra opens the book, "all the people stood up." It's a physical gesture of honor: the Word of God is above us, not the other way around.
You no longer get to choose which piece you like to keep and which piece you set aside. His Word has authority over your entire life, your schedule, your money, your relationships, your dreams.
At Asbury, the revival started because those 19 young people confessed their sins, saying: "God, our life is Yours. You are the authority. We submit." Nothing happens without that humility.
2 Chronicles 7:14 gives you four simple steps: "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." Humble yourself. Pray. Seek His face. Repent. Revival begins at home before it begins in your city.

3. A new encounter with God

In verses 6 and 9, Ezra blesses the Lord, the people answer "Amen! Amen!" while lifting their hands, then bow down with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah and the Levites even have to calm the people, who are weeping so much as they hear the Word.
In revival, no one walks away unchanged. The first mark is worship: new songs emerge, turned toward the glory of God rather than centered on us. Desire rises up toward Christ.
The second mark is deep conviction of sin. The French philosopher Guillaume Bignon, once a hardened atheist, one day felt the weight of his own sin, realized he was the reason Jesus died on the cross, and gave his life to follow Him. That's a sign of revival: God changes the way you think.
In the Welsh Revival of 1904, within two years, 100,000 people gave their lives to Christ. Crime rates dropped. Police escorted people to church and sang alongside them. We need God to come again, and the first signs are here.

Key takeaways

Revival always wakes up alongside a new movement of prayer: God is calling prayer warriors for this city.
When you hear news of revival, far better to be gullible than cynical.
People don't want fog or lights, they want the presence of God among His people.
His Word is not a menu: it has authority over your whole life, including the areas you'd like to keep for yourself.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is your battle plan: humble yourself, pray, seek His face, repent.
Revival produces two visible fruits: new songs turned toward God, and a deep conviction of sin that drives people to Christ.

Personal application

Where does your hunger for the presence of God stand? Are you willing to stay after the service, to open your Bible, to tear open a roof to be near Jesus?
Is there a passage of the Word you avoid because it costs you too much? What area of your life are you still refusing to submit to His authority?
What idols would God want to tear down in you this week? Your work, your money, a relationship, a habit, an image of yourself?
Are you called to become a prayer warrior for Paris? Who could you join together with to intercede regularly for revival in the city?
This week, take 15 minutes each morning to apply 2 Chronicles 7:14: humble yourself, pray, seek His face, repent. See what God does after seven days.

Scriptures cited

Frequently asked questions

What is a spiritual revival according to the Bible?

A revival is a moment when God draws near to His people to revive a fresh hunger for Him, restore the authority of His Word, and bring about a new encounter with His presence. Nehemiah 8 provides the model: the Word opened publicly, the people standing up, worship rising, tears of repentance. It is not first of all an emotion, it is a return to the true center: God Himself.

Are there signs of revival in France today?

Yes. At Easter 2025, 17,800 adults were baptized in the Catholic Church in France, a 42% increase over 2024. Sales of physical Bibles rose 20%. And 40% of the newly baptized are young people. Like the first flowers of spring, these numbers announce a season where God is rising over your generation. It's up to you not to remain a spectator.

How can I personally prepare for revival?

2 Chronicles 7:14 gives you four simple steps: humble yourself, pray, seek God's face, turn away from your wicked ways. Revival begins at home before it begins in your city. Ask God to show you the idols to tear down (even good things that have taken up too much space), and hand over all authority into His hands. Then join together with other Christians to cry out together.

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