A revival occurs when a group of Christians rise early to pray for hours, stay up late to worship and pray even longer, meet together several times a week or every day, experience God's presence in their lives, confess their sins, heal one another, forgive their enemies, welcome and help those who are hurting and poor, love their neighbor as themselves, turn from idols to Jesus, invite unbelievers into their midst, and see their churches grow. Revivals can last a short time or a long season, but they are never of sudden origin.
The Evangelical movement of the 1940s and 1950s led to thousands of "crusades," which were large gatherings of Christians that often included prayer, preaching, and musical performances. Billy Graham was a leader of these crusades, which reached millions of people.
Since then, Christian leaders and their followers have organized revival meetings in a variety of settings. Churches, university campuses, conferences and arenas have all hosted meetings that drew tens of thousands of people. Some of these meetings were led by evangelical pastors and other prominent Christian leaders, such as Nick Hall, Greg Locke, Kari Jobe, and others.
Across Europe, there are reports of renewed spiritual hunger and prayer, new expressions of the Church, and church planting that has grown exponentially. While some would disqualify any of these from being a true revival, we believe that it is possible that God is moving in Europe today, even amid reports of post-Christian apathy and secularism.
