Many churches in America have a tradition of holding a weeklong series of meetings with a guest preacher or evangelist, often accompanied by lively music each night. These gatherings are called “revivals” because they are meant to renew the hearts of believers and bring those outside the church to faith in Christ. Sometimes revivals produce visible results right away; other times their impact is not immediately clear. My own family’s story was changed by a week of revival meetings in my father’s home community. As a teenager, my dad attended those meetings and gave his life to Christ. During that same revival, my uncle, my aunt, and her future husband also came to faith, along with about 120 others from that small community in New Brunswick, Canada. My dad, uncle, and aunt all went on to serve in full-time ministry as pastors and missionaries. I like to think the effects of that local revival are still unfolding in the second generation of the Matthews family: my brother, some of my cousins, and I are still serving the Lord in ministry because our parents came to faith during that revival. A true revival leaves a lasting mark on the community where it takes place.

Local revivals like the one in which my dad came to faith can still happen today, though they may be less common. But throughout our nation’s history, at least two nationwide revivals have profoundly shaped America’s story. This Sunday, I will trace the First and Second Great Awakenings and their connection to two of the most momentous events in our history: the Declaration of Independence and the emancipation of enslaved people. America’s independence was about more than tax relief; it reflected a desire for the freedom to live as God intended, a longing stirred in part by the First Great Awakening. In a comparable way, the emancipation of enslaved people and the healing that followed the Civil War were made possible, in part, by hearts transformed through the Second Great Awakening. As we follow our nation’s historical timeline, you will see how these two revivals helped shape America’s development.

America is once again at a crossroads in its development. We are a divided nation, and the polarization seems to be growing. It is fair to ask whether this trend can be reversed and, if not, what our future will hold. As a preacher of the Gospel with a burden to see it spread to the nations, I can say that no country is better positioned to proclaim the Gospel around the world than the United States of America. I believe God desires to use this nation for His glory, and for that reason, I believe He is calling America to yet another Great Awakening. If we are to be truly one nation under God, the only thing that can truly heal our divisions and unite us as a nation is the Gospel. As we trace the history of revival in our country, let us consider what sparked those awakenings and look to put those same principles into practice today. Christians must free themselves from anxiety over who is or is not in the White House and instead plead with God to change the hearts of all Americans, beginning with our own. I believe there is still another chapter to be written in the history of America’s revivals, and I want to be part of it for the glory of God. Join me this Sunday as we revisit the revivals of our nation and pray for the next one.