Revival In Our Land

https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/19/revival-comes

Most of us who have been Christian for a while would have, at some point in our lives, hope and prayed for a revival in this land. We marvel at the transformation that comes with a revival, the power of the move of the Holy Spirit. Revivals are usually accompanied by true repentance of sins, and from what I have read about revival in other places, these are usually preceded by some spiritual marvel like the physical appearance of an angelic being or manifestation of signs and wonders or deliverance from demonic forces.

I think for Malaysia, we have experienced a few notable revivals that had a lasting impact on the populace. The first is the revival brought by John Sung in the late 19th and early 20th century, which swept across Malaya and brought many in the Chinese community to turn to God, particularly the Foo Chow in Sitiawan. Till today, the Foo Chow community has been strong adherents to the faith, although it has been more than 100 years now since that John Sung revival. Yes, many of the Foo Chow were already believers in China before they stepped foot in Malaya, but this John Sung revival would have converted those who were not and sustained their strong faith till today.

The other revival that I know of is the one in Baram, Sarawak, that turned an entire Kelabit community to God, which came in 4 waves, and the last of which is the Ba’kelalan revival. https://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/the-bario-revival-the-four-waves-and-its-impact/.

Another revival that I know and am a part of is the one in the late 70s and early 80s, which swept across West Malaysia and brought the power of the Holy Spirit into many lives and led to the birth of many churches including the mega ones in the Klang Valley today. My family and I were beneficiaries of a group of University Malaya students who gave their lives to God and went into full-time ministry, which led to the planting of many churches across Malaysia, including my local church in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

I believe fervent prayers will turn the heart of God and bring revival to the land, but I also believe that discovering the sovereign will of God in what He is already doing and will do in our midst may be the more practical key to finding where is His revival. Ultimately, it is His absolute discretion, grace, and compassion on when and where to move, and we can not dictate our hope and wishes on Him, although if we fervently and collectively pray in one heart, we may move the hand of God. Continue to pray for revival in our land, and one day, we may see it happening right before our eyes! Perhaps a good start will be more of us repenting from our sins, turning away from our wicked ways and returning to God!