The Spark of Spiritual Revival – Are We There Yet?

Opinions abound, but what are the facts?

Revival is back in the news: It appeared in a newsletter from The New York Times this week, and the media chatter is ramping up about it. As well, Fox News put up a graphic that, at face value, gave the appearance of a few facts behind the theory that a spiritual revival is occurring in America. It was slightly misleading in its presentation, but at the very least it’s still worth a closer look.

Back in September, Liberty Nation ran an article questioning whether the US was on the precipice of a great American revival. The article came on the heels of the memorial service for Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk. In that story, it was clearly pointed out that a revival is a distinct spiritual movement that “rekindles love for God, deepens repentance from sin, and spurs widespread spiritual transformation.”

In the graphic that made the rounds this week, three facts were highlighted to amplify evidence of a possible spiritual awakening. It revealed that annual US Bible sales were up 41.6%. Religion and spirituality app downloads rose a staggering 79.5%, and Spotify streams of contemporary Christian music have increased 50%. The trick here is that the rise in bible sales was calculated from 2022, and the app downloads and music figures go all the way back to 2019. If one were to take these facts to mean a spiritual revival was happening, it wouldn’t be the result of anything that recently occurred. Thus, on its face, a spiritual revival could not be attributed to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Revival: Heading In the Right Direction

Upon closer examination of the graphic, the massive rise in spiritual app downloads can be attributed to how people access the tools they use in their spiritual life. Twenty years ago, Bible apps were used far less than they are today. This is similar to how the public primarily gets its news – once it was TV and radio, but now it’s mainly through smartphone apps. Similarly, the music industry has also undergone a revolution. CDs are so far in the rear-view mirror you can’t even see them anymore; streaming downloads are now the norm.

Taking these changing technological behaviors into account, one can’t necessarily attach the rise in these spiritual resources to an actual revival. So what does?

Syndicated Columnist and author Cal Thomas recently spelled this out when he wrote: “If we consider revivals of the past this has been their pattern: Humbling one’s self before God, repenting of one’s sins, forgiving others who have sinned against you, effectual prayer, and then loving your enemies as Jesus commanded.” That pretty much covers the waterfront.

Writing for The New York Times this week, Opinion Columnist David French questioned whether a revival is ramping up in the US. “Despite what you may have heard about the renewal of interest in religion in America, we are not experiencing a true revival,” he lamented, “at least not yet.” Still, he could not deny that “something important is stirring in American religion.” He wrote:

“When I speak on college campuses, students seem more curious about faith than they were even five years ago. When I write about faith, I get a larger — and more personal — response than I get when I write about any other topic.

While it doesn’t look as if Charlie Kirk’s death has sparked a sudden revival, it certainly has contributed to the growing interest in the Christian message. A spiritual reawakening may not be in full swing quite yet, but the winds of revival appear to be blowing across this great Republic.

It’s difficult to assess whether a friend or foe has encountered the risen Christ. And while Christians continue to pray for another Great Awakening, it’s crucial to remember that God rejoices over even one repentant sinner. As Jesus says in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:7 NLT).