Revival Starts Right Here

Revival is one of those words church folks know well—but often only as a label for a series of services on the calendar. In Scripture, though, revival isn't an event we schedule; it's a people who "live again." It's what happens when God's Spirit breathes fresh life into hearts that have grown distracted, divided, or dulled. That's exactly the heartbeat of Casting Crowns' "Start Right Here," and it's the call of 2 Chronicles 7:14: before God heals the land, He revives His people. We love to talk about the brokenness "out there," but God keeps pointing us back to the words, "If my people, who are called by my name…"

The context of that promise is powerful. Solomon has just finished the Temple, the fire of God has fallen, and the glory is so thick the priests can't even enter. Everything looks successful, healthy, and religiously "on point." And right there—when everyone feels good about how things are going—God warns them: when drought, devouring locusts, or plagues come, the answer won't be found in politics, better strategies, or a new program. The answer will be found when God's own people humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:11–15). Revival doesn't begin in the palace, or the Senate, or on social media; it begins in the hearts of the people who already wear His Name.

That means revival is not primarily about "those people" out there—pagans, prodigals, or culture at large. It's about the older brother as much as the younger one (Luke 15:25–32). It's about church folk who haven't run away but whose hearts have quietly grown cold, cynical, or self-satisfied. It's about believers who love comfort more than calling, who happily fund missions overseas but won't cross the street for a hurting neighbor. True revival is God's Spirit confronting our complacency, exposing our apathy, and re-igniting a holy hunger for Jesus that changes how we live on Monday every bit as much as how we sing on Sunday. To "live again" is to let God restore spiritual zeal, tenderness, and obedience where we've settled for going through the motions.

So where do we even start? God has already told us: humble yourselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from your wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). That looks like dropping our pride and excuses, drawing that imaginary circle around ourselves and praying, "Lord, send revival—and let it begin inside this circle." It looks like carving out real time in the Word (maybe start by slowly reading 2 Chronicles 6–7 and asking, "Lord, where does this hit me?"), committing to specific, honest prayer, and letting the Spirit put His finger on habits, attitudes, or sins we need to turn from. And it looks like stepping deeper into the life of the church—showing up, serving, loving, and crossing the street toward the hurting instead of staying safely in our towers. If we genuinely want to see hearts set free, walls fall down, and our community healed, it really does have to start right here, and it really does have to start right now—with me and with you.