Revivals — like earthquakes — are hard to predict. A butterfly flapping its wings causing a hurricane is more of a chaos theory perturbation ignored by most working meteorological forecast models because it makes accurate prediction unlikely. Modern Large Language Models of Artificial Intelligence, no doubt will begin to affect the discussion. But, calculating the occurrence of a revival — a moving of the Holy Spirit — was precisely what Charles G. Finney, a controversial 19th century, American evangelist and theologian attempted to do in his seminal work, Revival Lectures. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12 KJV).
Finney’s contention was a revival could be expected, when it was needed most.
“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).
Finney preached in Lecture 2, which was later transcribed into Revival Lectures:
“At such a time a Revival of Religion is indispensable to avert the judgments of God from the church. This would be strange preaching, if revivals are only miracles, and if the church has no more agency in producing them, than it has in making a thunder storm. To say to the church, that unless there is a revival you may expect judgments, would then be as ridiculous as to say, If you do not have a thunder storm, you may expect judgments. The fact is, that Christians are more to blame for not being revived, than sinners are for not being converted. And if they are not awakened, they may know assuredly that God will visit them with his judgments. How often God visited the Jewish church with judgments, because they would not repent and be revived at the call of his prophets! How often have we seen churches, and even whole denominations, cursed with a curse, because they would not wake up and seek the Lord, and pray, ‘Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?’ [Psalm 85:6].”
The Church does not have the luxury of debating Finney’s underlying theology as heterodox, when the enemy is already at the gate. One question only to the Spirit of Christ: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).
We Need A Miracle 