"Wake Up, O Sleeper" - by Jim Tharp, 2008

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth; and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'WAKE UP, O SLEEPER, RISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU.'" (Eph. 5:8-14)

Whether v. 14 is a quote from an ancient baptismal hymn or a line from an Easter celebration, its command to the "sleeper" to "rise from the dead so that Christ may shine on him" places the order solidly within the context of revival. The general call in the passage above is to holiness. Christians are to come out of darkness and walk in light. The light of Christ will shine on them so that the worldly who walk in darkness, as well as weakened believers who have slipped back into the shades of the world, may be exposed and wake up and repent and become a part of the community of light.

Waking Christians from their slumber is a task beyond human ability. 

But the Holy Spirit is good at it. In 1993, after 43 years of pastoring, the Lord called me to a ministry of reviving His people. I've always known that revival was God's secret of preserving His church. But I never knew how difficult it is to awaken lethargic believers. Just getting Christians to a point of sensing their own personal need of revival is a test in itself. But according to II Chronicles 7:14, this is the first step - that of humility. It takes humility and courage to admit the symptoms of pride, selfishness, unbelief, wrong attitudes, prolonged discouragement, small acts of disobedience. But this is the road to revival, and it nearly always takes the best people in the church to lead the way in confession. Then there is prayer. Oh, yes, it takes prayer! Much prayer! Passionate prayer! Burdened prayer! Tearful prayer! Intercessory prayer! Militant prayer! Anointed prayer! And then we must seek God's face. I believe what is meant here is that we must seek to know the Lord more intimately. I think this is what the apostle Paul was expressing when he said, "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philip. 3:10). In seeking His face, we will find the Spirit-empowered will to say NO to our selfish desires, then we can go on to finding His will for our lives. Then there is the final condition for revival - turning from our wicked ways. This means crucifying pride, greed, lust, ill will, laziness, and establishing a new record of obedience to God.

Then when we have met God's terms for revival, He will release His Spirit of revival on His people.