This past Sunday, a guest preacher from Germany, Mathias Lohmann, came to our church and gave a sermon on revival. In his country, he told us, the church is not looking good.

On the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, a milestone that once reshaped the spiritual landscape of Europe, the Lutheran church took a surprising stance. Rather than reaffirming its historic roots, it lobbied the German government to legalize same-sex marriage. “You’re hearing right,” Lohmann said. “The church lobbied the government to do that. The Chancellor was actually opposed to it,” but “the state church is quite happy to do whatever they need to do in order to fit with the mainstream, to do whatever people want.”

This capitulation to cultural pressures, Lohmann explained, has come at a steep cost. “The church is experiencing a steep decline in Germany,” he noted. “In the early 1970s, 95% of all Germans were members of a church. Pretty much everyone in Germany. Now, today, that’s only true for less than half the population.” In just five decades, “half the population exited the church.” Today, many Germans identify as Christian in name only, with “only 3% or so [who] are actually attending church on an average Sunday.”

The situation grows bleaker still. Lohmann revealed that “most of these churches are not gospel affirming, not gospel preaching churches” and are “often led by gay ministers.” Even the German Baptist Union, one of the largest free church denominations, has embraced the blessing of same-sex marriages. More alarmingly, Lohmann recounted a recent debate within the denomination about the meaning of the cross, where “they couldn’t agree what the cross actually means.”

“So,” he sighed, “that is Christianity in Germany.” The decline is not unique to Germany, he added, as much of Western Europe faces similar spiritual erosion. Yet, in the face of this darkness, Lohmann’s heart burned with hope. “When I look at this,” he said, “I long for a new reformation. I long for revival.” His longing extends beyond Germany to the world — and to America. “How about you?” he asked. “Do you long for revival?”

Lohmann made this point, and it’s hard not to agree: “The U.S. isn’t as spiritually dark and post-Christian as Western Europe is,” he acknowledged, “but [at] the same time, there’s so much going on in this country and in so-called Christian churches that has nothing to do with Christianity — that is pure evil and a disgrace to the gospel.” His challenge was direct: “Do you long for revival?” Not just in the nation, but closer to home. “Do you long for revival where you are? Do you long for revival in your workplace? In your neighborhood? Do you long for revival in your family? … Do you long for revival in your own heart? … Honestly, I often do.”

For those stirred by this call, Lohmann offered a sobering yet hopeful path forward. “We need to acknowledge that revival is something we can’t do,” he said. While God uses ordinary people and means, “revival is always a sovereign act of grace by God.” So, what can the church do? Lohmann’s answer was simple yet profound: Pray.

He pointed to Psalm 85 as a model for this prayer. Verses 4-7 read, “Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.”

When reading this, Lohmann explained, it’s important to note that “this Psalm is not about the United States of America, and it’s not about Germany. So, if we want to apply this Psalm correctly, we can’t apply it to a nation.” Rather, “We need to apply to God’s people. We can apply [it] to the church, and we can apply [it] to us personally. And most importantly, we can look at this Psalm and see the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” And yet, in acknowledging God’s consistent character, it’s worth noting how inconsistent ours is.

Reflecting on the fall in the Garden of Eden, we see how mankind, through Adam, rebelled against its Creator. In the context of Psalm 85, we also see a people that turned from God and did not trust Him as they should have. “We all have gone astray,” Lohmann stated. “Some of us don’t even acknowledge Him. All of us, time and again, act against his good word. We don’t trust him as we should. So, we all are deserving of God’s wrath, of His anger. That’s true for all of us. The Bible is very clear. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Yet, there is hope.

Lohmann highlighted God’s mercy in the Old Testament, where, despite His rightful anger, He forgave His people and restored them. “He showed much grace and forgave the iniquity of his people. He covered all their sin. He withdrew all his wrath. He turned from his hot anger. And so, Judah was allowed to return from exile. Judah was granted a new start, a revival.” In the New Testament, this mercy culminates in Jesus, who “went to the cross where he took God’s just wrath over our sin upon himself. He gave his life so that we can live. And now He calls us to trust Him.”

“Friend,” Lohmann said, “Do you have a certain hope that God has forgiven your iniquity and has covered all your sin?” He urged everyone to answer the question: “For whom will you live?” His plea was heartfelt: “Turn to Christ.” For those who have, he encouraged, “Take a moment in the quietness of your heart to thank God that he has forgiven your sin.”

“[T]ake a moment,” he continued, “just a moment, and praise God for that,” remembering God’s past grace emboldens our prayers for revival. “Recognize your utter helplessness and turn to God and pray. … [C]ome to His throne of grace and request forgiveness. Ask him to bring about a new revival” — a revival that “needs to start in our hearts.”

True revival, Lohmann emphasized, begins within, renewing us in Christ and rekindling our pursuit of Him as the source of peace, life, and joy. “The only true and lasting joy is to be found in Christ,” he said, and this joy “will strengthen our resolve to fight sin.” When we rejoice in Christ, “others will see Him” too.

Lohmann’s final charge was a call to action: “Plead with God.” Plead for personal revival, then for your family, friends, and community. Plead for your country and the world. “Do you want revival? Then pray. Pray and fear God.” He concluded with a promise: “His salvation is near to those who fear Him. … And because Christ is our righteousness, we can have peace with God. … And then our peace will not just be a true peace that God declares we have, but it will be one that will fill our hearts completely and for all eternity.”

In a dark world, Lohmann’s message was clear: “We have nothing to fear or to complain about. Instead, we should pray. Let us pray that more people may be revived. May our good and merciful God grant revival so that many more will find true and lasting joy.” He invited us to join him in prayer for a revival that begins in our hearts and radiates to our families, workplaces, cities, and the ends of the earth.