For our final day of this week, we're going to ask God to awaken the hearts of our nation and our culture.

The need for a move of God has become more obvious than ever, yet he often moves in response to the faithful prayers of his people.

Let us be those people today and ask for the great awakening our world so desperately needs.

Welcome to the first 15 podcast. Our scripture for today is 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14.

Scripture says,

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

I've often heard people pray for God to bring revival to our nation.

Yet rarely have I heard prayers for a great awakening.

But throughout its history, the Western world has actually seen four great awakenings.

Well, what's the difference, you may ask?

Revivals change people and churches.

Awakenings change cultures and nations.

The first great awakening happened in 1734

under the teaching of pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards

and the British evangelist George Whitefield.

Before it began, only 5% of colonial Americans

identified with a Christian church. At its height, 80% were active followers of Jesus.

The next Great Awakening was in 1792 and was sparked by a prayer movement led by a Baptist pastor named Isaac Backus.

This movement led to more than a thousand large gatherings called camp meetings held across the country.

Churches doubled and tripled in membership, and William Carey began what we now consider the modern missions

movement. The Third Great Awakening was in 1858, resulting from a businessman's prayer meeting

movement that began the previous year in New York. Out of a national population of 30 million people,

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