Something is deeply wrong, and most of us can feel it. Our nation is divided, our culture is confused, and too many churches are trying to fix spiritual problems with worldly solutions. The answer is not a new program, a better politician, or a more polished church service. The answer is revival. Real, Holy Spirit-led, heaven-sent revival.

In 1970, Apollo 13 suffered a catastrophic explosion 56 hours into its mission. The crew famously radioed back, "Houston, we have a problem." Through remarkable effort, they made it home safely.

But today, there is a bigger problem that no mission control can solve. Our nation is crumbling. We have lost our sense of identity. An entire generation has been taught that we got here on our own and that we do not need God. Politicians cannot fix this. Preachers cannot fix this. The church cannot fix this on its own strength.

Heaven, we have a problem.

God has not changed. What was sin then is sin now. And yet many churches today are trying to fix the problem by becoming part of the problem, affirming what God has called sin, and redefining it so everyone feels comfortable.

America has sent more missionaries around the world than any other nation in history. If America falls spiritually, the spread of the gospel from this place will be severely impacted. It is time for the church to stop going along with the culture and start waking up.

Jesus did not say His Father's house would be called a house of great entertainment, great concerts, or even great preaching. He said it would be called a house of prayer. That is where revival begins.

When we look back at the great revivals of history, we celebrate the preachers and evangelists. But what often goes unreported are the prayer meetings that happened before any of it started. The real heroes of revival are the intercessors, the people who prayed in secret and connected heaven to earth.

People will scroll on their phones for hours but say they have no time to pray. Nothing on that screen is going to fix our nation. We have to connect with heaven. As Jesus taught us to pray:

 "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." - Matthew 6:10

Revival meetings can be organized, promoted, and well-attended without any actual revival taking place. The one we need to invite first is not a bigger crowd. It is God Himself.

When God is truly in charge of a meeting, we are not. Real revival does not need a title or a marketing plan. When it happens, people simply walk out and say, "We had revival." There is no confusion about whether something happened. Hearts are changed. Lives are transformed.

The psalmist cried out: "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation." - Psalm 85:6-7

The phrase "revive us again" implies there was a time when the fire was burning hot. Something happened. The fire went out. And now there is a desperate need for it to be lit again.

Think of a wood stove filled with ash. It looks dead. But if you stir those ashes, you find coals still glowing underneath. Add wood to those coals and the whole stove comes alive again. The house gets warm. It becomes cozy.

Some people feel like their faith is nothing but ash right now. But if you belong to Jesus, there is still fire in there. It just needs to be stirred up.

• Get rid of the distractions that are covering up the fire.
• Put the phone down and open the Bible.
• Turn off the TV and spend time in prayer.
• Gather with other believers, not just at church but in your home.
• Let the Word of God and prayer add fuel to what God placed in you.

Paul encouraged Timothy to stir up the gift of God within Him. The same applies today. The fire is there. But it requires intentional effort to fan it back into flame.

Real revival is not marketing hype. It is not a crowd-drawing event that leaves people feeling wowed but still empty inside. Real revival is holy. It is led by the Holy Spirit, not by a schedule or a strategy.

Charles Spurgeon, known as the Prince of Preachers, wrote in his commentary on the Psalms: "A genuine revival without joy in the Lord is as impossible as spring without flowers, day dawn without light."

When revival comes, joy returns. People may be at the altar weeping, surrendering things they have held onto for years. But there is a deep joy that comes with surrender, because finally the things that were robbing them of peace are gone, and they are embracing the source of true joy.

Happiness is based on circumstances. You get good news and you are happy. You get bad news and you are not. But joy is different.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

Joy does not change based on what is in God's hand toward you. It is rooted in who He is. If you have Him, you have everything you need. Revival restores that joy, and when joy radiates from a believer's life, people around them take notice. They get hungry for what they see.

As Jesus said, we are to be the salt of the earth. Salt makes food come alive. Salty Christians make people hungry for Jesus. When the church loses its saltiness, the world loses its appetite for the gospel.

Revival does not only happen in church buildings. It starts in homes. Husbands, do not wait for your wife to push you toward prayer. Take the lead. If the first prayer is simply, "Lord, change me. Help me be the husband and Father I need to be," that is a powerful starting point.

Wives, encourage your husbands. Support them. Tell them you are ready to walk forward with Jesus together. When a husband knows his wife is not thinking about herself but about the family, and when a wife knows her husband is not thinking about himself but about her, that is the kind of home where revival can take root.

Revival in a nation begins with revival in a home.

This week, commit to one specific, intentional act of prayer that you are not currently doing. It might be waking up 15 minutes earlier to pray before the day starts. It might be gathering your family for a short prayer before dinner. It might be texting a fellow believer and asking if they want to meet for a lunch hour prayer. Do not wait for a scheduled revival meeting. Start stirring the coals right where you are.

Ask yourself these questions as you reflect on this message:

• When was the last time I felt genuinely on fire for God, and what changed?
• What distractions in my daily life are covering up the fire that God placed in me?
• Am I spending more time scrolling through my phone than I am talking to God?
• What would it look like for my home to become a place where revival starts?
• Do the people around me see joy in my life that makes them hungry for Jesus?

The problems around us are real. But the God of heaven is greater than every one of them. He is not looking for a perfect church or a perfect nation. He is looking for people who will cry out, "Revive us again." Will you be one of them?