The Cane Ridge Revival

by Dutch Sheets

The Cane Ridge Revival

I went to Cane Ridge. There was a great revival there in Kentucky in 1801, called, “The Cane Ridge Revival.” There’s a log church there where it started. People came there from hundreds of miles away to get a taste of the Glory. They came by horseback, covered wagon, and they walked. There were campfires by the hundreds all around there at night. Thousands of people were camped on the hillsides, because they had heard the Glory of God had fallen at Cane Ridge. They didn’t have P. A. systems, buildings, or air conditioning. Four, five, even six, people would be preaching at any one time. They would be a quarter mile or so apart. They would climb up on barrels, tables, and onto the branches of trees to preach. So, you would see small crowds dotting the landscape. It was said that as far as the eye could see there were thousands and thousands and thousands of people drinking from the well of that Holy Spirit outpouring. It was such a significant move of God that for many years after people would die and say, “Bury me at Cane Ridge.” At an exhumation to repair the grounds in this century, it was discovered that some of the graves held bodies 6 or 7 deep. Some represented generations of family members affected by the revival. Others were unrelated, but it is said some had said, “Bury me in the ground of where I found Him. Bury me at Cane Ridge.” It was because of the Glory. 

When I went to Cane Ridge for the first time, I got about six miles away according to my GPS. Suddenly, very suddenly, I felt Him. I said, “Lord, I feel Your Presence.” He said to me, “I am still hanging out in these hills. My Glory is still here.” 

“Moses said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’” (Exodus 33:18; ESV)

“Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’” (John 11:40; ESV)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

• Are you hungry for His Glory? Say to the Lord, “Show me Your Glory!”
• Say to Jesus, “Lord, I want to see Your Glory. I believe. Help my unbelief.”
• Ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of His Holy Spirit in and through your life.
• Find a place in your realm of influence where you believe the Lord could show up. It could be a park in your neighborhood, a community center, a school classroom, an empty office, anywhere. Begin to go there and pray regularly, crying out for an outpouring of the Lord’s Presence, like Cane Ridge. Believe and see what might happen there.

A prayer you can pray:

Father, show me Your Glory! I am desperate, hungry, longing for Your move in my generation. I want to see You glorified in my city. You have poured Yourself out at Cane Ridge. Do it again, Lord. Do it here. I believe, Jesus! Deal with my doubt and unbelief. Don’t let my weak faith stop You from coming in fullness. Draw the lost form everywhere. Draw the saved in unity to work together to share the Gospel with those drawn to hear it. Provide everything we need. Save the lost, cast out demons, heal the sick, fill the Church with Your Holy Spirit and with Your Glory. Show me a place You can pour out. Make me faithful to pray in the place You lead me to go no matter how long it takes. Holy Spirit lead my intercession. Fill it with Your passion for the lost souls of men. Save whole families! Sovereignly draw people from near and far. Let Your lasting Glory fall. Let Your life-transforming Glory alight and remain. Let wildfires of revival spring up across America as many take up this call in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Today’s decree:

God, blanket America in Your Glory as You did at Cane Ridge!