Are We in the Early Stages of a Spiritual Awakening?
What Is a Spiritual Awakening?
“Awakening” has meant many things—the Great Awakening in the 1700s, the Jesus Movement in the 1970s, or Chuck Swindoll’s Grace Awakening in the 1990s. At its core, an awakening happens when God’s people rediscover timeless truth. Not new revelation, but old truth remembered.
I believe God is waking us up again—this time to the Priesthood of All Believers, His global mission, and the unique calling of Christians in the marketplace.
The Priesthood of All Believers: No Divide
Peter wrote: “You are a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2). That changes everything.
- No separate priestly class.
- No divide between “clergy” and “ordinary believers.”
- No “higher calling” for pastors or missionaries than for teachers, engineers, or entrepreneurs.
Every follower of Jesus is a priest—able to go directly to God, gifted by His Spirit, and called into His mission.
Martin Luther fought to restore this truth. Sadly, while we embraced justification by faith, we largely forgot the universal priesthood of believers. It’s time to reclaim it—especially in the marketplace.
God’s Mission Is Bigger Than We Think
From Genesis to Revelation, God’s purpose is clear: to fill the earth with worshippers.
- Genesis 1 – Humanity created to bear His image.
- Genesis 12 – Abraham blessed to bless the nations.
- Matthew 28 – Jesus sends us to disciple all peoples.
- Revelation 7 – Every tribe and tongue worshipping the Lamb.
God isn’t just rescuing souls from hell. He is building a global family who know Him, honor Him, and live out His Kingdom on earth.
Business as Mission: Marketplace Ministry
For too long, the marketplace has been painted as “less than”—greedy, corrupt, barely redeemed by writing checks to “real ministry.” That’s a distortion.
God is calling His people in business, education, science, and government to step into their priestly role. Marketplace ministry is not a consolation prize—it’s frontline Kingdom work.
- Starting companies.
- Creating jobs.
- Running businesses with integrity.
- Serving customers and communities.
These are not distractions from God’s mission. They are God’s mission.
From Lone Voices to a Global Movement
When I wrote about this in 2006, after years of using business among the unreached, I felt like a lone voice. I wasn’t. From China to Brazil, Africa to Europe, believers were rediscovering the same truths.
Today, tens of thousands of Christians are living out Business as Mission. The result? A global movement of believers bringing faith into work—and God’s work into the world.
Signs of a New Awakening
If the Church continues to wake up—especially believers in the marketplace—here’s what we can expect:
- Stronger, more mature disciples (Ephesians 4:11–16).
- Transformed communities and nations.
- New levels of economic justice.
- The unreached hearing the Gospel.
- Disciples multiplying in every culture.
This looks and feels like the early stages of a spiritual awakening. May it be so. Soli Deo Gloria.