February 4, 2025

The Fog is Lifting

The fog was relentless. It engulfed the city, delaying flights, forcing reroutes, and leaving hundreds stranded. One plane circled Kraków Airport 27 times before finally diverting–an unofficial record. This was not how I imagined the start of the Revive Europe Conference when I agreed to help organize it. Our team spent two years planning this gathering of thousands of young believers from across the continent, yet we still felt unprepared to handle the haze that greeted us the first day. 

I must confess, at times, I feel as though all of Europe is in a fog. Once a place where church bells rang with certainty, Europe now seems lost in a haze of spiritual confusion. It’s one that muffles sound, obscures vision, and leaves many wandering without clear direction—making it easy to believe this gray uncertainty is all there is.

Yet, after Revive, I am now more convinced than ever that God is not done with Europe. These students didn’t just come with longing; they came with expectation. Throughout the week, hundreds knelt in surrender, responding to the call for repentance, forgiveness, and consecration. Some might dismiss this as youthful idealism or a fleeting emotional response. But this generation is not naive. They have known suffering, loss, and longing, and still, they believe. Their faith is not blind; it is bold.

I saw this depth displayed in my Ukrainian friend Nastya. As we counted down to the New Year, worship resounding around us, she stood with tears in her eyes. A release of soldiers in captivity had just been announced, and her friend’s name was not on the list. She turned to me and whispered, “I had hoped… I really thought he would be free by now.” Like many others, she hadn’t expected the war to last this long. 

So we spent the first moments of 2025 in tears and fervent prayer. And then, as the final “Amen” was spoken, Nastya lifted her hands in worship, singing with the crowd:

“Bless God, for he holds the victory. Bless God, for he’s always with me. Bless God, for he’s always worthy. Every chance I get, I’ll bless your name.”

Like Nastya, the crowd was aware of how deeply broken Europe is. We all felt the weight of the task before us. But we were also aware of the power of the cross. We know the Great Physician, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace. And we believe that he has a desire to see Europe restored. Therefore, this is not a time to settle for small victories. It’s a time to seek God’s presence, to cry out for revival, and to pray his promises into reality.

We are already seeing glimpses of renewal breaking through. The hunger for God’s Word is growing in Bulgaria, with a surge in Bible distribution over the last few years. In Romania, churches are uniting across denominational lines in unprecedented ways. Ukraine now has the fastest-growing church in all of Europe.

We know that revival is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive. However, scripture shows that revival begins with us, broken and surrendered, crying out for God to do what only he can do. This is what I saw displayed over New Year’s. 

Perhaps you, too, are in a season of waiting—longing for a breakthrough, clarity, and the fog to lift. Take heart. The same God moving in Europe is moving in your life. 

Will you join us in praying for revival? Let’s cry out together, trusting that the Spirit is at work, lifting the fog and bringing light where there was once only gray.

 

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