That holy promise is currently being fulfilled at a small Christian college in the Bluegrass State. The Holy Spirit is again breaking through all the design, as He has before, proving that the gates of hell are not persevering against the Church of the eternal God.

The Almighty is showing the college students that He is bigger than the Church of England and its embrace of secular morality; and He is even bigger than the Grammy Awards ceremony which bowed its collective knee to "Lucifer" in a red top hat.

What started out as a regular midweek chapel service in the Hughes Auditorium has become the ninth revival to sweep through Asbury since the turn of the 20 Century. The ongoing worship-prayer service is drawing national attention both in the media and by the increasing number of visitors drawn to participate. So far more than 1,000 students and others have made their way to the college chapel.

Headlines are starting to pop up: 'Pure act of the Holy Spirit': Asbury University revival humbles students before the Lord; Revival strikes Asbury once again; Revival Reported at Asbury University in Kentucky; "He is enough" -- the Asbury revival continues; All because of Jesus: the third day of revival; 50-Plus-Hour Revival Sweeps Asbury University: Students 'Stayed All Night'; Worship continues on Asbury campus

During Wednesday 's planned chapel service Zach Meerkreebs preached on Romans 12; his topic was "love and action." That seems to be the springboard into revival.

In part this new revival is an answer to heartfelt, tear-stained, sustained prayer. Many have bowed their head and bent the knee in prayer pleading with God that He would respond to the growing secularism which is sweeping around the world.

God has heard their plea and is answering that prayer.

"It's still hard to verbalize," writes Alexandra Presta, the executive editor of The Asbury Collegian. "I've had friends across state lines text and call me, wanting an explanation for how and why God chose now to come in this way. I admitted to all of them a phrase I usually despise: 'I don't know.'"

The Revival being called the 2023 Revival is attracting attention. People are driving to the small Kentucky college town of Wilmore (population 6,000) to participate in the growing revival, and The Revival is trending on Twitter at #asbury, #kynaz, and #revival. Videos are showing up on YouTube and the university's publication, The Asbury Collegian, is providing timely updates as The Revival continues.

"Worshipers stayed up all night. It was apparent that these young people were not caught up in revival, but in the revival-er. God had come! Unexpectedly!" writes Cincinnati Pastor Daryl Blank on his Facebook page. "No one person was in charge. No one dared to get in the way of what God was doing. Reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing were in this place. ... An announcement was made that at least two other universities were bussing students to the revival and they were on the way."

This isn't the first-time revival has broken out at Asbury. The Holy Spirit has visited the school eight times before and brought revival with Him.

1905: Revival first came to Ashbury when a man's dorm prayer meeting spilled out beyond the walls through the campus and into the town.

1908: A two-week long revival broke out which centered on intercession and prevailing prayer.

1921: A planned campus revival was extended for three extra days.

1950: Revival lasted for 118 hours and generated nationwide stories. It is reported that 50,000 people had a fresh experience of Christ as a result of the Asbury mid-century revival.

1958: The students were fasting for revival which resulted in a 63-hour experience.

1970: Revival was as an answer to prayer for a fresh revival experience. For 144 hours revival took hold and classes were canceled to allow students to participate in God's special visitation to their campus. As a result, 2,000 witness teams were dispatched around the country and they visited 130 college campuses. The 1970 Revival took place during the height of the Viet Nam War and accompanying antiwar demonstrations.

1992: The annual Holiness Conference resulted in an 127-hour long prayer and praise session.

2006: A 4-day revival of worship, prayer and praise swept through the campus.

Now the college is again engaged in an active revival. Will the revival spread beyond the campus and past the city limit? Will this be the beginning of another national Awakening? Will people sit up and take notice that God is pushing back against the woke culture?

News of The Revival is spreading. People from across the country are asking for prayer, healing and transformation.

"We hear you. We see you. And so does God," comes the reply as revival continues through the day and into the night. Some students are not leaving Hughes Auditorium, they are catching a quick 40 winks on the floor while prayer swirls around them.

Asbury University was founded in 1890 as Kentucky Holiness College with an affiliation to the Wesleyan-Holiness Movement. The 19th century holiness movement has Methodist roots. The liberal arts college is considered to be non-denominational but sits across the street from Asbury Theological Seminary, which is the largest seminary of the Wesleyan-Holiness Movement.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline