SEU (South Eastern University), a private university in Lakeland, FL has been getting recent attention for a revival that broke out on their campus. According to Jonathan Rivera, campus pastor of SEU, this all began at a conference that is hosted every year at the university. He says, “What began as a three-day conference that we have annually, has now become a genuine move of God…we have entered into a new normal.”

Even after the conference ended on Wednesday, February 11, students continued to worship and now, the worship is turning into something bigger. The president of the SEU, Kent Ingle, made a statement about this: “For more than 24 hours, students have been gathering in worship and prayer, pursuing Jesus, with a hunger that…has been humbling and beautiful to witness.”

The university made a public announcement yesterday, which stated that classes were cancelled for the remainder of the day due to the revival. 

While it is amazing to see God work in the hearts of these students, this isn’t the first time that we have experienced a huge breakout of Gen Z yearning for the heart of God. On February 8, 2023, something similar happened at Asbury University in Wilmore, KY. What began as a message during chapel, turned into a revival that gained the attention of hundreds and thousands of people around the world. Many people in the country traveled to this small town in Kentucky to witness what was happening on the campus of Asbury University. While this revival lasted for almost three weeks, the impact of those who were there, and even those who were watching through the livestream, lasts a lifetime. Now almost exactly 3 years later, we are seeing God do the same thing again, but on a different campus. 

As of right now, the revival at SEU has been going on for more than 30 hours. Ingle has emphasized that this is not about gaining attention but about, “…the presence of the living God [and] the pursuit of Jesus.” According to Rivera, many students have been repenting, worshipping, and turning to the Lord. As someone who is a part of Gen Z, it is refreshing to see more of us turn to the Lord with a strong desire to follow Him. My prayer is not just for my generation, but for all generations, to know who the Lord is and follow Him.