A church revival is like an oil change and full tank of gas for a person.

“As we go along in life’s journey, sometimes we get tired. We don’t pray like we used to, we don’t fast like we should, and we don’t read our Bible like we should,” said Chris Minter, associate pastor for New Life Miracle House of Deliverance. “You refill so that you can move on to do what it is God is calling you to do.”

Congregations hold revivals about one to five times a year in addition to services on Sunday mornings so people can recommit themselves to Christianity and focus to do all things they should do for the Lord.

“I call it a spiritual pep rally to get people focused back on God,” said Pastor Jerry Light of First Baptist Church. “We all need that in whatever our mission or calling is.”

Services include songs and a sermon from a guest speaker. Some churches also allow congregants to solo sing for the group, even if they are not on the schedule of participants.

Minter and his church will hold a revival today, Saturday and Sunday, and it is open to the public. He passed out more than 200 flyers to members of the community inviting people to a service to break the denominational divisions of the community.

“We want to be able to come together as Christians and pray for our city, pray for our nation and let unity start within us and then let it spread abroad,” Minter said.