The Great Awaking was a spiritual revival that encouraged Americans to lead a morally pure and holy life. The Great Awakening also encouraged Americans to draw closer to God. As a result, the American people moved away from the established churches because they encouraged complacency and developed practises of constant and emotional prayer. This spiritual revival began in Europe and spread across the Atlantic ocean during the first half of the eighteenth century. The net effect of the Great Awaking was that people were able to freely express their devotion to God outside the confines of the church.
