revival
Scotland Saw His Glory
When praying for revival and spiritual awakening in our land, can we do anything else after we pray? Richard Owen Roberts has a response based on the centuries of revival and awakening stories from Scotland in his book: “Scotland Saw His Glory.” “Note the frequency with which the Holy Spirit came to Scotland at Communion occasions. Without question, revival comes when God sends it, but there is some relationship between what His people do or don’t do and His coming. One of the most treasured questions which has ever been asked me was this: “Having prayed for revival, is there…
Experiencing God Restoring Life and Vitality
While helping start a new church, I watched a church experience God restoring life and vitality. The senior adults at New Hope had been trying to hold on to life, and they were dwindling away. When they began to give themselves to help start a new church, they began to experience a restored life and vitality! Jesus talked about that principle in Luke 9:24: “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (NIV). Is your church focusing all your attention on yourselves trying to hold onto life? Seek the…
Great Georgia Revival of 1827
The Great Georgia Revival of 1827 began in prayer and impacted a region in the revival of God’s people that led to a spiritual awakening in communities across the state. Adiel Sherwood was pastor in Eatonton, GA where over 100 were converted. Revival struck a crowd of 4,000 at the annual meeting of the Okmulgee Baptist Association where Sherwood spoke. Others pastors, churches, and denominations became involved in preaching and sharing Christ. During the season of revival over 16,000 were added to Baptist churches. In Sandtown, GA every person of accountable age was saved, and they renamed their town Newborn,…
The Walter Hill Revival
A church that had run about 50 in attendance for 50 years repented of their prayerlessness. God began to bring inactive members back into active fellowship with the body. They began to reach people in their community for Christ and become involved in an international missions partnership. For me, this church was an example of the difference between a “house of prayer for the nations” (Isaiah 56:1-8) and a “den of robbers” (Jeremiah 7:9-11).
Is your church a den of thieves or a house of prayer?
How could God’s people miss what should have been the greatest revival in all of history? God’s people were so disoriented to God that when God Himself (in the person of Jesus Christ) came to lead the revival, they rejected Him and His message. Jesus explained that they were supposed to be a house of prayer, but they had become a den of thieves and robbers. Inspired by a message by Henry Blackaby on Luke 19:41-45, I’ve contrasted a house of prayer for the nations (described in Isaiah 56:1-8) and a den of robbers (described in Jeremiah 7:9-11). Lest we…
One Texas Church: Revival, Prayer, and Spiritual Harvest
In 1995 God revived His people at First Baptist Church of Wellington, Texas. They gave special emphasis to prayer during the spring of the year and focused their prayers on the lost people in their community. They prayed for 50 days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday and held 10 days of “Pentecost Prayer Meetings” following a model from South Africa. God took this revived and praying church to bring in a significant spiritual harvest during the coming months. They were willing to pay the price of returning to the Lord and experienced the fruit of obedience to Him. For a…