Attention!

I want to try to tell you about the revival that has come to our church. So much of what God has done is on the inside of us, and it is hard to explain with only the printed word. Try, as you read, to catch the passion and longing, try to imagine you are there and it is your church, try to put yourself in our shoes for a few moments and maybe you will begin to get an inkling of what we have experienced.

It all began one Wednesday at our church's youth group a few weeks before Pentecost, 1996. Our youth pastor began a series of sermons on the Holy Spirit. Somehow I don't think you can preach on the Holy Spirit without Him showing up. Kids were seeking God at the altar, not wanting to leave His presence. The youth services began to last longer and longer. Parents, when their adult classes let out, would come downstairs to find their teens waiting on God.

Pentecost Sunday arrived and along with it Charles Crabtree, our guest speaker for the day. As he preached and prayed for people, God let His warm presence rest on us. A hunger for something we had not yet experienced was birthed in our hearts.

This hunger didn't die away as soon as the speaker left. The next Sunday, June 9th, people spontaneously came to the altars during the worship. No one told them to; they came of their own free will, at the Holy Spirit's bidding. People were crying out to the Father for more of Him. This had never happened before. It has not stopped happening yet.

After that, we would wake up Sunday mornings with an excitement in our hearts. Thoughts of, "What is God going to do?" would float around in our minds until service. Church couldn't be counted on to go according to the schedule we had been used to. Services lasted longer, not because someone forced the people to stay, but because the congregation didn't want to leave.

Soon after this, our senior pastor, Pastor Myers, and his wife went to Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. The power of God touched them mightily. The Sunday after they returned was Father's Day. They shared with us what God had done in them and what He had shown them. Pastor prayed over each bank of pews for revival to fill our hearts and that we would wake up each morning with Jesus on our minds. That day many people were touched by God so strongly they couldn't stand up.

The outpouring of God's presence didn't stop there. God keeps teaching us, drawing us closer to Him.

Worship time has become a highlight of our services. God has given us a love for glorifying Him. As we worship we are drawn closer to the Lord. Many people have been released to praise God in ways they never would have dreamed of before. If you attended a service, you would see people clapping, shouting, raising their hands, kneeling, dancing, and loving God.

A time is given in nearly every service for people to give praise to God through testimonies for what He's done in their lives. Often the pastors can't let everyone share, because there are too many.

Early in the revival, a family in the church had a baby that was born blind and the doctors said he would never see. The church prayed over him one Sunday morning. A few weeks later we got the report from the six specialists -- he had perfect vision! God is so big, a couple of blind eyes aren't going to hold Him down! It was also a wonderful witnessing opportunity for the parents, as they were able to share the glory of the Lord with those doctors, who couldn't deny a miracle had taken place.

More than one person has been set free from demonic oppression experienced in the form of an eating disorder. One woman had been plagued in this way for twelve years. In a Sunday evening service, Pastor was praying for her down at the altar. As he was praying, the demons that were oppressing her began pushing her up the aisle toward the doors, away from the altar area. Pastor walked with her and kept praying. Many people in the church saw what was happening and began praying also. As she neared the doors God set her free! As soon as she was delivered her hands went up in praise, and she ran back to the altar to worship the Lord. At the next service she shared with the church what God had done in her and we all gave glory to the Lord.

God hasn't only done miracles of healing and deliverance. He seems to have decided to bless people in this revival with cars. Many people have told of a need they had for a different vehicle. God met those needs by having someone give them a free car! Sometimes it was a family member, a friend, or even a complete stranger. Although the cars have come from different sources, each person has seen that the gifts really came from God.

This river of God hasn't brought all warm fuzzies. God has moved in our hearts and brought us to the altar in repentance. He has showed us we need to live holy lives before Him. We can't expect God to give us all of Him if we won't give Him all of us. These times of repentance seem to also bring fruit of greater unity among our church and a deeper love for our pastors.

Early on in this outpouring God showed Pastor Myers we couldn't neglect the teaching of the Word. Many times people say, "Wow, God really moved! Pastor didn't even get to preach!" How, if the pastor doesn't teach, is the church supposed to grow? How are the lost supposed to hear the truth? If there had been no preaching, the revival may have stayed only on the surface. People need direction, they need to hear the voice of their shepherd, or they will go astray in unbiblical teaching.

In this river that is flowing the Lord has taught us the importance of prayer. The Thursday night prayer meeting keeps growing in numbers as people come to intercede for salvation of the lost, revival, unity, healing of minds and bodies, and other issues that arise. What happens in those Thursday nights indicates what will happen in the other services. God has honored our prayers. At times His presence has been so thick at the meetings it is difficult to walk--almost as if one is walking through water. He has touched the lives of the people who faithfully come to pray and given them a joy in prayer that makes it disappointing to them when they must miss a meeting.

There have been struggles in this river of God's outpouring, but no true revival has ever gone unopposed. We try to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. Becoming like Him is really all that is important. If we are following Him, He will bring us through whatever we may face. We have the assurance we are on the right track when we are holding His hand.

I hope what I have shared has quickened in your heart a longing for the power of God to fall in your life and church. You could read books on formulas for revival and begin to copy the characteristics of true outpourings, but it won't do you any good. The only thing that will bring true revival to your church is prayer. Not a one sentence, "God send Your fire," but fervent, continued pleas to God. Start prayer meetings, call your friends and pray with them. Pray while you work, pray while you play, pray while you go to school, pray every chance you get and see if God won't pour down blessings upon you!