Revival Time!

A pastor's life can be very busy. I'm out lots of evenings and weekends and often in emergency situations. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to even blog lately.

For the past almost three weeks, I've been out each evening. We spent 1 1/2 weeks with a Life Action team for a Revival Summit. For the rest of the second week, we had an extra evening to meet and process the events of the Summit, then a Love And Respect Marriage Conference in Houston, followed by Sunday services, then across the river to share what God has done at First Baptist, Sulphur, with the fine folks at First Baptist, Lake Charles who are now hosting the team who was with us.

Then it was a Stewardship Committee meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday prayer meeting. I was home Thursday evening. Yeah!

Regardless, the days of the Revival Summit were some of the best times of my life. Many evenings I didn't get home until 10:00 or later. We started the evenings at 5:00 with a light supper followed by the summit. The body was tired, but the spirit refreshed.

God sent us a team of people hungry to see God move through them in the churches they serve. God sent me two men (whose pictures are on this post) who seem to love nothing better than to pray and to seek God. There are so many things I can share, for my heart is full.

Among the Revival Reflections (how's that for alliteration?) in my journal:

1. The team who came to lead us fasted and prayed for us many hours while they were here. What of us here? How badly do we wish to see God move at our church?

2. I learned that I can attempt desperate prevailing prayer- and enjoy it, thought it is sometimes painful. Time seems to quickly pass. I also learned to pray in all sorts of postures.

3. These two men, Laine Johnson and Wilson Green, are men who really pray. Of the things I already miss the most about the week and a half, it is the time of praying for them and with them.

4. I am learning to follow the Spirit's leading more closely. Over the years, I have been guilty of reading the latest church growth book or wanting to implement the hottest strategies, all the while tipping the hat to prayer and seeking God about it. I have often put more trust in programs than in God. When His power is manifested, no program, strategy, or scheme can duplicate or come close.

5. Revivals have similarities and differences. From the first service, the team seemed to be on different ground. Things they planned to do or subjects they planned to address seemed to be secondary as we sought the Spirit's leadership. There are common qualities in revivals of history. But in many ways they are like thumprints- unique.

6. What is next? Our staff, seeing God move among us and in us, determined that we did not wish to go back to the "way it was." What does the future look like? We don't know. One staff member said, "It would be better for us never to have experienced these days of revival than to have experienced them and then go back to the way it was before." Amen!

Other observations:

1. There were several spontaneous eruptions of prayer during those days. We began noon prayer meetings almost three weeks ago. They are continuing today. Even the children's group paused one night to pray 30 minutes for revival. Testimonies given publicly indicated new burdens for prayer. Team members prayerwalked our property. On the Friday night with no services scheduled, several of our members prayerwalked our grounds and went on to the High School football game being played nearby. They prayerwalked there as well. Our home team lost anyway. But that wasn't the purpose of their prayers!

2. I know of at least three people who were prayed for by name. Two of them gave their lives to Jesus Christ during the Summit and the other gave up some sinful habits.

3. My priorities- the ministry of the word and prayer. I have been greatly lacking in these areas. Why do we pray a little and work a lot? Shouldn't that be reversed?

Finally, perhaps the true test of the impact of revival is what happens after the revival leaders leave. Last Sunday we had church! We began morning worship at 10:30 and finished up around 12:40. There was one salvation during the service, one marriage vow renewal, a baby rededication, several ministries were prayed over and intiated, a family joined the church, a number of folks gave testimonies and words of encouragement, and one single mom who just "wandered" in tearfully admitted her need for repentance and forgiveness. Then Sunday night, four more precious young folks gave their lives to Christ. And none of it was planned!

This, I pray, is "only the beginning..."

Revival! I'll have more to say on this subject in upcoming posts.