Beyond The Basics

I think praying for revival is one of the most difficult things we do as followers of Christ. By its very nature it is the one thing we pray for corporately that seems to go unanswered for year after year after year. Maybe some of us are old enough to remember the revivals in the 1990’s. Some even remember the revivals of the 1970’s. But with decades in between outpourings of the Spirit, it feels like we pray and pray and pray and revival never comes. And with each year that passes, it gets harder and harder to stay faithful in prayer for revival.

Friends, the Lord has heard our prayers for revival and He has answered.

If you haven’t heard about what is going on in Asbury University in Wilmore, KY, I highly encourage you to go look up the videos on the internet and read the articles being written about what God is doing there. Wednesday morning after a message about confession in their chapel service people started coming to the front to confess their sins as others stuck around to keep worshipping and praying. More and more people joined them and students started skipping classes as worship and prayer continued in the chapel. It’s now Sunday afternoon and the worship, prayer and confession hasn’t stopped. Keep in mind, this is all second-hand information as neither I nor anyone I know has been there.

People are coming from all over to see what the Spirit is doing at this 1,600 student university in Kentucky. The chapel seats about 1,500 people and it’s packed wall to wall with worshippers and people hungry to encounter God. Revival has truly come to Wilmore, Kentucky.

I believe there are two things we can do as the body of Christ in this time. The purpose of these two things is not to replicate or work up a move of the Spirit in our own city but to join in unity with other believers in a city where the Spirit is being poured out, and to join in unity with the Spirit Himself in recognition of what He is currently doing.

First, we can confess our sins to the Lord and to each other. This revival was sparked by the confession of sin. We must pray and confess our sins to the Lord and He will forgive us. Confession of sins to a small group of other close Christian friends is essential to a successful and fruitful walk with the Lord.

Second, pray that this revival is not contained to Asbury University. Just like a fire does not need to touch something in order to set it on fire, but merely be in close proximity to heat the object up to the point it combusts, we must pray that the fire that is on the altar at this college heats up surrounding colleges so that they combust with the outpouring of the Spirit as well. Pray that this revival spreads across college campuses around the country so that every city is touched and revived by what God is doing at this time.

The Asbury Collegian is providing daily updates if you would like to read real time reactions to what God is doing at Asbury University. You can find it at http://www.theasburycollegian.com. If you stopped praying for revival over the years, please start praying again! If you haven’t stopped praying, don’t give up! God will bring revival to your city!