Dear Revival Family,

Imagine it. God moves so powerfully that within 50 days:

• A church with a Sunday attendance of 40 grows to 500 people nightly.
• Conversions become so numerous that they stop counting after 250.
• People are getting saved before services even begin.
• A large tent is needed to make room for all the attendees.
• Restitution and reconciliation become a regular occurrence.
• Scores of people are baptized in a nearby lake.

It happened last month at a small country church in Bryant Ridge, Missouri. As unusual as this heightened level of impact may sound, these kinds of reports are characteristic whenever the Holy Spirit is working in an extraordinary way.

As J. I. Packer has said, “Revival is God accelerating, intensifying, and extending the work of grace that goes on in every Christian’s life.” This does not diminish the value of the normal means and timing of God, but it does accentuate the importance of seeking those divine seasons of God’s extraordinary flow of grace.

The Accelerating Work of God

I sometimes like to describe revival as God pushing the pedal to the metal without any speed limit. It sounds trite, but acceleration is an exciting aspect of genuine revival. What would normally take years to achieve (evangelism, sacrificial giving, volunteerism, missions, reconciliation, restitution) happens with great rapidity.

I recall years ago, at Liberty University , we held a revival summit to call students and faculty to repentance and obedience. God’s Spirit began to move in an extraordinary way, and within 48 hours, more than 400 individuals came to Christ. The conviction of God was so intense during those few days that classes were cancelled so teachers could lead weeping and repentant students to Christ. What would typically take years to accomplish happened in a few short days. (Interestingly, I have met several Christian workers over the years who point to that event as their motivation to enter vocational ministry.)

When God visited Wheaton College in 1995, the number of students in the missions department the following semester grew from a handful to over 300.

When God came to the Ivy League schools during the early 1800s, the number of known believers escalated from less than twenty to more than one-third of the student population, in just a few short years.

The Intensity of God’s Conviction

When God comes in power, His work is not only a rapid one but an intensely convicting one. I remember being in a large church summit in Houston , Texas , when a respected staff member was overcome by the conviction of God while driving on the freeway. He could not elude the immediacy of what God was asking of him, so he pulled off the side of the freeway, bowed his head, and wept uncontrollably as he surrendered his life to the Lord in genuine salvation. God’s Spirit would not let go of him until he let go of himself!

And I will never forget the intense and broad conviction of God throughout an entire city in central Indiana . The manifest presence of the Spirit was everywhere. The lost president of a local bank was unexplainably overcome by conviction while sitting at his desk. He went searching for someone to lead him to Christ. Over a cup of iced tea in a nearby restaurant, the man repented and received Christ. This year that ex-banker will complete 25 years of fulltime vocational ministry. He has been instrumental in seeing thousands come to Christ.

The Fulton Street Prayers

During seasons of revival, the intense work of God is often most evident in the prayers of God’s people. Recently I was granted permission to make personal copies of the original requests sent from around the world to the prayer meeting that met at the Dutch Reformed Church on Fulton Street in New York City . That legendary prayer meeting began exactly 149 years ago this month and continued unimpeded for the next several years. It was the launching pad for the Third Great Awakening—a massive outpouring of God’s Spirit throughout our nation in 1857-58, displaying His glory in remarkable fashion from coast to coast.

Following is an example of just one of those passion-filled prayer requests: I have, for fifteen months or more, been reading weekly accounts of your glorious feasts in that city. I longed to be with you—have prayed for similar manifes-tations of Divine power in my own field. I have labored here for two years and yet I have not been permitted to see souls crying what to do to be saved. I feel God has forsaken our beloved community or is grieved at our unbelief. I feel awful sometimes under these reflections. I therefore resolved to ask this Heavenly honored meeting to pray for this poor feeble minister of God and his perishing people, that God would also pass this way and do a great work for us. I do crave your prayers.                                
            
Can’t you feel the inescapable longing for God’s presence gripping the heart of this pastor? When was the last time those in your church felt that kind of holy anguish? When was the last time the convicting power of God created such desperation that people were crying out for an encounter with the living God? And what would cause such an intense seeking of God today?

Evangelism and Missions At Their Best!

I often hear pastors say, “The revival we need is a revival of evangelism.” I couldn’t agree more. BUT, the greatest work of evangelism and the most powerful missionary movements are overflows of revival.

Bill McLeod, the pastor in whose church the great Canadian revival was birthed, exhorted me one day, “Byron, remember this: In times of evangelism, evangelists seek sinners; but in times of revival, sinners seek the Lord!” When God comes in revival, people will come in earnest to the Reviver!

Two hundred years ago this past August, the famous Haystack Prayer Meeting became the fodder for the first missionary movement originating from North America. Five students at Williams College in Massachusetts began praying for revival and evangelism. One sultry Saturday afternoon the students were off campus interceding (prayer was essentially forbidden on campus) when a severe thunderstorm developed. The only covering they could find was a haystack. They huddled together and prayed for God to meet with them. Listen to one historical account of what happened next:

Finally, after singing a hymn, Mills looked at the others, and over the roar of the drenching rain, and with flashes of lightening reflecting in his eyes, cried out, “We can do this, if we will!” Something broke loose in that moment within the hearts of all five. All pointed back to that moment as the one that changed them forever. The five later consecrated themselves to full devotion to the Great Commission and taking the gospel to all the nations.

That moment in 1806 under the haystack was the spark for the greatest missionary movement the world has ever seen. The list of missionary agencies birthed and the number of missionaries called overseas are absolutely staggering. (For a more complete account of the Haystack Prayer Meeting, visit www.LifeAction.org.)

These five students had no idea that all of history was watching that summer day. They were simply determined to obey in the midst of seeking Him. Can you imagine the worldwide outreach that would result from another great revival in our day?

Revival Today

Last month Life Action entered its 36th year of revival ministry. During the span of three-and-a-half decades, we have partnered with more than 1200 churches who have set aside time to seek the Lord in a protracted and intensified way. As a result many hearts, homes, and churches have witnessed glimpses of His glory. Some have even experienced powerful invasions of God in authentic revival. We rejoice in all He has done.

But my heart won’t let go of the prospect of something far greater—another regional or nation-wide outpouring. And while what we are currently experiencing is a long way from anything comparable to the Great Awakenings of the past, we are seeing congregations who are eager to seek the Lord, even for two weeks at a time. As you can imagine, the results are significant and lasting. One leader summed it up this way: “When God comes to church, everyone wants to be there." Life Action currently has four teams on the road full time. One of those teams has just launched a new ministry called “Thirst,” a four-day conference designed to create a deep personal and corporate longing for Jesus, the Living Water (www.LifeAction.org/Thirst). I am excited about this new four-day format as a precursor for those who are interested in revival but are not quite ready for the full-blown summit ministry. Please be praying as we introduce the vision and hope of revival in this shorter format.

Finally, as we rapidly approach the end of another year, I want to thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support. God has been good to us during these past five years of exceptional growth and expansion. As a result of increased ministry opportunities, our need for funding has escalated, and it will take a miracle by the end of the year for us to not be forced to cut our outreach budget. Please join us in praying for that kind of supply!

As our way of expressing appreciation for any size gift to help meet this need, we will send you a brand new book entitled Revival in the Rubble. I had the privilege of writing the foreword to this book and would say without hesitation that it is one of the most practical and inspiring books on revival that I have ever read. I trust you will read it prayerfully and respond to its call wholeheartedly. You will be blessed.

More fervently than ever, we are asking God to ignite movements of revival throughout North America, until His glory fills the land. Will you join us in that simple but nation-changing prayer?

Until He Comes in Revival!

Byron Paulus