It's 5:00 in the morning. Bill and Greg connect by phone and spend the next 45 minutes sharing and praying together. They do this every morning . . . and have for the last 16 years.

As influential lawyers, these gentlemen have a few alibis to justify quitting—busy schedules, client demands, civic responsibilities. Yet they refuse to cancel their "together time" with God.

I wanted to know more. Sitting at a board room table, they shared how it all began with a 30-day challenge at the end of a Life Action summit. Although both were members of the same church, they had never formally met. During the summit meetings, God's grace radically softened their hearts. Their love for the Lord and desire to fully obey Him was dramatically renewed. They both wanted this fresh passion to accelerate.

On the final night of the summit, the people were invited to find someone at the service with whom they could meet for the next 30 days to proactively engage in the process of spiritual maturity. Bill and Greg met each other that night and decided to try it. That was in 1994, and they never stopped meeting.

It's 6:30 in the morning. My friend Dave called to see if we were "still on" for our regularly scheduled meeting. Dave is a successful ophthalmologist and one of the busiest men I know. But we made a commitment many years ago to regularly ask each other three simple questions: How is your money? How are your morals? How is your marriage? Since materialism and sexual immorality are two false gods of our age, we want a solid defense against these assaults from the Enemy.

We try to meet weekly, and though we sometimes miss, we both realize that our connection is an indispensable component of fulfilling God's ultimate purpose for our lives. We need each other.

It's 9:00 in the morning. The most significant revival in history was birthed as the Spirit was poured out on Peter and the disciples at Pentecost. The "birthing room" (upper room) contained a close-knit contingent of men and women from various walks of life who were waiting "together" (Acts 2:1) for power—not ordinary power, but supernatural power—the kind needed for both personal renewal and fruitful ministry.

In the days to come, the movement would be intensified, accelerated, and multiplied as the disciples continued to gather from house to house, devoting themselves to "the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42).

Is it your time? God still pours out His Spirit today in the context of community. In fact, after almost 40 years of teaching revival principles across America as a ministry, encouragement and accountability stand out to us as critical factors to lasting change in individuals, families, and churches. That's why I believe the next great movement of God in revival will come as believers learn to encourage each other in prayer, faith, and obedience.

As you read this issue of Revive on encouragement, my prayer is not only that you would be encouraged, but that you would take on the challenge of becoming an encourager. A revival of encouragement will pave the way for the sweeping spiritual revival needed in America's churches.

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