An Article of Faith

Pastor Malachi O’Brien was stirred to lead his church to seek God for revival at a conference on revival. What happened next transformed his life and congregation:
“Several weeks ago, God broke into our services in an amazing way. It is almost too sacred to mention and amazing to tell for fear of stealing credit or robbing the Glory.
“After returning from Refresh (a revival conference), and the night before I was to lead Sunday services at my church, I read the bio of Manley Beasley and was completely torn inside and challenged greatly in the area of devotion, prayer, and faith. Broken over what I knew God was showing me about myself, I watched a sermon on ‘The Fear Man’ around 4 a.m. Completely devastated, I knew what God was leading me to do.
“I threw away my sermon notes for what I had planned to preach, and went to Jeremiah 2:13. Instead, I preached about my sin of pride. I confessed my insecurity rooted in pride. I opened up about attempting to be a people-pleaser and attempting to hold water in broken cisterns. No outline, not a fancy sermon. I was just broken before my people and honest about God’s desire for revival in our church.
“At the invitation I beheld a glimpse of God’s glory. About 90 percent of our church found a place at the altar. No music, no time limits – just people crying out for revival. After people were done praying, we sat in silence in awe of the presence of God. It was sacred and I dared not to say a thing. We sat, we prayed, we cried, God was real.
“Since that time, the Holy Spirit has continued to move. We have had similar invitations every week. Church has become so much more than the music, the preaching, or even the people. It has become a symphony of people crying out for God to move. Our prayer meetings are intense. Faith is growing for what only God can do. People are being saved and transformed by the gospel. Men, women, and teens are praying.
“I said all of that to say what God has placed in my heart is a deep burden for revival. I cannot drive by a single church, in a single town, in any state and not wonder what God is doing there, and what could God do if His people sought His glorious presence? What would happen if He sent revival? What would happen if God would do something that could not be explained by anything else than Him?
“Every town, big or small, I wonder and I pray. I go through Walmart and wonder what could God do. I feel despair that the majority of these people do not know Christ, and unless we see a mighty move of God, they may never come to Christ. I pray earnestly for God to rend the heavens and come down. This burden has intensified to an inferno in my soul. I wake up with it and go to sleep with it. Lord, bend me!”
This is glimpse of what God does in a church when revival comes! How could your church become a “symphony of people crying out to God” for revival? (Taken and adapted from: OneCry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening. Visit www.onecry.com.)
“If My people,” declares the LORD, “who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV.)

Jessie J. Charpentier Sr. is pastor of Jenkins Memorial Baptist Church in St. Martinville.