An Article of Faith

There is a reason why we are joining together in OneCry across America. It’s based on the Bible and verified in history. It’s the same call that led to the First Great Awakening. It’s a plea for united prayer for the only thing that will save our nation in this desperate hour: a mighty move of God.
What would happen if 30 churches in our city asked their people to cry out every week for God to send revival? If every month, on a set day, churches met together to pray for revival? If you could go throughout the city on the first Monday of the month, for example, to any 30 churches and find them praying? What if they committed to join together once a quarter and to pray for revival? What if the entire body of Christ in America agreed together about our need of repentance? What would happen if we turned to God together in humility and fervency? If we all interceded together for His mercy and grace?
We have some indication from the Bible. One New Testament text provides the following insight: “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer...” (Acts 1:14a NLT.) They didn’t plan, organize, or move. They united together continually. Not for a single meeting or a one-time encounter, but for an ongoing season. They had one mind that came out of one desperation and one direction to one Source.

“Has it ever occurred to you,” wrote A. W. Tozer, “that 100 pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So 100 worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eye away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
They were constantly “united.” This word carries the idea of being “strong toward” something. I know some men who are strong toward sports or strong toward work. These men and women in Acts 1:14 were strong toward prayer.
This continual, united prayer led to one answer from the one true God. At the perfect moment, God came in manifest power! Granted, Pentecost was a not-to-be-repeated event, as the Holy Spirit is poured out on every believer at the moment of conversion. This was the birth, not only of the church, but of a new era. The events of this moment and the residual effects gives us an indication of what happens when God’s people come to oneness with Him and each another.
At the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) God had to confuse their tongues to prevent increased pride and rebellion. At Pentecost, a moment of perfect oneness, all the believers spoke in the language of every nation under heaven and yet there was one message! There was perfect unity centered around the essential message of the cross. (Taken and adapted from: OneCry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening. Visit www.onecry.com.)
“And they sang a new song [to Jesus] with these words: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For You were slaughtered, and Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And You have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth’.” (Revelation 5:9-10 NLT.)
“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.