January 17th, 2017

Acts 2:2-3 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 
 
“SUDDENLY” is a word in Scripture that is very often connected to a great work or awakening from God upon his people. In addition to the account above of the Spirit suddenly beginning the church, here are two other examples: Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Paul’s revival in Acts 9:3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
    Let’s continue our look at the Layman’s Prayer Revival of 1857-1859. You will see how suddenly God revived unsuspecting souls, churches, cities, and more. Here is an excerpt from “Firefall 2.0 How God Shaped History through Revivals” by Malcolm McDow & Alvin R. Reid. Remember, “revival” is turning from sin’s death to becoming alive in God.
 
As noted earlier, the power of prayer was demonstrated in the union prayer meetings inaugurated by Jeremiah Lanphier. In fact, the name given to the general awakening is taken from these meetings, which began in New York and spread nationwide. Prayer meetings rather than preaching services became the means for spreading revival fire. Certainly preaching played a vital role; but in most cases, preaching services came as a result of prayer meetings.  
     
The Prayer Revival began with several unrelated movements of revival that ultimately became one. There was no planning, no major call to prayer, no attempt to propagate revival. A contemporary of the revival said, “This advent was so sudden and heralded, that ministers were in many cases taken by surprise, and scarcely able to realize that awakening [was] breathing on the hearts of their congregations.
     
As a result, the pastors were encouraged to preach on revival the first Sunday of the New Year of 1858 to be followed the next Thursday with a day of fasting and humiliation. A similar conference was held in Cincinnati following the first. By this time, many were beginning to discuss a ‘great revival’ that had ensued.  
   
    Suddenly, God acted, didn’t he? Who expected the Spirit to come at Pentecost to begin the church in the way he did? Who considered the angels to suddenly appear over Bethlehem’s night sky? Surely, Paul did not expect his life to suddenly change in Jesus’ reviving power. No one – no minister, no evangelist, no lay person, no church member – expected God to suddenly revive thousands of hearts through one man’s prayer in a declining church amid a sin-laden culture in New York City.
    Are we without hope today? Do we think God cannot suddenly act to revive his truth into the hearts of mankind worldwide? No, we are not to think this way. This is putting mankind’s sins above God’s reviving power. Let’s get on our knees and pray. Let’s believe in God to suddenly change hearts. Let’s see how God’s Kingdom will come over our own lives, our towns, our nations and the earth.
 
Prayer: Suddenly come, Spirit, to revive our long dead souls. Stop the murders. Stop the abortions. Stop the self-serving lies of our lives. Start new life in our souls. Bring new life to our cities. Protect the innocent. Surround the saints. In Jesus’ name, amen.