Pentecost Season – Pray for Church Revival

By Rev Anthony

We are now in the Pentecost Season.

In the book of Acts, we see Jesus’ disciples waiting in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised them. But when would it be? The disciples didn’t know how long they would have to wait. Meanwhile, they were hiding behind closed doors, fearing that the Roman and Jewish leaders might persecute them.

God had His timing. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit arrived. “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

The coming of the Holy Spirit was a powerful event that transformed the disciples. They were no longer afraid to speak about Jesus, and they went out into the streets of Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to all who would listen. As a result, many people were saved and added to the church. (Acts 2:41)

The Pentecost season is a time for us to reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit. He is with the church today. He is present in the life of every Christian. He empowers us to live a holy life, to grow in our faith and to share the gospel with others.

Question 1: Are we experiencing the Holy Spirit?

Henry Blackaby is a well-known author and speaker on Christian topics. In his book “Experiencing God”, Blackaby writes about the realities of experiencing God. These realities include:
• God is always at work and seeking to reveal Himself to us.
• We must be sensitive to God’s leading and be willing to step out in faith.
• We must expect God to do great things.
• We must be willing to share with others what God has done.

Question 2: Do we get the above realities into our hearts and act on them positively?

Question 3: Do we see many significant events happening in the world pointing to the urgency to reach more people for Christ?

A man once came to Gipsy Smith, an English evangelist, and asked him how to have revival. Gipsy enquired of him, “Do you have a place where you can pray?”

When the man answered in the affirmative, Gipsy said, “Go to that place, kneel down there, and draw a complete circle all around you with chalk — and pray for God to send revival on everything inside of the circle. Stay there until He answers—and you will have revival.”

This story is a reminder that it is possible for revival to come to our lives, to our families, to our communities, and to the world. But revival comes only when we pray with faith and persistence. Such prayers move the heart of God.

Another story is about five young college students who went to hear the great evangelist Charles Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, they were greeted by a man who asked if they would like to see the heating plant of the church. Not wanting to offend the man, the students agreed.

The man took the students down a stairway and opened a door. He whispered, “This is our heating plant.” The students were surprised to see about 100 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was about to begin. The man then introduced himself as Charles Spurgeon.

This story shows us that prayer is the fuel that drives God’s blessings. When God’s people pray, they release His power into the world. Revival is not just a blessing to wish for; it is something that we bring about through prayer.

So, will revival happen in this Pentecost season in JCC?

Let us pray for a revival of God’s Spirit in our hearts. Let us pray for a revival of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Let us pray for a revival of evangelism, as we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others.

Prayer is the key to revival. Let us pray and let us believe that God will answer our prayers.