I’m writing this blog as I’m returning from an Evangelism Conference in Alexandria (don’t worry, Craig Ratliff, one of our pastors, is doing the driving). The thrust of the Evangelism Conference has been “Revival and Spiritual Awakening – Praying for God to Supernaturally Visit our State and Transform our Culture.” Some of the speakers at this Conference have been men who have witnessed God bringing spiritual revival and awaking to regions or nations in the past. They are:

• Bill Stafford – who was part of a great revival that took place in New Albany, Indiana

• Tom Elliff (International Missions Board) - who is aware of revivals around the world

• Sammy Tippet – who has seen God work mightily in Brazil, Cuba, Romania and Russia

• Wade Akins – a missionary who participated in a great national revival in Brazil

• Dr. Roy Fish – who is one of the world’s foremost scholars on the subject of revival

A “big question” WAS posed by one of those “revival experts.” He asked, “With all of the idolatry, carnality, lawlessness and immorality we have in today’s world, can God still bring Revival and Transformation to our 21st Century World?”

Dr. Fish is perhaps the world’s foremost expert on the “1857 Prayer Meeting Revival” that shook our nation and paved the way for an end to slavery in the United States. Our nation at that time, just as it is in our time, was characterized by lawlessness, idolatry, carnality and immorality. Alcoholism was negatively impacting our nation in that day, just as drugs and alcohol are doing today. There was a lack of morals and values, and slavery continued to be practiced in our southern states. Also, during this time there was a general falling away in church attendance and Christian commitment throughout our nation.

During this dark time in our nation’s history, a man named Jeremiah Lanphier in New York City became burdened about the plight of our nation, and he told some friends that he was going to start praying for national revival on a daily basis during his lunch hour. On the first day that he prayed he spent much of that time alone, until a few friends joined him at the end of the hour to pray for national revival. The next day a few more people joined Jeremiah Lanphier in prayer, and the next day there were even more individuals. Every day new people were drawn to participate in his ongoing daily prayer meeting for national revival. News of the people praying began to spread across New York City, and daily prayer meetings began to break out everywhere across the city. At the same time the numbers continued to grow in Lanphier’s prayer group, until at one time 5000 people gathered daily in Jannes Hall to pray for national revival. News of what was happening in New York City spread across our nation, and “national revival prayer groups” began in many cities (particularly in the Northeast, the Midwest and the far western parts of our nation). Historians say that 147 cities in our nation were impacted by the “prayer meeting movement.”

What were the results of this 1857 Prayer Meeting Revival? Great numbers of people began to turn from their sinful ways and began to turn back to God. Multitudes were able to overcome their addictions and strongholds by God’s power. The Churches of that day began to boom as people returned to worshiping the Lord on Sundays. Great things began to happen in our nation, including the fact that many people came to the conclusion that it was time to end slavery in the United States (which was a catalyst for the Civil War in the 1860’s). It is quite possible that slavery in the U.S. (at least in the South) would have continued for a number of years had it not been for the 1857 Prayer Meeting Revival.

Now here is the question, “Can God still do today, in our region, state and nation, what He did in 1857?” I don’t see why not? He is the “same God yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What is it going to take for a great spiritual revival or awakening to happen? We’re going to have to become like Jeremiah Lanphier and others – so desperate for God to transform our nation that we’re willing to interrupt our schedules to meet with other Christians daily and/or regularly for prayer and intercession. Will God move in 2012 in our nation like He did in 1857? He will if individually, as a Church, and as a Christian community we are willing to “pray the price” for revival. Remember what the Lord said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “If My people 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 forgive their sins, and heal their land.”

What would a “healed” and transformed Greater New Orleans look like? Crime would be reduced to nothing, corruption would be rooted out entirely, and government and business leaders would begin honoring the Lord with their lips and lives. If revival and spiritual awakening were to break forth in our region our schools would become strong spiritually and academically. The industries in our region would prosper and jobs would become plentiful. Also, our churches would be unified in mission and in ministry, and a culture of morality would replace the culture of immorality that now characterizes our region. What decent person wouldn’t want the Lord to bring revival and spiritual awakening to our region? When Philip the Deacon went to the city of Samaria and became a catalyst of revival (multitudes were saved, healed and delivered from demonic bondages), the Bible says there was “great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5-8). Our city would be characterized by godly joy and prosperity if we had a great move of God in our region. And what God did in Samaria in the 1st century and in our nation in the 19th century, He wants to do in our region and nation in the 21st century.

I challenge you to gather some friends at work at begin praying for local and national revival and spiritual awakening on a regular basis. I challenge you to connect with a Life Group and start praying weekly and/or daily with those Life Group friends for local and national revival. I challenge you to start praying daily for personal revival in your own life, because revival and spiritual awakening has to begin with us. I’m going to start “praying the price” for revival to come in my own life, our church, our region, our state and our nation. I encourage and exhort you to join me. What God did through Phillip, Jeremiah Lanphier and others years ago He can still do in, for and through us in our day and time.