Revival God's Way - The Plan
Revival God’s Way – The Plan
Major Anita Caldwell
Retired Officer
USA Southern Territory
Rabbit was excited and ready for the day. The sun was up, and it would be a beautiful day for the race. Impatiently, he knocked at Turtle’s door. Of course, Rabbit expected to win. He did not need a plan. Turtle finally came to the door. “Good morning, Rabbit,” he said with confidence, “are you ready?” They met at the starting line and the race began. The entire village was out to see who would sin. Soon, Rabbit was so far ahead, he could not see Turtle. He had run so hard; he was too tired to continue. Surely a short nap would not hurt.
Revival
Revival is not a race, but it needs a plan and a goal. There is no point in holding a series of meetings without a goal that transformation will take place. To have a revival service so that you can check it off your list makes for revival without a reason for being held.
Of course, you should be praying about who might speak or if any other special guests need to come. Ask the Lord what He would like you to do and ask Him to guide you. Ask your DHQ if there are funds to assist with expenses.
Consider the following leading up to a revival:
- Week 1 - Call to daily prayer with a prayer guide.
- Week 2 - Prayer; Revival purpose and goal written, announcement in bulletin and in social media.
- Week 3 – Prayer; Theme chosen; flyer created.
- Week 4 – Prayer continues; invitation list written.
- Week 5 – Prayer and one day of fasting; invitations made; flyers given.
- Week 6 – Revival Meetings; resolute prayer warriors in prayer room
Planning
Ask the Holy Spirit to anoint your plan. As you come together with your people, set the goal. What do you want to see happen with this revival? Does God need to ignite your heart first? Ask God the Holy Spirit to do this.
Once your hearts are ready, do you have a specific list of people you want to see saved? How will you invite them to the meetings? Will everyone commit to pray for them daily? Once you know the purpose, pray for the theme God wants you to use. Who will speak and sing? If anointed by God the Holy Spirit, whoever comes, will be simply a channel.
Promotion
How will you promote the revival? To never announce it to a community means planning for only your faithful few to attend. Will you start announcing six weeks out? Can you overcome the fear of failure enough to announce it in the local news and on the radio? Will you dare call it a revival? Will you knock on the doors of the closest apartments and houses? Will you pray with them and invite them? Ask God how to best promote it. Be accountable to each other about who you are praying for and who you will invite.
Prayer Coverage – Did we mention prayer?
- Weekly Prayer – Of course, you will pray during Sunday Worship but call your people together one more time around the altar to pray. There is something special about kneeling before God and asking for Him to change our hearts. This could be right before another meeting in the week or whatever works best for them. Do not set the time without asking them because you need them to attend. Note that this is not a time to pray for people who are sick. This is a time of prayer asking God to change our hearts and ignite us with the fire of the Holy Spirit believing He will come, and He will transform lives.
- Fasting and prayer – Call for at least one fast with prayer before the revival. Teach on fasting and share the Scriptures throughout the Bible that call people to fast. There are several types of fasts but the most common is to go without food. When you feel hungry, you pray. If someone has a medical reason they cannot fast from food, ask them to choose fasting from something else. Fasting takes your commitment to a new level before God and your people.
- Time at the Mercy Seat – Do you have an available Mercy Seat altar? Do your people understand why we pray at the Mercy Seat? Do they know the history of the Mercy Seat? If no one has used the Mercy Seat for years, it is time to gather people there to pray after teaching them about it. During the revival, have people prepared to pray with those who come. Allow time for people to pray. Do not be anxious about the altar call. Have quiet music prepared and invite God’s Holy Spirit.
- Prayer during the meetings – Do not forget to ask two people to sign up to pray in the prayer room during the revival meeting. This is a real intercession prayer. This is asking God to speak to each member who is attending and those who are not attending. This is prayer for the speaker and guests. This is prayer for those unbelievers on the list that you want to see brought into the Kingdom.
Stay Focused - Radical Transformation
Finally, be on guard and stay focused on God. The enemy will try to sidetrack you from the goal of radical transformation in the hearts of all. Mr. Rabbit would have won the race if he had stayed focused on the goal, but he was tired. The enemy will say it is just too much and take the revival from your focus.
This is not to be a performance. This is not for the report to say we had a revival. This is not for the purpose of looking good. This is daring belief in a miracle-working God who can and will transform lives.
Our Corporate Prayer
Dear Lord, Our hearts cry out to You for revival. Like Jacob wrestling with You, we will not let You go unless You give us a blessing. Please, dear Lord, bless us with as we seek You by sending a special visitation of Your Spirit upon us! Revive our tired spirits. Fill us so that we will witness boldly for You and live holy lives in an unholy world. We pray that Your Holy Spirit would reach the hearts of the unsaved so that they cannot ignore You or their plight both eternally and as people living wasted lives right now. Show us what we need to do to prepare the way and help us to be obedient. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Our Worldwide Prayer Meeting
Congo (Brazzaville) Territory
Thinking It Through
Major Caldwell says that there is work for us to do even as we seek the Lord through prayer and fasting. What can you do this week to invite God to move in your corps/institution? Do you need to speak to a leader? To other people? Should the fasting and prayer begin now?
Notable Quotables
Find out who will join you. Tell your captain how you feel, if you are not a captain: if you are one, tell your corps how you feel. Let others whose blood is fired and whose hearts are melted after the same fashion join hands with you. Make a Mount Carmel of some ante-room, or barracks, or kitchen, and offer yourself up as a sacrifice, body, soul and spirit, and believe and wait until you receive the holy fire. - General William Booth
Now, for a good old revival song, "Hallelujah! Send the Glory, Revive us Again!" by the Gaither Vocal Band.
We would appreciate any feedback and/or suggestions on how to improve these devotionals. Please email comments to: SpiritualLifeDevelopment@uss.salvationarmy.org or by going to our website: https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/uss/spiritual-life-development.
We would love to hear from you.
Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee
Territorial Spiritual Life Development Officer/THQ Chaplain
USA Southern Territory