I hope we never become so sophisticated that a call to prevailing prayer is disdained in any way.
This a beautiful thing.
Pray.
Lay down the weapons and pray.
About Dave Miller
Dave Miller is the senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, and editor of SBC Voices. He served as President of the 2017 SBC Pastors’ Conference. He is a graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic and SWBTS. He has pastored churches in Florida, Virginia, and Iowa. Twitter
This is the most beautiful moment I can remember in my years at the convention.
I have never seen anything like it at an SBC. Really important. Thankful.
I think that in many ways, the SBC was rebirthed tonight in prayer and repentance, especially when it comes to racial and ethnic divisions turning into a real unity.
Agreed, Alan. I also think there was a distinct call to unity and a rejection of secondary and third level tribalism and suspicion of one another within the SBC.
It was an amazing evening, and the time of prayer for racial reconciliation was powerful.
It is special – that’s for sure.
Finally a glimmer of hope. “If My People … Then Will I”
If something like this started regularly defining convention/associational meetings at whatever level, I think more of us would be “all in”…
May it spark more prayer.
… and may it spark more repentance.
I pray that this is truly the beginning of a great revival that will sweep across the SBC. And, that this revival in the Church will spread out of our Churches, and into the highways and backroads of our communities. That it will lead to another Great Awakening. This has been my prayer for many years, now.
I really hope we see it.
God, please bring this fresh fire on our pulpits, and in the pews; and may it lead to many, many people being gloriously saved. Dear God, let it happen. Let the fire fall down on us, for Your glory, Lord.
David
“… please bring this fresh fire …”
Amen David! The first sign of that fire will be wide-spread repentance among God’s people. Every awakening is preceded by a necessary season of repentance in the Church. And what precedes that sort of repentance? The American Church has been seriously off-track … the condition of our land is evidence of that. What will bring us to our knees? What will spark such holy desperation … that fresh fire? Our own book says judgment begins with us.
Max,
AND, it starts in the pulpit.
David
“And it starts in the pulpit.”
Absolutely!
Yes, but not any old pulpit will do … it starts with a “surrendered” pulpit. Judgment is intended to break us to the point of crying out to God in genuine repentance. Blessing follows brokenness. But, what will it take to break our pulpits in that way? Paul was reprogrammed in the desert for three years before he hit his pulpit … many of our preachers have never had that experience; and, thus, cannot lead others to fully surrender as they ought. Tough days ahead for the American church (in both pulpit and pew) before times of refreshing come. But it will be a good thing.
So glad to see this! Part of my Bible reading today was 2 Chron. 29. All I could think was “if we could have this in the churches–getting rid of all the practices of false worship and worldliness–what sort of revival might God send?”
“For a church to be on fire, the pulpit must be on fire.” – @bellevuepastor