At the close of the Asbury University awakening in Wilmore, KY, in February 2023, God used the previously scheduled Collegiate Day of Prayer simulcast to broadcast this extraordinary move of God beyond the university. Produced by Bob Bakke, a OneCry team member, this awakening among students was viewed by millions around the world, with the call to pray for God to pour out His Spirit on universities and colleges everywhere.
Bill Elliff, another OneCry team member, attended the Asbury awakening multiple days (along with other OneCry staff) and wrote blogs posts about his observations and experiences. He recently authored a new book Reflections on Spiritual Awakenings: Insights from the Asbury Awakening and Beyond.
In it he writes that God “chooses to rend the heavens and make Himself known in seasons of revival and awakening with Divine precision.” He adds, “These visitations are glorious and extraordinary, reviving His people and accelerating His work among the unconverted.”
Heart of OneCry
That’s heart of the mission and vision of OneCry. This movement is “a call to the nations for revival among believers and spiritual awakening among the lost, leading to cultural transformation resulting in the rapid advancement of the gospel throughout the world.”
OneCry’s missional values are simply expressed:
1. We seek Christ, not revival.
2. Prayer is always a precursor to revival.
3. The fame of revival spreads the flame of revival.
4. Revival produces lasting change.
5. Revival does not diminish denominational distinctives.
6. Christ’s Kingdom advances among friends.
7. Revival rapidly advances the gospel.
8. Revival embraces and embodies diversity.
9. Revival planning is submissive to Holy Spirit activity.
National Spiritual Emergency
A core document of OneCry is the “Declaration of National Spiritual Emergency.” It’s an acknowledgment that the Church in America is in a state of spiritual emergency.
Because OneCry believes that true revival is the only hope to reverse this nation’s spiritual recession, the call is for desperate prayer that will “enable us once again to display the beauty of Jesus Christ and His gospel throughout the world.”
Those ascribing to the Declaration are encouraged to:
- TURN—in humble repentance from every sin God reveals to us.
- PRAY—with urgency for spiritual recovery and awakening.
- UNITE—with other believers in spreading the hope of Christ-centered revival.
Transformation Among Friends
OneCry was founded ten years ago by Byron Paulus in response to a conviction that after teaching about and praying for revival for years, this nation had not yet experienced a national revival. Paulus, who served more than 35 years as CEO and president of Life Action Ministries (LAM), devoted a week in prayer to seek God about this void.
“That’s when God just smote my heart and said, ‘You’re trying to do this thing alone,’” he explains. Paulus realized that God’s pattern, based on Acts 2, had more to do with the uniting of the people of God, and that God works through people, not methods. That’s when OneCry was born as another dimension of LAM. Paulus recently stepped down from his LAM leadership to devote his time to OneCry.
OneCry team members believe that “history is transformed among friends.” To achieve this goal of bringing the Church together with a heart for revival, OneCry has partnered with more than 60 ministries, including the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, National Day of Prayer, Collegiate Day of Prayer, Sherwood Pictures, and other like-minded organizations.
Calling the Nation to Prayer
OneCry saw an increase in prayer with the 2016 election, and then experienced a major spike following the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest. For ten years, OneCry hosted a Tuesday night prayer call that typically involved 20 to 30 people, but soon after the outbreak of the virus, the ministry expanded the prayer calls from one evening to three, with several thousand participants on each call.
“The prayer movements are escalating,” says Paulus. “We’re getting desperate enough to seek Jesus for revival through prayer and obedience, so I believe God could be on the verge of extending great mercy to His people.”
OneCry provides many resources including videos, e-book downloads, printable prayer guides, and regular podcasts featuring pastors and prayer leaders. To learn more, go to onecry.com.
Taken from Prayer Connect magazine. Click to subscribe.
