Expect the Unexpected in Revival

By Doug Small

Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things ‘above all that we ask or think,’” urged Andrew Murray, a prolific writer, preacher, and champion of the South African Revival of 1860.

Historical revivals are characterized by unexpected ways that God worked through the prayers of His people. Whether in the surprises of Pentecost and the first church, or subsequent revival movements in various nations, God’s work cannot be predicted or orchestrated by man.

Surprise on Azusa Street

In the early 20th century in Los Angeles, Pastor Joseph Smale longed to see revival manifested in his church. He visited Wales to meet with Evan Roberts, who was instrumental in the 1904-05 Welsh Revival. Smale desired a taste of what God was doing in the nation of Wales, where some 100,000 people had come to Christ in about nine months. Cultural values had been recalibrated; crime had fallen. A nation was spiritually renewed.

Inspired, Smale came back and challenged his church to pray. For 15 weeks they sought God fervently. When resistance surfaced, Smale resigned to start a new work. Sadly, that work also failed as the vehicle for revival. Still, a few among the group made their way to prayer meetings on Bonnie Brae Street.

And, surprise! Revival came there. Within a short time the Azusa Street Revival became a worldwide movement.

During this same time, William Seymour (the son of a Louisiana slave) was hungry for God. Though badly scarred from a near-fatal bout with smallpox, he was undaunted. He attended the Houston Bible School of Charles Parham, but a racist deference forced Seymour to listen to lectures from outside the classroom. Through God’s grace, Seymour possessed the humility to make spiritual growth more important than personal affirmation.

Surprise again. He wasn’t the one outside of God’s purposes. No one remembers the students inside that classroom. But no one would forget Seymour.

With no clue of his destiny, Seymour traveled to Los Angeles to preach in a small holiness church. After one sermon, he was locked out of the church—another surprise. Almost immediately, he joined the integrated house prayer gatherings on Bonnie Brae Street.

As the crowd grew, another location was desperately needed. At 312 Azusa Street sat a burned-out, abandoned African Methodist Episcopal Church. That humble place, with its odd mixture of unmatched chairs and plank benches and an equally odd assortment of people (including the humble Seymour), was soon at the epicenter of an awakening that would shake the deeply racist city.

Early Wednesday morning, April 18, 1906, after the Los Angeles newspaper had already been printed, San Francisco was virtually destroyed by an earthquake. People, looking for news, bought papers. Instead, the front-page story was the Azusa Street Revival. The curious city began showing up to witness the move of the Spirit and love between races. Rich and poor came, all hungry for God. For three years, services held three times daily were packed out, with hundreds waiting outside.

The Azusa Street Revival is commonly regarded as the beginning of the modern-day Pentecostal Movement. These were not preaching meetings. They were more often prayer meetings. Repentance and humility were the orders of the Lord.

A Whitewater Ride

God’s ways are surprising. The Book of Acts is a whitewater ride down the rapids of early church history. Exotic sounds from heaven. Rushing wind. Fire. Glory. Open-air preaching. Thousands responding. Healing in the streets and at the gate of the temple. Boldness in the face of death threats. Dramatic intervention by the Holy Spirit to protect the integrity of the church. A no-nonsense God.

And there is more. There were dreams and visions, with special and specific direction by the Spirit. Philip was sent to translate the Scriptures for the Ethiopian eunuch, and then was caught up by the Spirit and transported elsewhere. Wow. That was a surprise!

A voice from heaven and a blinding light overcame Saul, the chief persecutor of the Church, leaving him blind and in the dust. This is theater. Ananias, an unknown and a mere disciple, was directed to minister to the fire-brand Saul. Baptize him. Induct him into the Church. Why not Peter? Or John? Why not one of the Twelve? Who is in charge here?

It was not man or an apostolic council leading the New Testament Church. It was the Holy Spirit—the Ghost! And the Ghost is full of surprises. The apostles were never in charge.

Jesus had commanded that they wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, “you have heard me speak about” (Acts 1:4). The Spirit “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). From the Spirit would come special revelation, empowerment, and comfort. He would convict of sin and convince of righteousness (Jn. 16:8). Christ rules His Church through the Spirit. And the sword of the Spirit is the Word (Eph. 6:17).

Peter’s personal transformation, his bold empowerment, came by the Spirit—what a surprising change! Afterwards, he spoke without intimidation and with eloquence to authorities (Acts 4:8). The Spirit shook the place of prayer and inflamed the witness of the entire Church (4:31).

It was to the Spirit that Ananias and Sapphira lied, and by the Spirit that they were judged (5:3). The Spirit nudged Philip into a chariot and caught him up for a wild ride (8:39). The Spirit, after Peter’s bewildering vision, told him bluntly to go with the three men Cornelius sent looking for him, “doubting nothing” (10:19-20, nasb). The Spirit, in the midst of Peter’s sermon, fell on the Gentiles (10:44). Jewish Christians “were astonished” (10:45). This was not planned. Not on the program. Who was responsible for this? Surprise.

The pattern continues. The prophet Agabus warned of a famine, providing helpful intelligence information to believers (11:28). The Spirit, not man, thrust forth the first missionary team, and they went forth following the Spirit (13:2, 4). The final word at the Jerusalem Council was, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit” (15:28). The Spirit was full of surprises.

The Spontaneous and the Intentional

Looking beyond the surprises, what appears spontaneous in Acts often intersects with the intentional. The 120 men and women did not expect a “sound from heaven or a rushing wind.” They did not anticipate a fiery cloud reminiscent of the night glory over the wilderness tabernacle. No one predicted that the language barrier would be broken, a strategic reversal of Babel. They did not see it coming—the sound and sign of a new people, a new order in the earth.

Who among the ten dozen souls would have predicted 3,000 converts in one day or the growth to 5,000 families just days later? Ten to 20 percent of Jerusalem’s population began following Jesus just 50 days after His brutal crucifixion and triumphant resurrection. What a surprise!

Yet, closer examination finds a group of people who were faithfully obeying, patiently waiting, expecting, and hoping. While thousands were filling the streets for the feast of Pentecost, this group vigilantly kept watch. Their strategy was pray, hear from God, and obey.

For a week, nothing happened. Then there was a “suddenly.”

Although Acts 3 appears to be spontaneous, Peter and John were doing as they customarily did, going to the temple for afternoon prayer. The healing of the lame man intersected with their determination to be intentional and faithful in prayer.

Likewise, the power moment in Acts 4, where the place was shaken, also appears spontaneous. But the church had a pattern of calling a prayer meeting whenever there was a crisis. The shaking came in the midst of intentional prayer.

What appear as incidental, spontaneous, and delightful surprises from the Spirit, on examination, seem connected to the discipline of prayerful obedience.

Prayer Is the Predictable Context

Prayer is the context into which the Spirit descends (Acts 2). Prayer is in view when the lame man is healed (3:1-10). Prayer is the activity when the place of meeting is shaken and the persecuted saints are emboldened (4:24-31). Prayer is the action of Stephen when the heavens open and a persecutor named Saul witnesses the fearless death of the articulate young preacher (6:55-58). Prayer is what Ananias is told to do over the ready heart of the once-hardened Saul of Tarsus (9:10-19). Prayer is what the church is doing when the angel leads the imprisoned Peter from near death (12:5-19).

Prayer is the context when apostolic ministry is birthed (13:1-3). Prayer is what Paul and Silas do at midnight (16:25-30). Shackles and bondages break. Surprised? They were praying. Apostolic ministry is birthed. Surprised? No, they were praying. Angels intervening. Surprised? Well, probably—but that also involved prayer.

The surprising twists and turns are indeed unexpected. Remarkable. At times astonishing. Even startling. But the predictable context is always prayer! Twenty-nine times we find prayer in 18 of the 28 chapters of Acts. Eight times we see corporate prayer gatherings. The church of Acts prayed—often and together.

Beyond the Obvious

There is also a parallel transformational theme in Acts often overlooked. The miracles are obvious. But evident supernatural fire is not the only “Wow!” factor. There is also supernatural fruit. Prior to Pentecost the ragtag band of competitive disciples had a tendency to rankle one another, displaying a fierce loyalty to self.

In Acts, something happened to them. First, the character of the conversions themselves is significant. They received his word . . . were baptized . . . continued steadfastly in doctrine (teaching) . . . fellowship (community) . . . the breaking of bread . . . and prayer (2:41-42).

Second, notice the quality of community. Believers . . . were together (unity) . . .  they shared with one another . . . some sold things and gave to the needy . . . they continued daily with one accord . . . from house to house . . . with gladness and simplicity . . . praising God . . . finding favor with all the people . . . and the church grew daily (2:44-47).

Behind the visible stream of the miraculous is something more—a love, a fellowship, a selflessness. Suddenly, the whole city wants to be members of this group.

Luke purposely weaves these themes together. In Acts 4:31, it is easy to emphasize the shaking, and miss the shaping in verses 32-35. Clearly the supernatural also involves fruit: They were of one heart and soul, freed from things (their stuff now belonged to God). Yes, there was the fire, as it was with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But behind the public blaze of glory is a picture of sharing and caring (fruit), including the liquidation of assets to finance the first launch of the great commission effort.

Here is a caring, sharing community—one that is committed to the mission of the Church!

Miracle of Character

Acts is more than a miracle show. Repeatedly in the first five chapters, the character theme is introduced. When the blatant violation of character by Ananias and Sapphira came like poison into the fresh purity and innocence of the early church, God judged. The severe example of judgment underscores that without integrity and a holy core, the Church will fail in its mission.

The Spirit, through the blazing supernatural, offers a public invitation into Jesus. Yet equally important is the supernatural character of the community into which new converts are invited. Without the miracle of character in the community, the flashing fire in the spiritual night is a false promise. Miraculous praxis can never take the place of Christlike ethos.

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Surprise! In true revival, the fruit of the Spirit is as supernatural as the fire. And God wants us to surprise the culture with both. God may use unexpected means to revive His Church and bring spiritual awakening to a nation. But you can always expect that the surprises of the Spirit will refine God’s people and point to the glory of Jesus Christ.

DOUG SMALL is president and founder of Alive Ministries: Project Pray. He also serves as the International Liaison for Prayer Ministries with the Church of God, Cleveland, TN.

Twenty Indicators of a Spiritual Awakening

What would a contemporary spiritual awakening look like in America—in our church and culture? There are 20 indicators that will signal a Great Awakening in America. Listing these hopeful signs should ignite a passion for the Body of Christ to unify in prayer as we prepare our hearts.

In the Church

1. Increasing testimony of the manifest presence of God.

2. Increased conversions and baptisms.

3. Amplified participation in corporate as well as individual prayer, fasting, and other spiritual disciplines—leading to more effective discipleship.

4. A decrease in divorces and renewed commitment to marriage between a man and a woman in covenant relationship as God intends.

5. Imparting faith to children and youth as parents are equipped by the church to become primary disciplers of their children.

6. Among churches, a passionate pursuit for the well-being of their cities through the planting of new congregations, benevolent ministries, practical service, and focused evangelism.

7.  Commitment to radical generosity as evidenced by compassion ministries and global missions.

8. Improved health among ministers as evidenced by their joy, decreased resignations, healthy loving relationships within their families, and an increased response among young people called to the ministry.

9. Christians involved in bold witness accompanied by miracles, dramatic conversions, and Holy Spirit-empowered victories over evil.

10. Heightened expressions of love and unity among all believers, as demonstrated by the unity of pastors and leaders.

In the Culture

11. Breakdown of racial, social, and status barriers as Christ’s Church celebrates together—Jesus!

12. A restoration of morality, ethical foundations, and accountability among leaders of churches, government, businesses, and politics.

13. A transformation of society through the restoration of Christ’s influence in the arts, media, and communications.

14. Increased care for the hungry and homeless, the most vulnerable, and the needy.

15. Young adults, students, and children embracing the claims and lifestyle of Christ through the witness of peers who live and love as Jesus.

16. Community and national leaders seeking out the church as an answer to society’s problems.

17. Increased care for children as “gifts from the Lord” as the gospel addresses abortion, adoption, foster care, and child well-being.

18. Righteous relations between men and women: decrease in divorce rates, co-habitation, same-sex relations, sexual abuse, sexual trafficking, out-of-wedlock children, and STDs.

19. An awakening to the “fear of the Lord” rather than the approval of people, thus restoring integrity and credibility.

20. Neighborhood transformation and an accompanying decrease of social ills through increased expressions of “loving your neighbor” in service, compassion, and unity.

Compiled by Billy Wilson, Robert Bakke, and members of the Awakening America Alliance.