Something is happening. I’ve not seen such hunger and thirst for God in the region in decades. I keep hearing about people from all different churches breaking down weeping in the presence of God. There has been an increased intensity in prayer in recent months all over the region. So many churches are going hard after the Lord. Prayer gatherings are being multiplied. Tragic events—like the shooting of young Charlie Kirk—are driving people to desperate prayer over how bad things have become. God is getting his people ready. I keep thinking of the call in Joel 2 lately—
Joel 2:15-17
Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, “Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”
God is stirring and breaking, sparking and touching. He is giving tastes of glory to provoke us to hunger for more. It is time to seek the Lord (Hosea 10)!
Consecrate Conference
This Saturday (September 20th), during the day, there is a conference happening in South Attleboro called Consecrate. Churches from all over the region will be uniting together for what I believe will be a “sacred assembly”. David Thomas from the recent Asbury Revival in Kentucky will be sharing a message. Also, Sam Gibson, director of PrayNYC, is speaking. Sam has helped start over 70 prayer meetings in New York. He leads 19 prayer meetings a week. These men are deep in it. They are coming with some serious spiritual fire. If you can carve the time (or even half a day) to attend—it will be well worth the $50 cost.
Daily Prayer
This is our second week of daily prayer, and it has been wonderful. I’m not judging the meetings by how spectacular the fireworks are, but rather, by the spirit of resolve that is growing. Every day for the last ten days different mixes of people have united together in earnest prayer believing God to be faithful to his covenant promises. I’ve been to each one and have noticed that faith and anticipation have been growing. I encourage you to come to one of these gatherings. If you cannot attend in-person, agree with us in prayer from wherever you are. Here’s the daily prayer schedule. Prayer gatherings Mon-Sat are one hour long.
Sundays 9 am (our main gathering)
Mondays noon (next generation)
Tuesdays 1 (regional revival)
Wednesdays noon (local pastors)
Thursdays 6 pm (glory of God)
Fridays 9 am (spiritually lost people)
Saturdays noon (Ren community) *
* This week there will be
no prayer on Saturday
because of the Consecrate conference.
Prayer retreat/training
On the last Saturday of September (Sept 27) there won’t be a regular one hour prayer meeting at noon. Instead, we will have a noon-4 prayer retreat and training. This will take place at 10 Tripps in the sanctuary space. I’ll be doing an in-depth teaching on varieties of prayer. There will also be space throughout the day to practice various forms of prayer. This opportunity is for everyone, whether undeveloped or experienced, who wants to go deeper in prayer. My hope is that it’ll activate a lifestyle of morning to evening (pillow to pillow) prayer. Ephesians 6 calls us to “pray at all times in the Spirit.” That’s where God is moving us as a church—from mere morning devotions to prayer beautifully woven into every aspect of our waking lives.
The Well
On September 28 there's The Well, a group for 6th - 12th grade students and young adults (18 - 29). The gathering from 12 - 1:30 pm meets at the church building and begins with lunch. Guest speaker Shayna Banfe will be introducing the topic of "trading anxiety for curiosity." Much of the gathering is discussion-based and creates a space to encourage the spiritual lives of young people. RSVP to Lynne at lynne_michaelson@yahoo.com if you'd like to be there!
It’s Coming!!!
Last year when the Spirit was leading us out of our location on busy Broad Street that we were at for ten years we sensed that we were being pulled out for a season of serious pursuit of the glory of God. I kept seeing (with prophetic eyes) gatherings marked by the tangible presence of God. It’s even more clear to me now why God has put us at 10 Tripps. He wants to establish us as a house of prayer. He wants a place to manifest his glory. I see mighty outpourings of the Spirit coming. I see children in our space encountering God in powerful ways. I see outsiders and unbelievers coming in and falling on their faces before God under deep conviction that the Holy One is present.
Listen. These are things we have prayed and fasted and wept for since the beginning (2003). Thousands upon thousands of prayers for revival have been made. Desperate prayers. Loud cries and petitions. Holy Spirit saturated prayers have been poured out. The Lord does not answer prayers for revival in a flash. He waits. Prayers are stored up. The release of extraordinary power awaits an appointed time that is set on the divine calendar. “Though the vision tarry, wait for it, it will certainly come to pass.” Our prayers for revival will be answered in due season.
It’s coming.
The Lord doesn’t need to be persuaded to send revival. He isn’t slow in sending it. The time of waiting for it to come is all about preparation. He doesn’t send it until he has a people with the capacity to carry it. If he sent revival prematurely it would crush us. We wouldn’t be able to handle it. We’d quickly quench it. There must be a breaking first. There must be deep hunger and thirst. There must be humility. There must be contrition. There must be consecration. So, when we see these things being formed in God’s people in an accelerated way we can be sure that revival is not far off.
What must we do? Let God break us. Set our faces to seek him with everything we have. Cry out to the Lord day and night. Cast down idols. Put aside lesser things. Make room for the King. Go deeper. Start fasting. Get ready. The sooner we are ready, the sooner God will break forth with rivers of living water. As Jon Tyson (Church of the City NYC) always says, “God comes where he’s wanted.” Listen, listen, listen!!! There’s never been a people anywhere, at any time, who gave themselves to fervent prayer and did not eventually experience an outpouring of the glory of God! Selah
Pastor Scott