Key Verse: Acts 1:14: 'These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren,' (KJV).
Acts 1:14 is the secret for any church or gathering of believers that wants to experience revival. There are two key words in Acts 1:14 that are very fundamental for revival. They are 'accord' and 'prayer'. Thus, revival is birthed in unity and prayer. They are the precursor to the revival that gave birth to the church in Jerusalem.
The first being 'one accord,' which means 'being of one mind.' The Bible says that they continued with one accord. Not only did they begin with one accord, but continued in one accord. So, unity — being together, being of one mind, and being of one purpose — is very essential to experiencing revival for any group of believers. In an atmosphere where there is unity, there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 133:1 says: 'Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!' The preparatory process of getting into revival is to maintain unity of the Spirit.
When God's people come together in unity regardless of name, denomination, and doctrinal differences, putting aside petty squabbles, with just one purpose of seeking God, there will be a mighty outpouring of His Spirit's presence and power. There will be an outpouring of anointing, refreshing, blessing and life upon all, from the head to the toe, from the greatest to the least!
The second point is that there was prayer and supplication in the church that gathered in Jerusalem. They continued in prayer, supplication, and intercession. They were just united in one accord and offered prayer and supplication and there was outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them. Zechariah 10:1 says: 'Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.'
John Hyde was God's main instrument of Sialkot revival in the Punjab region in India in 1904. Prior to revival in Punjab region, in 1899 Hyde started spending whole nights in prayer, forgetting about food or sleep. He became known as 'Praying Hyde,' 'the Apostle of Prayer' and 'the man that never sleeps.' God used him to touched thousands and thousands of lives in India and abroad. Early in 1904, a revival broke out in the girls' school, with many girls publicly confessing sins and accepting Jesus Christ.
Revival brings down the miraculous power of God in the Church and spreads the fire of revival. The church in Jerusalem would serve as a great prototype for us to understand what a church birth in revival would look like. The first eight chapters of Acts capture the first 12 years of the church in Jerusalem. As the outpouring progressed, everybody started flowing in the miraculous. Soon, we start hearing about Stephen (Acts 6) and Philip (Acts 8) through whom mighty signs and wonders were released.
God's desire for sending revival is to see every person in the church healing the sick, casting out devils and raising the dead in the name of Jesus Christ. He wants to see His people invade the streets of our country manifesting the glory of God. Because of the persecution led by Saul in Jerusalem, the believers were scattered, but they carried the fires of revival wherever they went. They went into Samaria, Judea and Antioch and those places were set on fire (Acts 8 & 11). Ordinary believers carried the fires of revival wherever they went.
Today's nugget: Unity and prayer are secrets to revival.
Prayer: Lord pour out your spirit upon me.
Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected], Rev. Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria.
