The following testimony was sent to us by John Clark, an intercessor from Missouri. We hope this account of the Asbury revival will encourage you as it encouraged us!

Introductory Notes:

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1. An elder brother in the Lord and I arrived late Saturday morning without a clue where to park or where to go. We had no agenda or concrete expectations other than to be of service, any service, to what the Spirit would be doing. Of course, I had a desire to be filled anew with the refreshing presence of the Lord but remained open to any form of experience.
2. After landing on a choice parking space (against all odds), we stumbled our way to the volunteer entrance on the back side of Hughes auditorium. As only God can do, we were among the last few non-event-related adult volunteers accepted for random service. Many who arrived even minutes later, were politely turned away.
3. Again, as the Spirit arranges all “circumstances,” we found ourselves just outside the command center for the event — backstage. Within eyesight of the auditorium, we heard and watched the various communications and deployments of the event coordinators. After a few hours of soaking up the atmosphere of praise and worship (including during the sound check!), we were assigned usher positions in the front lobby guarding the exit doors and directing attendee traffic.
4. This humble assignment proved to be very advantageous, as we had many opportunities to greet, encourage, and pray with attendees. The following is a digest of my experience.

What I saw:

I witnessed a crowd of eager, determined people of all age groups, backgrounds, and ethnicities, patiently waiting their turn to encounter the genuine presence of God. They came expecting it! Those who entered the door by 2:00 pm had been waiting since dawn to enter! Throughout the day and night, the expression on all faces was only excitement, not exhaustion or discomfort from the cold. Interestingly, bottled water was handed out to almost everyone upon entry — several thousand by my count. Certainly, this was a comment on the Spirits’ quenching the thirsty dry souls seeking the Lord. They came from several states and countries far away.

Let the IFA community know how to pray for you.

The emotional strain and physical wear on the entire staff was evident, but not a one would be anywhere else! The roving bands of intercessory prayer warriors/counselors canvassed the auditorium, lobbies, outside entrances, satellite locations, and the never-ending line of hopeful attendees. It seems we were tallying the crowd not in head count or in mileage, but in days! “How many more are out there?” I was asked repeatedly. My answer — “about a day and a half’s worth.” You can believe the videos and reports of the crowd size you see in the media reports. Note: I suggest Tucker Carlson’s reports of last week, Steve Bannon’s War Room report, and IFA’s national reporting.

I noticed something a bit concerning: a few areas were marked “25 and under ONLY in this space”, and “Students and visitors 25 and under ONLY on the Auditorium Floor.” By 1:00 am Sunday morning, I realized why. The focus — as determined by the Spirit — is on the youngest generation now coming into power.

What I heard:

Praise, worship, proclamation, confession, thanksgiving — all the sounds in music and testimony we expect in any “revival.”  What was significant, and on a few occasions frightening, was the raw intensity of the expression. Not that the volume was deafening (which it was), but the genuine passion and conviction flowing in unison from the crowd gave sure confirmation —this is of the LORD! The structure was unrehearsed, unprompted, unscripted. The corporate prayers as you would expect, were passionate, painful, and timely. Equally significant were the few moments of complete silence. Private confession and simply waiting on the Lord made silence a weapon in their hands.

No demon would expect to stay anywhere within a mile of that room!

I say “timely prayers” as a few of the themes just took my breath away. Prayers against rampant drug use, suicide as a facet of life, alienation, and daily attacks in one form or another are even more characteristic of the post-Boomer generations.  Also among the themes were pleas for revival fire to go from that place to all the country and the world. Amen! I regret that I couldn’t hear any of the confessions leading to salvation, but I believe there were many. A Brazilian immigrant mother of two teens remarked that this revival really should start here in America (because) America has sent evangelism and revival to the world.

What I learned:

By observation, this event could well be the fulfilment of prophecies given years and decades ago: “ … there will be a generation that will see worldwide revival just prior to the Day of the Lord.”  That “Day” being the sequence of events that encompasses that great time. This revival again illustrates how hungry the earth’s population is for the manifest presence of the Lord.

I found myself jealous of these “kids” or more accurately — these inspiring young adults. They show all the passion, potential, and strength I remember from my youth. We Boomers and GenXer’s were convinced that the prophets of the 1980’s were speaking of great revival in our generation(s). How humbling it was to hear other adults remarking that with several exceptions, it was not to be ours. It seems we older folks were called to this place at this time to serve in the harvest, not necessarily to reap. And that’s just fine with us. To God be the glory wherever this will lead.

I learned in a fresh way the value of Psalm 84: “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” I became well acquainted with those doors! That service included carrying flats of water, re-uniting lost children with their parents, allowing someone else to have the last piece of pizza, nearly shouting to make yourself heard in prayer because the roar of voices from the auditorium was overpowering, and on and on …  Let’s support these young people with prayer and stay out of the way — or we might get run over!

How are you fanning the flames of revival among the youth and in America? Share your prayers and scriptures below!

(Photo Credit: Jeremy Story)