Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

Revivals, Chalk Circles and Me

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I have heard of the English Evangelical Revival when at the preaching of Whitfield, miners wept, their tears making white lines on their coal-black faces.

I have heard of the 1904 revival in Wales, when the Spirit of God fell powerfully on meetings, and people forgave their enemies.

I have heard of the revival Lonnie Frisbee brought to the Vineyard, with thousands of youth spirit-filled in a day, baptizing their mates in hot-tubs and swimming pools.

I have heard of the laughing revival in Toronto.

I have heard it reached Oxford, and students walking down High Street or having tea with friends in student rooms suddenly fell silent, stooped under the heavy weight of God.

I have heard that there have been more revivals in England than in any nation on earth!

§ § §

Me? I have never seen a revival. Never seen the spirit fall en masse as at Pentecost.

But I would like to.

All the prophetic people are talking of a revival coming to the UK. I heard Heidi Baker say, “Revival is coming to the UK. Of course, it is. You know that, don’t you?  Everyone knows that.

§ § §

Ah, my eyes want to see the glory of the coming of the Lord.

                                                                                                                         § § §

Gypsy Smith, the British 20th century evangelist, preached to audiences of hundreds of thousands.

A delegation came to ask him how they could experience mass revival as he had.

And this was his reply, “Go home. Lock yourself in your room. Kneel down in the middle of the floor, and with a piece of chalk draw a circle around yourself. There, on your knees, pray fervently and brokenly that God would start a revival within that chalk circle.”

§ § §

And that is how revival will come to the UK.

When there are thousands of chalk circles drawn through this land. When thousands of people pray within them to be filled to overflowing with the spirit of God, the prayer which is always answered (Luke 11:13).

When the Spirit descends on thousands of people with power, and blows through this land like a mighty wind, sweeping through it like an overflowing stream.

I hear the winds, Lord, gaining power. I hear the first sounds of a heavy rain.

May my eyes see this glory of a great revival, oh Lord. And let it begin in me.

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Comments

  2. Oh may revival fires sweep through the whole world. I recently started a faith filled women's prayer group in my home in Canada. I will share with them the focus of your blog. We've been praying for family needs within our group, but I feel strongly we should enlarge our tent, as it were, and pray for world situations.

  3. L.A. I believe God moves in all ways. Quiet weeping may be the Spirit's move where you are. I feel this revival is going to be different than any we have seen and it is going to start in the driest church- those dry bones are going to get flesh and fresh breath blown into them, only from the Holy Spirit. So don't think we know how God is going to move, just be open to His moving. God bless and look to the Heavens.

  5. Wow, thanks Mollie. That sounds lovely.

    Lucky you, Ursh, how exciting–I guess if I ever do, I will need to stop spectating, and abandon myself to the Spirit.

    Hi LA, yes, I too experience God best in quiet, solitary prayer. Yet sometimes, when i read or hear people like Heidi Baker or John Arnott, I feel my spiritual life is paler, flatter and more anemic than it need be. I want more. I am sure the Spirit can be experienced in solitude, yet, historically, right from Pentecost, the phenomenon of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit has always happened in community.

    Blessings on your sermon RACH, and may you and your people meet him. And P.S., I hope you find a way to blogging again at some point

  7. Thank you, as l pray into finishing a sermon tomorrow that begins a focussed look at the Holy Spirit, this encouages me to preach some of the more challenging stuff. We are hoping for more freedom amongst the people to meet with God.

  8. One of our friends' church believes that God literally moves his way around the earth and He's in China right now. Apparently it'll be a while before He makes His way 'round to y'all. :). Sorry about that…revival in the UK will have to wait until He goes through America again. LOL

    Seriously, though, I'm way too Frozen Chosen for the wildness of a revival but I get jazzed when I se others being touched by its awesom power! God comes to me in the very still times and in the quiet sharing I have with Him. I have been to those very overwhelming spirit events and I find the intense emotion puts me on complete sensory overload and it just isn't my cup'o'tea.

    But I had a lady once tell me it was because there was evil in my soul that made me want to run and hide. I needed to scream to exorcise it out. I just firmly told her no, the music was too loud and the emotion just too intense. Give me the quiet contemplation of a Taize service any day.

    Yet, isn't it absolutely wonderful that God comes to us wherever we are, whoever we are and whenever we are? He comes in the wild shouting and speaking in tongues…in the gospel preached and the people glorifying with “Amen brother/sister”…in the stillness of the contemplative chant…through the steps taken in the labyrinth…in the dark of the night as we pray before our eyes close one day and as we praise Him when our eyes open for the new day. Wherever we are…there He is.

  9. Can I just say…I so CANNOT wait for revival. I've seen it…overseas. It's messy and it doesn't fit into peoples boxes and it's colourful and beautiful and…it's God moving as He wishes. Oh my. I can't wait!

  10. I had been asking for years for ladies to just pray for revival. Last month, women started trickling in to the sanctuary on Monday evening. What a sweet hour of prayer. Simple little prayers of repentance lifted up.