Throughout history, God’s manifest presence through revival has always been coupled with deep conviction and brokenness over sin in both believers’ lives and among the lost.
During the Hebrides Revival that began in 1949, seven young men wept before the Lord in brokenness, confession and humility in a barn outside their town. They sought the Lord for clean hands and pure hearts in their own lives. God moved, and the Hebrides Revival began that night.
During the Laymen’s Prayer Revival of 1857-59, a group of pagan sailors entered a room to break up a prayer meeting on the USS North Carolina. They fell under deep conviction of sin and were converted to Christ. God moved, and over the next few days many lost sailors were broken over sin and converted to Christ.
Never before in the history of this nation has there been a greater need for God’s people to seek Him with clean hands and a pure heart for revival and spiritual awakening.
God is calling His people to return to Him in godliness and holiness so that He might show Himself strong among the nations.
On Tues., Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro during the final session of this year’s Annual Meeting, North Carolina Baptists will gather to humble themselves and seek the Lord through prayer for revival and spiritual awakening. The “Broken Before the Throne” prayer gathering is based upon God’s invitation in Acts 3:19 to His people to return to Him in genuine repentance, humility and brokenness. Acts 3:19, which reads, “Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, NASB), is also an invitation for God’s people to experience His mercy, forgiveness, restoration and refreshing through personal and corporate revival. During the prayer gathering, participants will be lead through four seasons of prayer built upon the following four themes:
• Repent
The first season of prayer will be toward genuine biblical repentance. This involves personal and corporate humility, confession, honesty and brokenness over sin. The term “repent” means to have “a heartfelt change of mind.” This is accompanied by genuine grief over sin and present direction in life.
• Return
Participants will pray toward returning to the Lord in brokenness and contrition over sin. This involves the idea of turning back in love and obedience to God. This is also a call for God’s people to set their hearts anew and afresh on Jesus, who is the only way back to the Father (see Acts 4:12).
• Restore
God’s restoration always begins with His forgiveness of sin. When He forgives, He restores His people in relationship, which opens the door for His restoration in other ways. God’s desire to restore His people is rooted and grounded in His loyal love for His people in Jesus. Jesus alone is who we must run to for forgiveness, cleansing and restoration.
• Refresh
Times of refreshing from God take place because of God’s renewed manifest presence with and in His people. A season of refreshing is also preceded by a genuine returning to the Lord by His people through heartfelt confession, repentance, forgiveness of sins and active obedience to God’s Word, work and ways. At the heart of God’s refreshing works are His redemptive purposes – renewing His kingdom work with and through His people and glorifying His name among the nations.
God’s clarion call to His people is that we might become broken before Him over our sin and the spiritual famine in our churches, communities, nation and world. Please join fellow believers from all across North Carolina at the “Broken Before the Throne” prayer gathering in Greensboro.
(EDITOR’S NOTE – Chris Schofield serves as director of the Office of Prayer for Evangelization and Spiritual Awakening at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. For more information on the “Broken Before the Throne” prayer gathering, visit ncannualmeeting.org/broken.)
