Nick Garland, president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, and I have set aside Oct. 20 as a special day of prayer and fasting. We join Ronnie Floyd, Southern Baptist Convention president, in calling Oklahoma Baptists to their knees to pray for a great spiritual awakening in our churches, state and nation.
For years, we have all talked about the lack of spiritual power evidenced by our lack of baptisms and vitality in our churches. We have often said that people only pray with passion when the times get desperate.
My dear brothers and sisters, the time has come. Despite more money, methods, and resources, the church is in desperate need of a sin-cleansing, soul-stirring, Holy Spirit-sent revival. But we long for revival to touch more than “a” church here and there.
We long for God to move in such power that churches, associations, states, and our nation are shaken to their very foundations by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will never stem the tide of the moral bankruptcy, debauchery, crime, and meanness in our world until the church is restored and becomes salt and light in a declining and dark nation.
The first line of defense is the spiritual leaders of the church. These leaders need revival as much as the church itself; thus, we have called leaders to come to bow down together in humility, confession, repentance, brokenness, and faith.
Our time together will be in prayer. We will worship through music, but only as a bridge to prayer. We will hear brief devotionals to prepare us for each segment of prayer, but only as a bridge to prayer. We will fast. Juice and water will be available for you. If you have medical reasons you cannot fast, please do not stay away. Just quietly slip out and then return.
Pastors, we want your staff to come with you. I ask you to bring vans or buses from your area and ask other pastors and staff to come with you. Our prayer is that leaders will come from every association in the state. I assure you, no one should miss this appointment with our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Join us Oct. 20, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Moore, First for a divine appointment with God.
