Pastors on Revival

"Well, if you're a Christian person with any sense of the working of the Holy Spirit, you have to believe that the revival is coming. I mean, that's what we all want. That's what we long for and God has to move. And, you know, it's kind of God doing some stuff and us making sure that we're ready for it and then doing what He tells us to do as we come out of the revival. You really never can have revival in my opinion unless the Holy Spirit moves. And we…if I can use the word, 'prayed up' or if we're seeking God's face and we're humbling ourselves before Him and confessing our sins, the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to move and I hope that's what's coming out of this disastrous event." -- Jim Queen, executive director, Chicago Metropolitan Baptist Association

"I think there are signs of revival breaking out although the more I think about it the more I want to reserve that word for something that is unmistakably revival. I think God has broken out in many lives and in many congregations and situations, but I haven't seen a wide spread prairie fire of revival yet. That's something we still hope and pray for. Although I think the Lord's strategy is to light little fires, and one day they will connect, and we'll see that blaze of fire going." -- Phil Miglioratti, National Pastors' Prayer Network

 

"I would like to see revival coming to America. It remains to be seen. We are definitely being challenged and I think we're at a critical point and the direction we go will determine whether or not revival, or awakening, or true repentance comes or not. We've been asleep for quite a while, so it remains to be seen. -- Chris Coury, Armitage Baptist Church, Chicago

"I don't think you can have revival without first showing God that you want to be right with Him and that you want to get rid of that stuff that's blocking your communication with Him. Then I think that God promises that revival can and will come. But, you have to have that first." -- Steve Story

"We as a country, we deeply need revival. As a church, we need revival and through the church then the country will be touched, and we need that. And, something as tragic as what happened, everyone is talking about…signs, billboards, God bless America, God bless America. You can't go anywhere without seeing that, without hearing that. And, for some it may just be a phrase to use at a time like this. For others it really may mean something more. And, it's a time where God has our attention. And, people's hearts are open, and the Holy Spirit very well may be beginning a very mighty work in a spiritual way in this country." -- Adaline Coleman, pastor of children's ministries at Windy City Community Church, Chicago

"We need revival. In some ways we've been too comfortable in our American lifestyle…detached from what's going on around the rest of the world. We really haven't experienced suffering here the way that many of the third world countries have experienced suffering. The attack on the World Trade Center for the first time has brought suffering home to this nation in a new way." -- Rev. Gary Moore, director of operations, Breakthrough Urban Ministries

"My real hope is that this is the beginning of a revival. I think it still might be a little early to tell, but I've noticed a real sense with people not only in our church, but people outside the church are really beginning to look inside and really question sort of the big issues of life and what life is about. I've had a couple of conversations really open up…some with neighbors and I've had the opportunity to really talk about Jesus in a way that I've never been able to before with particular friends and neighbors." -- Bill Shereos, pastor, first Evangelical Free Church in Chicago

"I believe America has a tremendous opportunity for revival to break forth in our country. The opportunity is ours. God has set about some circumstances that have been allowed to happen and it's up to us as Christians to seek God out and to be faithful to proclaim the word of God. I think there's a tremendous opportunity for revival.  It's whether or not our people will rise up and do what they need to do." -- Gary Houdek, Golf Road Baptist Church, Des Plaines, Illinois

"We're seeing young people who are concentrating on prayer…the whole 24/7 prayer movement that's gone around the world. I think it is a wonderful thing of young people getting involved in prayer in a way that we haven't seen for a long time and it has the seeds of possibility that we haven't seen for a long time and it has the seeds of possibility of revival because these young people really want to make a difference with their lives." -- Christine Sine

"…and so we're seeing more and more young people who are really determined to put the Kingdom purposes first in their lives." -- Tom Sine, author

"Prayer cannot produce revival. It promotes a heart for revival in the people and I think that's essential. We're not praying to convince God or to demand Him on our schedule but we are there…as we pray to Him for revival He pours more of His heart for revival into us and that changes us as people. It changes us as churches. It changes our agenda. It changes our goals. It's changed how we do business on a Sunday morning and hopefully it gets the church out of the pews and into the streets." -- Phil Miglioratti, National Pastors' Prayer Network

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