Pt. 6: Revive Me.
In the late 1700’s, a pastor named James McGready felt burdened to pray for southern Kentucky. The crime rate was so bad in Logan county that even the police wouldn’t go there in fear of being shot down. McGready began to pray and fast with his three small congregations, and after years of prayer, the power of God began to fill his meetings and impact the region. The first night the power of God began to flood the meetings, it was reported that 24 people were “slain in the Spirit” while taking communion. They took the bread, sipped the wine, and then fell to the ground, struck by the power of God. No human touched them. It was the hand of God that made them fall out, just like what happened to those who came to seize Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. (John 18:6) News of the revival spread and people from around the country began to travel by horse and buggy to attend the meetings - traveling up to 100 miles one-way just to be apart of what God was doing! Southern Kentucky was completely transformed by the gospel and the crime rate drastically dropped. Not only were hundreds of people being saved, but the people lingered in the presence of God. They literally camped out in it, becoming more and more hungry for Him. America had never seen anything like it. What God did there in 1800 catalyzed a movement of the Holy Spirit that spread to other parts of the country and impacted our nation as a whole, leading to future moves of God like the Cane Ridge Revival and the Azusa Street Revival. To learn more about that click here.
“There, on the edge of a prairie in Logan County, Kentucky, the multitudes came together and continued a number of days and nights encamped on the ground, during which time worship was carried on in some part of the encampment. The scene was new to me and passing strange. It baffled description. Many, very many, fell down as men slain in battle, and continued for hours together in an apparently breathless and motionless state, sometimes for a few moments reviving and exhibiting symptoms of life by a deep groan or piercing shriek, or by a prayer for mercy fervently uttered. After lying there for hours they obtained deliverance. The gloomy cloud that had covered their faces seemed gradually and visibly to disappear, and hope, in smiles, brightened into joy. They would rise, shouting deliverance, and then would address the surrounding multitude in language truly eloquent and impressive. With astonishment did I hear men, women, and children declaring the wonderful works of God and the glorious mysteries of the gospel. Their appeals were solemn, heart-penetrating, bold, and free. Under such circumstances many others would fall down into the same state from which the speakers had just been delivered.”
— Barton Stone, 1800 (who later led the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky)
What am I even doing being in a place like this? I’ve never really thought about Kentucky in my life. Something kept telling me that I had no business being there. After the tent revival that night, I laid on the cold hard ground in my tent wrestling with my thoughts. I’d left the comfort of my job, my home, my friends and family to be sleeping on the ground next to a grave yard. The night before I stayed in the home of a complete stranger (you can read that story here), then jumped in a mini van with another family who was also completely new to me (and read that story here) Was I crazy?
As the only single woman tent camping in the field that night, I felt like it. The people at the campsite were all full of the love of Jesus. I met other from around the country who had also left everything behind to follow Jesus. One man turned the back of his pickup truck into a baptismal tank and was traveling the country sleeping in his truck preaching the gospel and baptizing people. Another man sold his house to be sent into the harvest fields and pray for our nation. One family in particular adopted me and let me join them for dinner around the fire. Their kindness reminded me of the early church in the book of Acts, where they would break bread together and share all things in common. There were roughly 15 people camping on the property, as opposed to the hundreds of people camping at the last revival meeting site. Even though everyone seemed friendly, I couldn’t shake that feeling of inadequacy that rose up in me earlier.
I had no idea what time it was when I woke up that morning. It was barely light out and I couldn’t go back to sleep. The fog was more frigid than I had expected it to be in the thick of the Kentucky summer. I decided to walk to the log cabin to process my emotions with the Lord before the day began. My foot steps broke the silence of the early morning as I made my way through the fog and up the stoney steps into the historic Red River Meeting House. I was relieved to find that the cabin was empty. The stone surrounding the fireplace was cool to the touch and the wooden floor creaked beneath my feet. I ran my fingers over the smooth rock, wondering how old it really was. It felt like a precious gift to be alone with Jesus in the meeting house that morning. Even though I was so far out of my comfort zone, His presence felt like home to me. Streams of tears began to mark my sleepy face as I thanked Him for the sweet time together. “Jesus. I need you.” My arms hung heavy at my sides. I began swinging them back and forth trying to keep warm.
I wasn’t at that historic place because of my love for revival history or to cry out for Him to do it again in our nation, I wasn’t really sure why I was there to be honest. “I’m sorry Lord, I know you’ve done great signs and wonders in this place a long time ago - but I don’t know anything about this place. I don’t even know why I’m in Kentucky. I feel so lost. I need you. Help me Lord.” Without knowing the history of the Red River Meeting house, I felt like an imposter being there. Something about tent camping by a grave yard, in the cold fog, all by myself had me feeling especially vulnerable. Tears continued to silently stream down my cheeks. “Jesus, I don’t care about anything except your presence. I don’t want hype. I want you. Thank you for what you did back then, but I need you TODAY. I can’t do this without you. I miss my bed. I miss my job. I need you to be so real to me, I feel crazy. Jesus, I NEED you.” The night before, so many people were crying out for God to move again the way He did in that place in the early 1800’s. I didn’t have that same zeal for intercession in me and I felt guilty about it. As I poured my heart out to the Lord, raw, vulnerable, shivering, the power of His presence became so thick in that place. I could feel His nearness. A slight breeze wove itself in and out of the empty cabin and peace began to flood in.
“Becca, my intercessors are coming to this place to invite me here, but they don’t realize that they are responding to MY invitation. They are MY guests. I have prepared a banquet for you all, and I’ve invited many others who haven’t RSVP’d yet because they are believing so many of the same lies that you are. Pray daughter. Take authority over all those lies and pray that the laborers who’ve been called into the harvest will respond to my invitation! Call in those RSVP’s!”
“Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses.” -Luke 14:16-18
I could see clearly that it didn’t matter what anyone else thought about my journey, it was just important that I gave God my yes and showed up. I was invited to the table of the Lord, to partake of His body and blood, what an honor. I love what A.W. Tozer says about responding to such an invitation, "On our part there must be a positive reciprocation of this secret drawing of God if it is to eventuate into an identifiable experience of the Divine."
My tears of self-wallowing turned to tears of thanksgiving. He invited me. He wanted ME to be there. I wept realizing that I’d allowed myself to feel so inadequate and under-qualified, instead of rejoicing that I was invited in the first place. That spirit of intercession came upon me and I started calling in those RSVP’s in the spirit. I started praying that people would feel the drawing of the Holy Spirit and that they would follow Him into the harvest fields, and join Him at the banquet table. The eyes of my heart were opened by the Holy Spirit in that moment. I began to see angels cleaning the cabin and preparing a table for us. I was deep in prayer when I began to hear the birds waking up and people walking around outside. One of the men from the campsite walked into the cabin and said he could feel the power of God in that place. I stood there still crying, still swinging my arms back and forth in prayer. I shared with him what I was seeing and we began to pray, thanking the Lord for His kindness to invite us to His party.
Not long after that, a whole van of intercessors arrived. They had no idea that there was a revival event there that weekend, they just felt led to come and pray. As we joined their prayer circle, they began to invite the Lord to come pour out revival in that place again. My heart was pounding. It was exactly what the Holy Spirit said would happen. “Becca, my intercessors are coming to this place to invite me here, but they don’t realize that they are responding to MY invitation.” I felt the nudge of the Lord. I told them what He said that morning. The room grew quiet.
One woman spoke up, “Well if we have been invited to His table, we better know what our order is! What do ya’ll want? I want my whole family saved!” One by one, people began to state what they wanted off the menu of the banquet table of the Lord. By this point, a few more people from the campsite joined the prayer circle. Another man spoke up, “My wife was raised muslim. I’ve been praying for her salvation for years, she just accepted Christ this year and we both want to be filled with the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues.” The man and his wife were invited into the middle of the circle, and we prayed for them. They both began speaking in tongues at the same time. Others became filled with the joy of the Lord, rejoicing in holy laughter praising God for pouring out His spirit. All around the room people began praying for each other and encouraging each other in the things of the Lord. I walked out of that little log cabin in awe.
I spent a total of 6 days tent camping out at the Red River Meeting House. The revival services were wild. Just like what they reported to have happen there in the early 1800’s, people were falling out in the spirit all over the place. As we laid our hands on them, the power of God would hit them and they would go falling backwards. One unsuspecting elderly woman let out a loud, “Oh sh*t!” as she went back, touched by the power of God. People were experiencing deliverance all over the place, on their faces before the Lord weeping as He touched their hearts. It was such a beautiful experience, and one that I felt honored to be invited to be a part of. God is so good. His invitation to us is always available and He is eagerly awaiting our response to step into all the goodness and glory that He has in store for us!
After that meeting at the Red River Meeting House, a few of the families I met joined together and blessed me financially to make it back to Colorado to get my car. I returned my tent and boarded another one-way plane ticket expectant for the next revival in North Carolina.
What areas of your life are you allowing a sense of inadequacy to prevent you from saying yes to all that God has for you? What excuses are coming up? Don’t count yourself out! When was the last time you allowed your heart to be raw before the Lord in prayer? What areas of your life need a fresh touch of revival? I challenge you to spend time with the Lord today and let Him blow your mind with Him intimate love!
To find out what happens next, click here.
