“Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” ( ►Isaiah 57:15)
Last week we began a series titled “Commanding the Supernatural and in Part 1 of the series, using the story of the lame man in Acts 3, we established that signs and wonders open doors for revivals.
As we continue with the series, I will like to begin by saying that there is a widespread human tendency to want to see dramatic shreds of evidence of spiritual things before we believe. According to the book of Acts, the dramatic growth of the early Church was consistently a result of God’s word being preached and confirmed with supernatural manifestations. All these began when the church went into prayers in Acts 4:29–30. At that point in time, this body of believers was undergoing career-ending, family-shaking, life-threatening persecution and in the face of these great oppositions, they cried out to God thus: “Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your son Jesus.” They cried for boldness in their witness; they cried for God’s hand to be stretched forth in healing; and they cried for God to perform signs and wonders. These first-generation believers were not just “open” to signs and wonders. They were desperate for them and they prayed for them to come and by Acts 5:12 God obliged them and the church grew and multiplied.
The testimony of Acts 5 is not just an isolated instance. The Bible has at least 17 records of where miracles led to widespread healings and conversions in the book of Acts. For instance, in Acts 3:6, the miracle of Pentecost led to 3,000 converts, In Acts 4:4, the miracle of the lame man led to 2,000 converts. However, the Miracles in Acts 9 carry the clearest examples. In Vs 34, Peter healing prayer for Aeneas caused “all the residents of Lydda and Sharon to turn to the Lord” and in Vs. 40-42, the raising of Tabitha from the dead caused an entire city (Joppa), “to believe in the Lord”.
There is no denying the fact that the working of miracles, signs and wonders helps in bringing people to Christ and according to Mark 16:15, it is the duty of every Christian to offer prayers for the church so that those who are yet to come to the light of the glorious truth will receive Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour.
True revival is a biblical concept and God is looking for someone to stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30), praying that God would stretch forth his hand to heal and do signs and wonders.
Will you be that someone, praying without ceasing for revival?
Triumphant Obamoh
Resident/State Pastor