
A common prayer in the body of Christ is “God, we need more of Your power!”, or “God send your fire, send your power!”. Growing up going to youth conferences as a teenager and now working with youth, I hear this all the time – and it is a genuine desire in young people to experience God’s power. How can we experience God’s power to ignite revival in this generation?
We can agree that the early Church were some of the most “on fire” believers in the history of the Church. Recorded in the book of Acts, we can see how the gospel spread with signs, wonders and miracles confirming the Word that was preached – Jesus is alive and is ready to save, heal & deliver the oppressed & afflicted. People were being raised from the dead, delivered from demon possession, miracles and healings were prevalent and whole cities were repenting and turning to God as the Holy Spirit moved.If we desire a move of God on the level that the early Church experienced – shouldn’t we be replicating them? I truly desire a move of God for our generation, and God has given us the answer of how this will happen in His Word.
1. Jesus told the disciples to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
When the disciples asked Jesus if He was to restore the Kingdom of Israel at this time, Jesus told them instead what they really needed to know “…You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses… (Acts 1:6-8). We see this Word come to pass on the day of Pentecost: Acts 2:2-4
“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them…”
*Other instances of believers in the early church being baptized in the Holy Spirit are: Acts 8:14-19, Acts 9:17, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 11:15, Acts 19:6.
When the believers received power – revival started.
2. They prayed for boldness to preach the gospel – and expected God to move.
I searched the scriptures and could not find an instance where believers prayed for more of God’s power (let me know if you find this!). Instead, in the midst of persecution, they prayed for boldness to share the gospel and then expected God to perform miracles to confirm His Word.
Here they were, in need of the power of God more than ever and Acts 4:23-31 shows us how they prayed…
“…And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue 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 holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
3. Paul prayed that believers know the power that is in them.
The early Church were led by people that had just spent 3 years with God in the flesh. They knew Jesus. They knew the Father. They knew the power that was now in them. ?Our natural minds cannot comprehend the tremendous work God did when He raised Christ from the dead… this comes by revelation. This is why Paul prayed for believers to get this revelation that comes by spending time with God and His Word…
Ephesians 1:17-20 (TPT)
“I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know him through your deepening intimacy with him.
18 I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling—that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones!
19 I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power 20 that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm!”
Instead of praying for more of God’s power, pray this prayer in Ephesians 1:17-23 for yourself, and spend time with the One whom you are so hungry for. God is willing and wanting to move through you, and He did everything He needed to make this happen when He raised Christ from the dead.
The answer to revival in the world is for believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit and that they know the power that is in them, to share the gospel with the lost and expect God to confirm His Word with signs following.
Sarah Grunewald