Spiritual Awakening in America Today

There are many countries of the world where God is pouring out his Spirit today.  But what about America?  I strongly believe God is moving across America as well, but many Christians either haven't heard of it or don't comprehend the scale of what God is doing.  Consider some of these movements of young adults that are taking place across our nation.  For the sake of brevity I am listing as little information and mentioning as few movements as possible why still trying to get my point across.  By no means does this short blog summarize all the incredible things happening ... "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25).

Renewal Movements

OneThing - several people I know attended this annual event at IHOP in Kansas City, MO in which over 20,000 radical believers from across the country to pray and seek the face of God for our nation.  International House of Prayer is a movement of believers who for the past decade have prayed 24/7 in passionate pleas for God to move on our nation.  Now marking a decade of round the clock prayer, IHOP is combining 24/7 prayer with 24/7 acts of justice and serving the poor.

Passion Movement - Just a few weeks ago, on the same week as OneThing, over 22,000 young people gathered in Atlanta, GA for Passion2010 and took it to the streets.  The vision of Passion is based off of Isaiah 26:8 which states a cry to God saying, "your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." 

The Call - On September 3rd, 2000, an estimated 400,000 believers gathered to fast and pray and seek God at the National Mall in Washington DC.  According to CBN several movements have prepared the way for this historic event, including a Promise Keepers event in 1997 in which over 1 million men gathered in the same place to seek God by prayer, fasting and covenant keeping.  The Call 2010 is taking place this coming September.

Evangelistic Movements

Billy Graham preached to more people across the world than any person in world history ... in our generation!  Yet we dare to say God is not moving or opening doors?  I think God would be offended at the thought.  Franklin Graham continues to carry this mantle, having already preached the Gospel to millions of people.  When I worked for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I caught a glimpse of this great organization's emphasis on prayer and purity of revival-sized proportions.  We had months of prayer meetings for the Twin Cities area before a Franklin Graham event called Rock the River.  Local Christians prayed 24/7 for ten days before the one day evangelistic event in which 23,000 young people heard the Gospel (a portion of the over 112,000 young people who attended the four events up the Mississippi River basin).  One reason many Christians don't know all God is doing in America is lack of media coverage.  In the Twin Cities, while Rock the River drew 23,000 people - just a week later a large concert for youth held 2 minutes away in the Excel Center with several of the most popular youth bands in the US - including Blink 182 and Good Charlotte (one band member is Pete Wentz, who was recently married to Ashley Simpson) got front page coverage in the local newspaper instead of Rock the River, yet drew only about 7,000 youth.  Beyonce', also one of the nation's most popular artists drew a crowd of only about 11,000 two months before Rock the River, but again received more media attention.  Even American Idol auditions, with all their fame and fortune promises, can't draw crowds larger than 12,000 (Chicago audition, 2010 season).

Luis Palau hold similar events to scale or larger of what Franklin Graham is seeing across America.  Young and old alike are turning to Christ and their lives are being completely transformed.

Other young evangelists are seeing tens of thousands of young people turn from their sins and turn to Christ in recent years. 

Reinhard Bonnke and Christ for All Nations (CFAN) also have held several events across the US.  They have two tentative crusades (New York City and Dallas) planned for 2010.  Bonnke recently switched his credentials to the Assembly of God denomination and stood by his own booth at the General Council this past year in Orlando, Florida.  A friend of mine stopped by to greet him and was amazed at how few people stopped to meet him or even knew who he was.  Here is the man who watched 1.2 million people accept Christ in a single altar call back in 2001, and has seen 40 million Africans make decisions for Christ, and most of us would walk on by, not even realizing it!

Missions Movements

Urbana 09 took place around the same time as OneThing and Passion2010.  Urbana is a missions conference that has taken place since 1946 in which 575 first attended.  This year's conference - held the same time as the previously mentioned Passion2010 and One Thing conferences also drew tens of thousands of young people passionate to reach the world, ready to dedicate their entire lives in the service of Christ.

Other young missions movements such as Venture Expeditions are seeing incredible results in relation to American youth and the advancement of missions around the world.

Church Movements

I don't even have time to mention the shockingly large churches on all corners of our nation.  Giga-churches, churches that number in the tens of thousands - many of these far from being watered down or unbiblical.  Consider Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, City Church in Seattle or the Basement youth church (of 7,000 students) in Alabama, Seacoast Church in Mt Pleasant, SC, Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, James River Assembly near Springfield, MO, LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma - the list could go on and on.  The crazy thing is that most of these movements or churches and their happenings are widely available online, but yet so few of us care to look into the greatness God is pouring on the earth today. 

Yes, there is still obvious great need, even after all is considered.  This is the largest and most unreached generation in American history - a generation is becoming Biblically illiterate.  This is what has been handed to us in our day - we did not choose it - but most generations of Christians before us, in nations around the world have face far starker circumstances.  My prayer is that the news of what God is already doing will encourage us to respond to his call to seek His face for our own areas of the nation.

It's undeniable, God is moving in huge ways in America today.  The great spiritual leaders of Church history would be shocked at the massive movements God is stirring today.  I literally believe they would be astonished at what we are seeing.  They would rejoice.  They would weep with us.  They would pray.  Come Lord Jesus - have your way on the entire generation, on the entire culture.  Revive us all!