Calling the Church to Revival and America to Awakening (Part 4)
Last week we read Part 3 of a conversation between OneCry National Director Randy Hekman and Southern Baptist Convention President Dr. Ronnie Floyd. Here is the last of the four excerpts of their conversation, focused on the need for “extraordinary prayer” for revival and another Great Awakening.Randy: How important is it for other denominations and other true Bible-based churches to unite with Southern Baptists in our communities to pray together for revival?Dr. Floyd: Well, I believe there is a place for that, no question about it. I have been a part of those gatherings, and I believe in those gatherings.The reason I have, at this point, singularized my call to Southern Baptists is, first of all, because I am president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and I believe it’s up to me to provide direction. I think that is the greatest direction any leader can provide today in Christianity, and that is the choice I am making.Also, quite honestly, I want us to see our own group get its stuff together. I want to see us get together and get after this element of having a heart for God and a hot passion for the gospel.I want to see us become attractive enough that others want to join with us and call out to God. My heart is to see that within our 46,000 churches, but also, prayerfully, to see us come together with the evangelical community and pray diligently for the next Great Awakening in the country.Randy: Is there anything I have not asked you that you would love to express to followers of Christ around the nation, particularly on the subject of revival?Dr. Floyd: I want to express to all of your Southern Baptist readers that we need you to be unified. We need you to come together at www.Pray4Awakening.org and be a part of this prayer movement. It is time we come together in explicit agreement and visible union in extraordinary prayer, just as Jonathan Edwards said, for the glory of God.And I will ask everyone else who is not a Southern Baptist to pray for us, that God will get ahold of us and turn us upside down for Jesus, because we need it desperately.And to all of us today: Regardless of what our background may be, we are followers of Christ, and we need to unite together for the sake of the gospel. We need to unite together to do everything we can to pray through until we see the next great move of God in this country.Randy: Amen. Will you close us in prayer, Dr. Floyd?Dr. Floyd: Father, I pray in the name of Jesus today, that You would truly bring us together in the name of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the hope for the world. I pray that You would bring us together to believe that we can’t fix this ourselves. We must have a touch of God.And we plead with You today, would You send a mighty movement of the Lord Jesus Christ in this nation? Would You wake up the church? Would You wake up pastors today all over America spiritually?Lord, would You wake up Christian leaders today all over this country? Would You wake up church leaders today all over this country? Help us unite together to make a difference and see You bring revival to Your church.And Lord, I pray You would bring spiritual awakening to America. We know that You can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime, and we cry out to You today, would You do it? We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.Randy: Dr. Floyd, thank you, so appreciate your time.Dr. Floyd: It’s been a privilege to be with you.