What I Sense from Pastors Today
As many of you know, several of my colleagues and I have recently called and conducted two national prayer meetings for pastors. Together, we have issued the call and prayed with hundreds of pastors.
Each of these prayer gatherings have resulted in pastors leaving their churches, boarding a plane, and giving two days for the purpose of prayer. You could easily offer pastors a great Bible teacher or a controversy to talk through, and response would be great. However, this has not been the call of these prayer gatherings.
We have extended the call for pastors from across America to gather together for the purpose of praying for revival in the church and spiritual awakening in America. These times have consisted of personal evaluation and repentance, personal restitution, praying together for each other, for churches, for our nation and its leaders, and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. By the hundreds, pastors have come from all over these United States.
Why have pastors come to pray? I want to note a few things I sense from pastors today.
1. Pastors are burdened for a great move of God. Without exception, I have sensed these men are burdened for God to do something great in their lives, ministries, and our nation. This burden is real, something they cannot just get rid of or act as though it does not exist.
2. Pastors are aware they are limited and their church is in need. Pastors are increasingly aware that we are in need in our great land, and we cannot get this done on our own, or even together. They are aware we need God more than ever before. These pastors know even though their church may be experiencing some special days, at our best, we are still far behind in making a major difference. We are all increasingly aware of our great need for a fresh move of God.
3. Pastors are concerned beyond words for our nation. Pastors are growing more burdened daily for the disastrous steps our nation is making away from God. They are aware that without a great spiritual awakening, our nation is heading for spiritual disaster.
4. Pastors believe the Great Commission can be fulfilled in their generation. Therefore, they are very committed to praying this through and discovering their part in seeing it completed. In this technologically fast-paced culture, this could be a reality. Every pastor I know wants to be a part of seeing this done. We believe the time is short, Jesus could come; therefore, now is the time to get the job done.
5. Pastors know we need to work together now more than ever before. This is not a time for each man and his church to be on their own; it greatly limits influence. Pastors know we need each other. We know our churches must cooperate and partner together to get the job done.
Finally…
Be encouraged.
These are great days to be a pastor.
These are great days to work together in our churches.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
God is Raising up Pastors With a Heart to See Revival and Awakening: A Report on Atlanta
God is up to something special in America. As I leave our prayer gathering, I am convinced more than ever that the Lord is stirring up men of God all across this nation.
What I witnessed
I witnessed several hundred pastors and ministers:
- Crying out to God for revival and awakening
- Lying on their faces in humility, pouring out their prayers not just for others, but for their own spiritual condition
- Praying for one another
- Interceding for the churches of America
- Developing a growing burden for the world to be reached for Jesus Christ.
- Worshipping with all their might
- Pleading with God for spiritual awakening in America
Words cannot describe all we each witnessed in our time together. If you want to read more reports than what I am able to give here, search Twitter for #prayingpastors.
Why I am encouraged
The only answer in the church and in our nation is a major move of God and He is placing a strong burden and growing desperation in our midst. While I saw this in our Dallas gathering in the fall, God intensified it in Atlanta this week. This is occurring because of extraordinary prayer.
When the men of God gather to pray, faith is developed and hope is restored. As the song says, we begin to “believe again.” Jesus said,
“And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:58 (ESV)
God is raising up a generation of pastors who are biblically-based, theologically-balanced, spiritually-empowered, and are committed to see revival and awakening in their generation. We are the revival generation.
What’s next
Many pastors were asking, “When is the next prayer gathering? What is next?” We have no plans for another gathering at this point. We did not when we left Dallas. You have to understand, we were just gathering a few pastors together to pray, and the Lord blossomed it beyond our expectation. The Atlanta gathering was twice as large as the Dallas gathering.
What I have encouraged pastors to do, is to go home and pray. If they believe God wants to do something in their region, they know the principles that have been taught them. Therefore, if God creates the burden in them, lead it in their own region and state. God will see them through just as He has us.
We need a spiritual movement to arise in every state in our great nation, led by pastors, to move God’s people to extraordinary prayer. God is doing something. Therefore, if you are a pastor reading this today, pray and lead. God will see you through.
We must
We must reach this world for Jesus Christ. The hour is critical. The time is short. This is why we need to practice extraordinary prayer.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.