Before Christ returns, Scripture presents two simultaneous spiritual movements: a widespread falling away from the faith and an unprecedented ingathering of souls. While the Bible warns of deception and apostasy within the church – evident in the parable of the ten virgins and the wedding banquet where original invitees offered excuses – the book of Joel promises a climactic harvest where multitudes enter the "valley of decision." As believers, our calling is not to retreat in the face of compromise, but to step out into the highways and byways to compel the lost to come in.
Men Who Walked by Faith
Throughout history, God has moved through individuals entirely surrendered to His will:
Biblical Examples Enoch walked so intimately with God that he was taken directly into heaven without seeing death. Jacob wrestled with God through the night, refusing to let go until he received a blessing, prevailing as a prince with power before God and man. Elijah demonstrated uncompromised boldness on Mount Carmel and was carried into heaven in a chariot of fire.
Historical Pioneers: George Müller sheltered and fed over 10,000 orphans in Bristol purely through prayer and faith, never soliciting funds or taking on debt. Hudson Taylor spearheaded missions deep into inland China, completely reliant on God's divine provision. Evangelists like Smith Wigglesworth, George Jeffreys, and John and Charles Wesley transformed entire cultures; the Wesley revivals are credited with preserving Britain from the destructive turmoil that consumed Revolutionary France. In India, Bakht Singh turned from rejecting the Bible to establishing over 10,000 indigenous churches.
The Power of Fervent Prayer
James 5.16 declares that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much. The root meaning reflects a divine energy – functioning like a spiritual dynamo generating power, or dynamite breaking through impenetrable obstacles. Prayer is neither passive nor transactional; it is the spiritual force that breaks strongholds and births revival.
A Call for Modern Revival
True national and spiritual transformation cannot be engineered through human politics or military might. Over 76 years of full-time ministry – from stepping out without financial backers to preaching across the former Soviet Union and Central Asia – God has never failed His promises. Today, as nations like Britain drift further from biblical truth, our only lasting hope is a return to fervent prayer and bold, uncompromising faith in the God of the impossible.