Do you have to have an amazing, visible, emotional experience for the revival to be valid?
No.
Let me say it again: NO.
I spent some time in prayer with a young woman who was worried she was not experiencing anything. She was, just not in maybe the exuberant ways others were. In fact, she said that she knew God was her father and wanted to love her. That is better than all exuberant emotions!
As I felt from the first, the Asbury Revival is a mass event tailored to each individual. That is the wisdom and providence of God.
Most of what I have heard from people is not as much ecstatic as the Lord pouring peace into their hearts. Redemption. A sense of deep love.
I was talking to Kevin Fitzpatrick about this very thing. He told me this morning that from where he lives, he can actually hear the singing at the revival. He had an interesting experience to relate. He has not had any great sense of an overwhelming nature while at the revival, but he said that when he tells people about what is going on, he is overcome by anticipation, and is sometimes on the edge of tears.
It has long been expressed in Methodist circles that sanctification leads naturally to evangelism, as we are both prompted by the Spirit and driven by the love God has for our neighbors.
One last thing. There are any number of pundits who want to discredit what is happening at the revival. It doesn’t meet with their approval or tick things off their list. It’s as if we said, “Hey God, send us revival.” Then He sends revival, and we say, “here are three things I don’t like about the revival you sent us, God…”
Let God work.
I saw this on the news last night and wondered if you might be there!