Throughout my sixty-five years of ministry, I’ve prayed to see the Solomonic vision of a Spirit-inflamed army of God emerge in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit to march forth in the glory of God and claim the multitudes in the valleys of decision.
I caught a glimpse of this vision in the revival fires that swept me into the Kingdom of God in southeastern Arkansas in 1946. In Kentucky in 1948, my friend John K. Summers and I saw the glory of God sweep a rural community on the banks of the Cumberland River. Then for six weeks in 1950, we saw the glory of God move upon his people in Indiana and rally them for a period of praise and spiritual harvest of souls. In California in 1970, the fires of the Asbury Revival touched us for a short time in Pasadena.
But I confess that for several years I felt and saw little of the vision of Solomon in my ministries. To this day, I praise Him for the awakening God gave me in 1986. On a cold November day, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that God wanted to do three things for me: (1) Fill me afresh with the Spirit, (2) Teach me to pray, and (3) Show me revival.
From 1986 through 1993, we prayed and taught prayer warfare to others and saw a seven-year revival. On a glorious weekend during a camp meeting in Summersville, West Virginia, God called me to give the rest of my years to seeking Him for revival. I’ve been in 40 states here in the U.S. and in several countries on four continents seeking God’s glory in revival. Not every meeting reached the spiritual level worthy of the term “revival,” but my heart has leaped for joy on numerous occasions when the Holy Spirit visited us with His miraculous, transforming, life-giving presence! Such times have made my heart only more hungry for times of refreshing when holy winds blow, holy fires burn, and holy rivers flow!
And now as an octogenarian, I still long for the pouring out of His holy presence.
Looking back on the year now closing, I praise God for His faithfulness to bless His Word and His willingness to meet His people when they are humble, prayerful, and obedient.
Throughout 2011, Shirley and I have conducted Schools of Prayer and Revival services in Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, New York, and Michigan. In each event we saw and felt God’s glory and saw victory in most of the places.
Much of the year was spent finishing the book ESTELLE, a novel based on the actual events of the 1946 sweeping revival in Arkansas County, which was prayed to pass by my mother, Estelle, and other prayer partners. I felt I should make the book into a story of the lives of my dear parents, Jim and Estelle Tharp, and show the glory of God in their spiritual journey. I sincerely believe Estelle is a good model for modern believers to become living sacrifices in prayer. May God grant an “Estelle anointing” to thousands of us at this late hour!
But I confess that for several years I felt and saw little of the vision of Solomon in my ministries. To this day, I praise Him for the awakening God gave me in 1986. On a cold November day, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that God wanted to do three things for me: (1) Fill me afresh with the Spirit, (2) Teach me to pray, and (3) Show me revival.
From 1986 through 1993, we prayed and taught prayer warfare to others and saw a seven-year revival. On a glorious weekend during a camp meeting in Summersville, West Virginia, God called me to give the rest of my years to seeking Him for revival. I’ve been in 40 states here in the U.S. and in several countries on four continents seeking God’s glory in revival. Not every meeting reached the spiritual level worthy of the term “revival,” but my heart has leaped for joy on numerous occasions when the Holy Spirit visited us with His miraculous, transforming, life-giving presence! Such times have made my heart only more hungry for times of refreshing when holy winds blow, holy fires burn, and holy rivers flow!
And now as an octogenarian, I still long for the pouring out of His holy presence.
Looking back on the year now closing, I praise God for His faithfulness to bless His Word and His willingness to meet His people when they are humble, prayerful, and obedient.
Throughout 2011, Shirley and I have conducted Schools of Prayer and Revival services in Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, New York, and Michigan. In each event we saw and felt God’s glory and saw victory in most of the places.
Much of the year was spent finishing the book ESTELLE, a novel based on the actual events of the 1946 sweeping revival in Arkansas County, which was prayed to pass by my mother, Estelle, and other prayer partners. I felt I should make the book into a story of the lives of my dear parents, Jim and Estelle Tharp, and show the glory of God in their spiritual journey. I sincerely believe Estelle is a good model for modern believers to become living sacrifices in prayer. May God grant an “Estelle anointing” to thousands of us at this late hour!
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