Washington DC Spring Revival

“A Call to Spiritual Awakening” aptly described the theme of the 2009 Spring Revival on March 23-29 at the Apostolic Faith Church in Washington DC. February was designated as a month of prayer, and then prior to the revival, another special week of prayer was observed. As they sought the Lord in prayer, the Washington DC church members had faith that God would send a mighty revival.

The revival week began with a day of fasting and prayer on Monday. On Tuesday evening, Reverend Josephine McElveen, the pastor in Washington DC, preached a powerful sermon on “How to Stay Saved.” Taking her text from 2 Kings 23, she drew a parallel between the consecrations King Josiah made and the steps Christians need to take to maintain their walk with God. Reverend McElveen exhorted that, like Josiah, Christians need to tear down every idol and remove all obstacles because Jesus is coming for a “glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.”

Peter McPhun, one of the youth ministers in Washington DC, gave a burning message on Wednesday evening, using John 9:1-7 for his text. Peter used this account to make the spiritual application that Jesus focuses on those who believe they can see, but do not recognize that they are, in fact, spiritually blind. Peter pointed out that when one finally comes to the realization that he is spiritually blind and in need of God’s help, he is in the position where God can work in his life and open his “spiritual” eyes. A beautiful altar service followed with many sincerely seeking God.

The guest speaker for the revival, Reverend John Wyatt, pastor of the church in Bronx, New York, preached on Thursday evening and his theme was, “The Real Cause for Rejoicing.” He emphasized the need to make sure one’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. He brought out that everyone must give an account of his or her life before a Holy God. Reading from Luke 10:1-20, Reverend Wyatt said that the real cause of joy for Christians should be the assurance that their names are written in Heaven.

Reverend Wyatt’s sermon on Friday evening directed the congregation to focus on having the anointing of the Holy Spirit so they can live victorious Christian lives in these last days. On Saturday evening, everyone gathered for a musical celebration, and the Holy Spirit could be felt in a powerful manner as the various numbers were presented. A wonderful prayer meeting followed the evening of music.

On Sunday morning, the sanctuary was full, and there were many visitors from the branch churches in North Carolina, Virginia, and New York. The service began with the orchestra playing “It’s Really Surprising What the Lord Can Do.” After the devotional portion of the service, Reverend Duane Ross, from Richmond, Virginia, encouraged the congregation to open the “alabaster boxes” of their hearts and offer up to God the treasures within. In Reverend Wyatt’s final sermon, he gave the exhortation to rekindle the old-time religion. Referencing 1 Samuel 2, he relayed the background of how the Children of Israel had drifted away from God’s perfect plan. Even though most of Israel had rejected God, Samuel willingly answered God’s call to be a judge and prophet in Israel. Reverend Wyatt pointed out that in our world today, Christians of all ages need to be ready to answer God’s call on their lives. He said that due to worldliness, the “lamp of God” may have gone out in some Christians’ lives, and he challenged the congregation by asking, “Is the lamp still burning in your soul?” Once again, the power of the Holy Spirit fell and many tarried in prayer after the service.

The spring revival was truly a wonderful time of spiritual awakening. Words are not sufficient to express the many ways God used this week to touch lives, and testimonies of victory were being given before the revival came to a close. Experiencing all of God’s wonderful blessings truly keeps hearts focused on the greatest blessing of all—the pleasure of seeing Jesus face-to-face in His Kingdom!