'Waves' of repentance, revival occurring in Tennessee
Marked by fasting and sincere repentance, "waves" of revival are breaking out as the Holy Spirit is stirring across the state of Tennessee.
In an effort that includes hundreds of churches across the Volunteer state, a 30-day prayer and fasting initiative called Awaken Tennessee began on Jan. 26 and concludes Sunday.
John Butler, pastor of East Rogersville Baptist Church in Rogersville, Tennessee, said in a Thursday phone interview with The Christian Post that he has been a student of revival for many years and has prayed fervently for it for many years.
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His church found out about the Awaken initiative, which happened to coincide with a conference he had planned in conjunction with the Asbury revival that occurred 50 years ago and a revival that occurred in Brownwood, Texas, 25 years ago.
"In the past you've had revivals that have been somewhat based in one thing or another. I think for us this really is a Word-driven and prayer-focused time of revival. When you look back at the first, second and even third Great Awakenings you see this word excesses, strange things happening. We're not seeing any of that," Butler said.
"What we're seeing is God's presence is in this place and people are convicted of sin, they repent. If they've got a relationship with Jesus, they repent and He cleanses them. If they don't have a relationship with Jesus that's what happens, they're born into the Kingdom. We're seeing people saved. God's doing a considerable work [among] our students."
He added: "People are coming and we're worshiping God and God is changing lives."
According to The Christian Broadcasting Network, the call to fast and pray across the Volunteer state began last year when Pastor Dave Clayton of Nashville's Ethos Church got 400 churches to unite and pray for every single resident of the city. Other pastors throughout the state followed suit and replicated the initiative in their communities.
Baptists, Methodists, nondenominational churches and Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are all reportedly involved.
"Know that God seems to move in waves. This has proven to be ever so helpful as we progress through these days of revival. We have witnessed these waves. All of the services have been Spirit-filled yet some are just overpowering and that is what we are seeing," Butler said in an interview with CBN News.
Sheldon Livesay, East Tennessee coordinator for Awaken Tennessee, told the outlet that "there has been a 50-year history of intense prayer across our region and the last two years we've seen God lead cities of churches together to do prayer walks, crusades, and tent revivals."
"Awaken Tennessee seems it has brought that extra Holy Spirit presence through prayer and fasting that we see exploding in church after church."
