Summer of Revival, May 2017

What Happened in May of 2017 in the Revival Ministry of Dr. Rick Flanders

It was an amazing month for revival where I was in the past few weeks, and I want to report on it to folks who pray for me and my ministry.  Here is where I was and what I saw.

• The Michigan Revival Conference Pastors’ Prayer Retreat at Camp CoBeAc in Prudenville, Michigan, May 2-4. We had 25 men show up for this season of seeking God, and God made His presence known.  In Matthew 18, the Lord Jesus teaches us how to have prayer meetings, and promises the special effectiveness of more than one meeting for prayer.  He also promises His special presence.  All of this we experienced.  The Retreat also involved fasting.  We ate a wonderful meal prepared by the Camp staff on Tuesday evening, and then another one on Wednesday night.  In between we studied passages in the Bible about prayer and revival and just prayed.  The Holy Spirit guided us as we prayed, and gave us confidence and boldness before the throne.  Read Romans 8:26-27, Ephesians 6:16-19, and First John 5:14-15.  Those of us who stayed overnight had breakfast on Thursday morning, and then gave testimonies before praying again and heading home.  All of us were deeply impacted by this time with God, and we believe that He is going to do wonderful things in answer to the prayers He helped us offer.  During the Retreat we decided to have more pastors’ prayer meetings, such as the one we had at Bridgeport on May 25, and the one we will have at Marysville on June 6.  Also, the men will tell you, the Spirit seemed to give us a phrase we prayed with confidence during the hours we spent before the Father.  We are asking Him to give us a “summer of revival” all over Michigan.
• A revival campaign at Shawano Baptist Church in Shawano, Wisconsin, May 7-12. My friend, evangelist Matt Weber, has led in the establishment of a new congregation in this town, and asked me to come and lead a revival campaign with them.  The key to the miracles of this week was the prayer meeting with seven people on Saturday night.  We were led to ask for a number of very specific, and usually not likely, things that require divine intervention, and they happened!  Some of the revival blessings at Shawano included a man saved Sunday morning who grew rapidly as he attended the revival meetings, others saved later in the week (including somebody who had been brought to God by name in prayer), many revival decisions among church members and visitors, and the public baptism of two on Thursday at the Wolf River!
• The “Blended Knee” Pastors’ Prayer Seminar at Canaan Baptist Church in Covington, Georgia, May 16. The Falls Baptist Church of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, has been asked to present this effective one-day seminar on private and corporate prayer in several places across the country, and this was the most recent one.  It was my join and privilege to speak twice on this day, first on revival praying, and later from Luke 11 on praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Something unusual about this particular seminar is that Pastor Billy Ingram asked for it to be repeated on Wednesday morning (the 17^th) for church members who wanted to come.  More than fifty of them did!  And the Lord gave us a life-changing two days, opening our eyes go our phenomenal privileges before the throne.  There is a new thirst around the country for learning about prayer, and these “Bended Knee” seminars are helping to meet the need.  Then I got to preach in the church at the midweek service.  Let me report that the Lord is doing a significant work of revival in this church, particularly since evangelist Ingram became their pastor.  It has been a great church for years, but this year there is unquestionably a deepening of their walk with Christ with an expectation of greater things to come.  Do pray for them.
• The National Conference for Prayer and Revival at the Greater Cumberland Baptist Church of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, May 21-26. I was a speaker at this revival conference again this year, along with Evangelist Chris Miller, Dr. Wayne Van Gelderen, Jr., and Dr. Billy Ingram.  The sober tenor of the services along with the tender responsiveness of the congregation made this gathering unusually effective.  We heard the truth about God’s big program for the world, about conditions that must prevail in the churches, on the sin of complaining, about the problem of bitterness, and on dealing with the devil.  We also got to see souls saved as we evangelized many homes in the neighborhood some afternoons. Those who attended them also got to experience several very powerful prayer meetings. Unfortunately Toni and I had to leave after the Wednesday morning sessions, but we got good reports on the rest of the week.
• A pastors’ prayer meeting related to the Michigan Revival Conference, held on Thursday morning, May 25. Another very good prayer meeting was held at First Baptist Church of Bridgeport, and I was very glad I was able to attend.  We are going to see amazing things in response to these prayers and these prayer meetings.
• A revival campaign at Victory Baptist Church in Sherwood Park (near Edmonton), Alberta, beginning on May 27. This good church, led and founded by Pastor David Harness, is a place I have gone before for revival efforts, and I have certainly looked forward to returning this week.  Toni was able to go with me this time, and she spoke with a group of the ladies on Saturday morning to start our ministry here this time.  Sunday it was apparent that the church is in good shape and moving forward after a period of trial and cleansing.  The place was full Sunday morning, and mostly full Sunday night, which was very exciting.  In the 10 a.m. Bible class I taught from John 15 on “What is the Abundant Life?”  In the morning church service, it was “Hope for the Backslider,” and Sunday night I preached on “What to Expect in a Revival Meeting.”  We are off to a good start, as a result of prayer, and hope that you will pray for us in Canada this week: for revival and for lost people to come to Jesus.  We continue through this Sunday.

JUNE 2017 IS A VERY IMPORTANT MONTH IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR WORK:  The Michigan Revival Conference is set for June 18-25 (go to the website at ReviveMichigan.com).  I will preach in the Bluewater Revival meetings, June 6-7, at the Victory Baptist Church in Marysville, Michigan.  There will be another MRC prayer meeting at Marysville on Tuesday the 6^th, and I am to preach for revival at the Lake Baptist Church in Lake, Michigan, on the 11^th.  So keep praying for me, and for revival.  Thank you.

RICK FLANDERS Acts 1:8