NAMB seeks 1 million to pray for spiritual awakening

by   James Dotson                                                                                                                                    Vol. XVII, No. 7, August 2004

The North American Mission Board is asking Southern Baptists to examine their own hearts as a starting point for seeking a dramatic move of God nationally. Under the banner of "One in a Million," NAMB is seeking 1 million to enlist to pray regularly and specifically for personal repentance, personal revival and national spiritual awakening.

"One in a Million is not a program," said John Yarbrough, NAMB's vice president for evangelism. "It is an invitation to join thousands of others with a passion to see a mighty movement of God sweep across North America. It is a call to repentance. Repentance always precedes revival, and revival always results in evangelism."

With personal renewal as a starting point, the goal of national renewal is more likely to follow, added Chris Schofield, NAMB's director of prayer evangelism. "As a person is revived and renewed, then they begin to seek the Lord for a national spiritual awakening, for God to change our culture. But it's got to start with me," he said. "It's a lot easier for me to pray for national spiritual awakening than it is to get honest with God and say I need renewal myself. Once we do that, our prayers are more effective, and we have a greater awareness and vision for the need for national spiritual awakening."

The effort is in preparation for "What Now?" a continental strategy for evangelism and spiritual awakening in 2005. Schofield said One in a Million also dovetails with the Empowering Kingdom Growth initiative underway across the Southern Baptist Convention, as well NAMB's Great Commission Prayer Strategy for churches.

The basis is 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

"As we focus on His Kingdom we must focus on Him," Yarbrough said. "... What we must have is a mighty movement of God that moves us beyond anything we can produce. However, we can be in a position of prayer and seek the Father to 'forgive our sins and heal our land.'"

Participation in One in a Million begins with registration, either by phone at (770) 410-6333 or through the www.namb.net/prayer site. Weekly updates provide inspiration and challenge to help guide personal prayer efforts. Other resources also are available to help enlist others in the prayer effort.

"To me this initiative hits at the root of why we are seeing our culture decline and rampant ineffectiveness in ministry," Schofield said. "Our light is not shining as it needs to and the darkness is prevailing. Things will only change when we as God's people recognize our sin and accept responsibility for the declining culture. Revival and awakening must start with God's people." [BP]