The Unexpected Brownsville Revival
By Dr. Mark DenisonIt happened 20 years ago in an unexpected time and place. It all started at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida on Father’s Day, 1995. What followed was five years of revival such as has rarely been seen in American history.
Two years before the outbreak began, the church’s pastor, John Kilpatrick, made revival a condition to his continued service at the church. He preached on revival and taught on revival every Sunday. They prepared for organized revival services for two years. Evangelist Steve Hill was brought in to preach, starting June 18, 1995.
What was intended to be a one-week event spilled over to nightly prayer services for the next five years. Thousands attended every week, Tuesday through Saturday nights.
The results were remarkable. More than 2.5 million people visited the revival services over five years. Nearly 200,000 came to Christ, with 1,000 going on to take courses in ministry and evangelism, so they could take the Gospel message throughout the world.
The Holy Spirit moved in unmistakable ways. Hundreds experienced dramatic physical healings. Marriages were restored. Enemies were reconciled. Services often lasted late into the night. Pastors came from all over the country to see what God was doing.
This all leads to one obvious question . . .
What was behind the Brownsville Revival?
In a word – prayer. For two years, the church of Brownsville prayed. Then, after the revival began, they continued to pray – five nights a week. They stayed at it for five solid years, five nights a week.
And God showed up. Here’s the lesson. We can’t whip up revival – we must pray it down. God can do much after we pray, but rarely does much until we pray.
Prayer is at the heart of every great revival – the Great Awakening (1734-43), the Second Great Awakening (1800-40), the Businessman’s Revival (1857-58), the Civil War Revival (1861-65), the Urban Revivals (1875-85), the Revivals of 1905-06, the Azusa Street Revival (1906), the Post-World War II Awakening (1947-48), and the Charismatic Renewal (1960s-70s).
The Brownsville Revival of the late 1990s taught us one valuable lesson. In order to see revival we must become desperate – desperate enough to work as though it all depends upon us, but also desperate enough to pray as though it all depends upon God.
Revival tomorrow requires one thing – prayer today.