During the time leading up to the COVID-19 crisis, we saw Kingdom advancement across Uruguay. Six churches gathered for the nation’s third College of Prayer. There was never so much anticipation going into the weekend. Previous engagements had whetted people’s spiritual appetites, and they expected God’s presence to be manifest.
In the two days we gathered, there were high moments of worship, anointed teaching, and deep repentance as people wept for their country. They left empowered to reach a lost world through what is becoming a revived church.
A week later, all public gatherings were suspended. Our church plant’s first baptism as well as ministry trips within and outside Uruguay were postponed indefinitely.
Breakthrough!
But what the enemy intended for evil, God is using for good. The doors have swung open for us. My wife, Timbrel, and I are on the phone and computer, talking and praying with people. This crisis has provided countless opportunities to pray with people who normally wouldn’t have had the time or who would never enter our church. We’re leading prayer and worship via Facebook Live four times weekly and are hearing reports of people encountering God’s love through these sessions.
Timbrel prayed with two women over the phone whom we’ve never met—and they accepted Jesus as their Savior! We’re seeing unprecedented emotional healing and breakthroughs across the digital waves. God is building His Church, and the gates of hell can’t stop it.
We’d like to share a paraphrase of something my mentor, Don Young, a retired Alliance international worker, said recently:
Pandemics breed fear and anxiety. A revival births hope and peace. Pandemics breed false predictions, whereas revival brings repentance. Where pandemics trigger hoarding, revival births sacrificial giving. When a pandemic reminds you of your lack of resources, revival will bring abundance. Pandemics cripple, but revivals empower. In a pandemic, we blame others. In revival, we praise God for victories. During pandemics we pray for the moment. In revival, we pray every moment.
While the nations of the earth rage, our God isn’t nervous. Join us in praying that all who have been struggling during this crisis will run into the arms of their heavenly Father, knowing they are valued and loved.
adapted from an update by Alliance international workers Jimmie and Timbrel Hull