by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. 

Igniting revival begins by simply being in love with Jesus and sharing that passion with others. It only takes one match to light a revival fire that has the potential to impact generations.

In the early 1900s, spiritual hunger was being awakened in Wales. Methodist preacher Joseph Jenkins led a conference in 1903 focused on cultivating a deeper life in Christ. The next year, after being confronted by one of his congregants who said his preaching lacked power and conviction, Jenkins did some deep soul searching. He studied the writings of South African Andrew Murray and read a biography about D.L. Moody, which caused him to hunger for a greater experience with God. One night as he wrestled with God into the late hours, he had a life-changing encounter where he said he felt as if he was enveloped by a blue flame as the Holy Spirit descended upon him.[i] Overnight, he was transformed and ignited with fresh fire for God.

Florrie Evans was in his youth group and was being convicted by his new fiery preaching. On February 14, 1904 after the church service, Florrie wanted to connect with Jenkins but was too afraid to approach him. She later paced in front of the door to his house for about 30 minutes before getting the courage to knock on his door. When she finally did, he welcomed her in, and they sat in silence for a time until she spoke up to share her heart and how she longed to know God. He asked her if she had allowed Jesus to be Lord of her life. She wasn’t sure if she could do that yet because she feared what she would have to give up. He encouraged her to accept Jesus as Lord of her life and to shut herself away in her room to fully surrender to Him and to welcome the Holy Spirit.

The next Sunday, after the main service, Jenkins led another smaller meeting of about 60 young people, and asked them this question:

“What does the Lord Jesus Christ mean to you?”

One boy stood up and exclaimed, “Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world!”

This was not what Jenkins was looking for, so he rephrased the question and put the emphasis on the word you in his question. That’s when 19-year-old Florrie Evans stood to her feet and with a tremor in her voice proclaimed,

“I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart!”

God crashed in the room, and many started to break down and cry under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Revival began to spread in her church and beyond. Florrie’s declaration of love for Jesus is said to have been the spark that ignited a flame of what would later become known as the Welsh Revival.

Several months later, a group from Florrie’s church traveled to the region where 26-year-old coal miner Evan Roberts (1878-1951) was attending ministry school. He attended a revival meeting they led in Blaenanerch and it was there that he had his defining “bend me” encounter where God marked him with fire.[ii] About a month later, after having an open vision, he felt compelled to preach to the young people at his home church at Moriah Chapel. It was there, on October 31, 1904 that he preached and convinced all 17 people present to be saved. That was the beginning of what would later become known as the Welsh Revival of 1904 -1905 where in less than six months, over 100,000 people got saved. Shops closed down, people reconciled, crime decreased, debts were paid off, and the nation was brought to a spiritual awakening which continues to have ripple effects around the world to this day.

When this revival burst upon the scene, people from around the world were drawn to Wales to partake in what God was doing. They did not come to see an anointed speaker or a talented worship group on a stage; they came to meet with God. One eyewitness recounted:

“I saw a large, deep gallery surrounding the chapel literally packed with men. They were manly, intensely earnest faces, not looking around or talking one to the other, but with one consent utterly taken up with God. The body of the chapel was also crowded with men and women of all classes, with but one purpose–TO MEET GOD. There was no opening to the meeting; the hearts were full, and burst with prayer and praise to a God felt to be in our midst.”[iii]

The meetings were marked by prayer, testimony, and worship. The spontaneous leading of the Holy Spirit took precedent over any set plans or agendas. People were drawn to this revival to encounter God in a greater measure than ever before.

And it all got sparked by a teenage girl who simply declared her love and devotion for Jesus.

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” –Matthew 22:37

Never underestimate the power of declaring your love for Jesus to this world.

*This excerpt was taken from Jen’s new book Feasting on God’s Presence: 40 Days of Encountering the Holy Spirit through Fasting available today and also as audio book in Jen’s voice too.

How does learning about how one teenage girl’s intimate love for Jesus ignited a powerful move of God impact you? What does it look like for you to declare your devotion and love for Jesus today?

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

On April 6-7, 2024, me and some of the School of Revival family headed out to Thomasville, Georgia to host an encounter night and to minister at Victory Fellowship Church after a one year delay. See blog about our kairos moment in Macon, GA immediately following this time in Thomasville to learn more of the back story.

While in Thomasville, we got to be a part of a regionwide encounter night where God met us in a powerful way. At the end, we called up the leaders of the various ministries and churches in the region and got to lay hands on them and bless them.

Then on the Sunday, we got to minister at church and so many people came to the altar to surrender afresh and lay down their lives fully consecrated unto Jesus. It was so beautiful. Watch the teaching in video below.

Thanks for all the prayers in partnering to see God pour out His Spirit across the globe. I pray you are blessed, inspired, challenged, and ignited with fresh fire for first love of Jesus as you watch this session.

Blessing you!

Jen

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. written April 11, 2024

The Delay is for a Reason

I was blown away at the Kairos moment I stepped into this weekend in Georgia. I was originally supposed to go to Georgia last year around this time but because my dad passed away the week before this engagement, I had to cancel my trip and send my team instead. As time went on, because I still had my plane ticket to Georgia and didn’t want it to go to waste I suggested we reschedule since the trip was already paid for. This past weekend, April 5-9, 2024, I headed to Georgia. Part of this trip included going to Macon to minister at a ministry called Ahava. I knew I would be there on April 8 which is the eve of the Azusa Street Revival anniversary (April 9, 1906). Then I realized April 8 was the same time as the rare full eclipse. Things were lining up and I was beginning to recognize the divine timing of the Lord over this delay.

Divine Appointments

After God moved significantly and beautifully in Thomasville, Georgia, me and the team headed to Macon to minister at Ahava. The divine connection to this community happened when I was at the Asbury Outpouring in Wilmore, Kentucky in February 2023. I went back to my seat to get a copy of Ignite Azusa to give to a young man named Evan who we were about to pray for in the hallway to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Another guy who had previously been sitting in my same seat came back looking for his lost wallet at the same time. He recognized me somehow and then when I grabbed the copy of my book Ignite Azusa he realized that’s how he knew me, because he had read that book! Long story short, since I was hosting an online School of Revival session that day on site, I went into that anointed hallway at Hughes Auditorium and had our School of Revival family pray and prophesy over Jacob and his assistant pastor Matt who was also there. They got rocked and it was a special moment.

So, after one year of delay, I finally made it out to Georgia and preached at Ahava the evening Sunday April 7. I shared about how to steward the oil and God broke out in a wild way. People were getting marked, free, and healed in the fire of God’s love. The next day I had prepared to speak on the Azusa Street Revival since it was the eve of the anniversary. When I woke up that morning for my daily devotions, I was shocked.

Kairos Moment

Each year I read the Bible all the way through. I start in Genesis in January and go at my own pace to finish in a year or less. I literally read through chronologically and don’t use any Bible plans. So, Monday April 8, while I am reading through Ezra in the Old Testament, I nearly stopped after chapter 7 but then decided to just read one more chapter. There was nothing highlighted on that page and nothing exceptional in the beginning of chapter 8. If I would have stopped after chapter 7 and not turned the page, I wouldn't have seen what followed until the next day. As I was reading that chapter and turned the page, I was blown away! The new page started with Ezra 8:15 that says:

“Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there 3 days.”

Ezra went on to share how they were taking captives back to rebuild Jerusalem but they needed more Levites to come with them. All of these Levites they gathered to join the journey were designated by name (8:20). Then as I continued reading on, I came to Ezra 8:21 and saw the word Ahava a second time:

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him the right way for us and out little ones and all our possessions.”

Here is the sense of consecrating themselves, with fasting and prayer to seek God for direction and protection.

            Then I came across a third time Ahava was mentioned in Ezra 8:31-32:

“Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from the ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem…”

 I couldn’t believe it! There is only one chapter in the entire Bible that mentions the word Ahava and it is in Ezra chapter 8 where it is mentioned three times!!

I just happened to read that particular chapter while I was in Georgia ministering at Ahava that day. What are the odds of me reading that precise chapter, unplanned, on the exact day I was going to speak at Ahava about Kairos moments, one year after I was originally supposed to be there?! You can’t make these things up!

Divine timing. Divine alignment. I was stepping into a Kairos moment.

God broke out in a special way that night. Instead of loud manifestations, He actually brought us into a time of intimate beholding His beauty and led us into an extended time of silence where people were laid out in His kabod glory. It was truly divine.

God Knows Us by Name

The Lord knows the Ahava community by name. He also knows our names and has designated us by name to the assignments He has prepared beforehand for us to walk into (Ephesians 2:10). He knows the exact times and seasons for us to be where we are.

The divine intersection at the Asbury Outpouring, my dad’s transition to heaven, the cancelation and rebooking of flights a year later, my rescheduled trip to Georgia were all in God’s perfect timing.

The delay is for a reason. Even if it doesn’t make sense in the moment, God is redirecting us for His greater divine purposes.

I bless you to recognize the divine Kairos moment we are currently in. May you step into the river of His presence, fully yielded to the Holy Spirit, and move where He is moving, led by the underwater currents of His love.

To read more about what a Kairos moment is and to see the full story of my transition with my dad check out my latest book and/or ecourse Sustain the Flame. 

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. Revival Historian

Welsh Revival (1904-05)

Less than 20 people (17 people) gathered at Moriah Chapel October 31, 1904 when Evan Roberts preached. All present gave their lives to Christ. When these 17 people came to Christ, Roberts knew that the revival he had been praying his whole life for had come.

In less than six months, over 100,000 people got saved and the entire nation was radically transformed. This later became known as the Welsh Revival and released impartation for the Azusa Street Revival. Roberts, only 26 years old at the time, led that first catalytic meeting with less than 20 people present.

Azusa Street Revival (1906)

On April 9, 1906 in a little home on Bonnie Brae St. in Los Angeles, less than 20 people (around 15 people), many of whom were on a 10 day fast, gathered together with one agenda, to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. They wanted to tap into what those at the Upper room waited for. As William J. Seymour preached on Acts 2, the Spirit fell upon them, baptizing several of them in power. A few days later, after their porch fell through because of the weight of the increasing people coming who were hungry for an all-consuming encounter from God, they moved to Azusa Street, Global Pentecostalism was birthed, and the rest is history. But, it all started with a remnant of hungry ones. Around 15 people gathering in a home with no other agenda than to position themselves and call out to God for Him baptize and utterly consume them with the Holy Spirit.

Asbury Revival (2023)

Fast forward to today. On February 8, 2023, in Hughes Auditorium at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, less than 20 students (around 19 students) remained to linger in God’s presence after a required chapel service where the speaker shared about Romans 12. Other students began to filter back into the chapel later throughout the day. More people continued to be drawn to this well of revival. People gathered non-stop in the auditorium for a few weeks with eventually over 25,000 people came to partake of this well in a town of only 6,000.

This would be the 9th revival since 1905 that was birthed from this deep well at Asbury, many occurring in February. This fire has since ignited many other revival fires around the globe. It has given people permission to linger.

The re-opening of the well of revival at Asbury was catalytic to unstop wells around the globe all at the same time. There was some anointed in this Kairos moment where He used that well as a key unlock and cause other wells to spring up and new wells to arise.  It gave people permission to linger.

In letter to intercessor Frank Bartleman, Evan Roberts wrote:

“Congregate the people together who are willing to make a total surrender. Pray and wait. Believe God’s promises. Hold daily meetings. May God bless you, is my earnest prayer. Yours in Christ, Evan Roberts.”

We don’t need huge crowds; we just need the hungry.

Remember, it was less than 20 people who were a part of catalyzing the Welsh Revival, the Azusa Street Revival, and the 2023 Asbury Revival.

Do not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). Gather the hungry, pray, seek the Lord with no other agenda than to love Him with everything inside you.

In another letter from Roberts to Bartleman, he says,

“I believe that the world is upon the threshold of a great religious revival, and pray daily that I may be allowed to help bring this about. Wonderful things have happened in Wales [Asbury] in a few weeks, but these are only a beginning. The world will be swept by His Spirit as by a rushing, mighty wind. Many who are now silent Christians will lead the movement. They will see a great light, and will reflect this light to thousands now in darkness. Thousands will do more than we have accomplished, as God gives them power.”

I wonder what would happen if we substituted the word “Wales” for “Asbury” above… They were in Kairos moment in the early 1900s, a special window of opportunity where God accelerated the expansion of His kingdom all around them. We are in another Kairos moment today.

We are alive for such a time as this. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. The Tsunami wave of revival we have been praying our whole lives for has already begun and is upon us. It’s time to lean in for the ride of your life and don’t let Him go.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

One of the best things about teaching a class on the History of Revivals this past semester at Vanguard University is that I got to explore more revivals throughout history than I had previously done. I also got to do it together with fresh minds who were eager and hungry to learn and process together. The following is one thing I learned during this journey of exploring the History of Revivals with my students at Vanguard.

What I learned by teaching History of Revivals class

1. God can move freely outside of and even within, tight structures

In the diametrically opposite structures of these revivals, the one constant was that space was created for the spontaneous moving of the Holy Spirit.

Case Study: Revival of 1857-59

Before I taught History of Revivals class at Vanguard University, I believed that there was one constant in revivals that was important to keep in mind when positioning for and stewarding revival in our day. Because I have spent so much of my time and heart focusing on two of my favorite revivals, The Welsh Revival and the Azusa Street Revival, I previously made the assumption that one mark of revival is that

“Time is irrelevant when God shows up.”

The meetings in the Welsh Revival had no start or stop time. At Azusa Street, there were continuous meetings around the clock. God moved in a significant way in both of these movements and in a similar way in many other revivals. Eye witness of the Azusa Street Revival Frank Bartleman, described the meetings like this:

The services ran almost continuously. Seeking souls could be found under the power almost any hour, night and day. The place was never closed nor empty. The people came to meet God. He was always there. Hence a continuous meeting. The meeting did not depend on the human leader. God’s presence became more and more wonderful. In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors, God took strong men and women to pieces, and put them together again, for His glory. It was a tremendous overhauling process. Pride and self-assertion, self-importance and self-esteem, could not survive there. The religious ego preached its own funeral sermon quickly.[1]

The Lord wrought very deeply. Several were under the power all night on one occasion. There was no closing at 9 o’clock sharp, as the preachers must do today in order to keep the people. We wanted God in those days. We did not have a thousand other things we wanted before Him.[2]

When it was time to teach on the Business Prayer Meeting Revival of 1857-59 that happened in New York, it messed up my theory based off of the Welsh and Azusa Street revivals. I thought God really liked to move in revival when there were no constraints placed upon time. As we studied this revival, we noticed that there was strictly one hour set apart for businessmen to gather together during their lunch break to pray. There was a clear start and stop. And the crazy thing was that even in this tight structure, God moved and spread revival throughout the land all in the model of a one hour lunch break prayer meeting model. As we continued to dive deep into studying revivals and looking at each uniquely while seeing the broader scope as well, I struggled with this one hour reality.

I had spent so much of my own efforts trying to break this box. When I stewarded our meetings at Destiny House every Friday, I made it a core value to not have a set stop or end time but just finish whenever the Holy Spirit was done. That was the one day a week where I didn’t want to put a time constraint on God or box Him in in anyway. I modeled our meetings after the similar core values found within the Welsh Revival.

The Revival of 1857-59 didn’t fit nicely into any of my previous paradigms. But then in the midst of teaching this class and processing with the students, I realized that there was a similar pattern between this revival and the Welsh and Azusa Street revivals.

Even though their structures looked very different, the constant theme in each of these and others was that in however long or short the time was, they all made space for the Holy Spirit to move freely and spontaneously through whomever He chose. While the Businessmen’s Prayer Revival had a time limit of one hour, within that time, there was a priority to make space for the Holy Spirit to move through whomever felt a burden from the Lord. There was protected space and invitation for each person to bring something to the table and have a voice. Each was encouraged and invited to pray however they felt led by the Spirit. There was no platform. It was an even stage where each member of the Body of Christ could “play.”

While there are many patterns and insights we can learn from revival history, we can’t necessarily imitate previous revivals to get the same results. We can learn from history in how to better steward revival but the only way to get there ourselves is by walking in communion with Jesus and yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit by saying Yes to whatever that looks like.

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[1] Frank Bartleman, How Pentecost Came to Los Angeles, 58-59. “…We had no ‘respect of persons.’ The rich and educated were the same as the poor and ignorant, and found a much harder death to die. We only recognized God. All were equal. No flesh might glory in His presence. He could not use the self-opinionated. Those were Holy Ghost meetings, led of the Lord. It had to start in poor surroundings, to keep out the selfish, human element. All came down in humility together, at His feet. They all looked alike, and had all things in common in that sense at least. The rafters were low, the tall must come down. By the time they got to ‘Azusa’ they were humbled, ready for the blessing. The fodder was thus placed for the lambs, not for giraffes. All could reach It.”

[2] Frank Bartleman, How Pentecost Came to Los Angeles, 102. “…And He did not disappoint us. One sister sang and spoke in ‘tongues’ for five full hours. Souls were saved. The saints were wonderfully built up and strengthened by the presence of the Lord. A number received the ‘baptism,’ and the mission became full fledged for ‘Pentecost.’ One Sunday night the hall was packed out, to the middle of the street. I went to the hall one morning to look up the folks, who had not come home. Several had stayed all night. I found them lost to all but God. They could not get away. A very shekinah glory filled the place. It was awesome, but glorious.”

Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D., taken from Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution

If we have eyes to see, history can prophesy into our future. In a time when we desperately need to SEE MORE of God and understand His heart, learning about the life and legacy of African American, William J. SEYMOUR (pronounced “See” “More”) can open our eyes to give us prophetic vision into rewriting our future narrative. I believe there are keys within the Azusa story that will prophesy into how to navigate through our present storm of racism to unlock a greater destiny.

One of the greatest movements in history was ignited when handful of African Americans met together in a home with their only agenda to encounter more of God. William J. Seymour, son of slaves, blind in one eye, humbly paved the way and was used by God to ignite a revival fire that has since spread around the globe introducing millions of people to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit in a powerful way.

On April 9, 1906, just before leaving for the prayer meeting, Seymour's friend Edward Lee began to speak in tongues after he laid hands on and prayed for him. After this, Lee, Seymour, and the others walked the couple blocks up the street to the Asberry home on Bonnie Brae Street for the 7:30 p.m. prayer meeting. There, a handful of African American saints gathered together because they wanted to encounter God in a greater measure. There were only about fifteen people including children present at the meeting. They had a song, a few prayers, and several testimonies released. Seymour shared the testimony of how Lee spoke in tongues less than two hours before. Even though Seymour had yet to receive the “evidence” of speaking in tongues, he continued to preach about it from Acts 2 that night.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

Then something happened that they had all been waiting and longing for. God crashed into that meeting like never before. Ruth Asberry’s cousin Jennie Evans Moore, who lived across the street, was resting on a stool, when she suddenly fell to the ground and began to speak in tongues. She is known as one of the first women in Los Angeles to speak in tongues during this time.

 She recalled that it felt like a vessel broke inside of her and water “surged” through her entire being. When this rush came to her lips, she spoke in six different languages that she had seen earlier in a vision. These tongues were each interpreted in English. Following this release, Jennie, who had never played the piano before, walked over to the piano and played it under the anointing while singing in tongues. She recounted the story in an article called “Music from Heaven” in the Azusa Mission’s newspaper called The Apostolic Faith:

For years before this wonderful experience came to us, we as a family, were seeking to know the fulnes of God, and He was filling us with His presence until we could hardly contain the power… On April 9, 1906, I was praising the Lord from the depths of my heart at home, and when the evening came and we attended the meeting the power of God fell and I was baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, with the evidence of speaking in tongues…As I thought thereon and looked to God, it seemed as if a vessel broke within me and water surged up through my being, which when it reached my mouth came out in a torrent of speech in the languages which God had given me…I sang under the power of the Spirit in many languages, the interpretation both words and music which I had never before heard, and in the home where the meeting was being held, the Spirit led me to the piano, where I played and sang under inspiration, although I had not learned to play.

-Jennie Moore, The Apostolic Faith 1:8 (312 Azusa Street, Los Angeles, CA: May, 1907), 3.

A few days later on April 12, 1906, Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time after waiting upon the Lord and praying with a white brother, not giving up until he “came through” and spoke in tongues at nearly four o’clock in the morning.

Crowds of both black and white people from different churches in the area came to the house on Bonnie Brae Street to see and partake in what God was doing. At one point, the house swelled with people so much that the front porch caved in. No one was injured, but they realized that they had outgrown the house. Within a week, they moved to a vacant building at 312 Azusa Street. 

During a time of heavy racial segregation, Seymour, the leader of what became known as the Azusa Street Revival, created a place where everyone would be welcome regardless of their skin color or nationality. One of the biggest breakthroughs at the Azusa Street Revival was that the walls of race, gender, and age were broken down. Eyewitness and historian Frank Bartleman observed that “the ‘color line’ was washed away in the blood.” This was in relation to racial divides being abolished by the blood of Jesus.

To have people from different races worshipping alongside one another and praying for each other during a time when lynchings were common and many years before Martin Luther King, Jr. came onto the scene is truly remarkable. Seymour’s early leadership team was racially mixed and also included women. Regular participants of the Azusa Mission in the early years included people from various ethnicities and backgrounds including African-Americans, European Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and more. Visitors would come to Azusa and experience such love and humility present in the people. One person said, “From the first time I entered I was struck by the blessed spirit that prevailed in the meeting, such a feeling of unity and humility among the children of God.”

The early days of the Azusa Street Revival were marked by unity, humility, and love regardless of ethnicity, race, or gender. Seymour emphasized the need to develop the fruit of the Spirit, especially love. In 1908, the leadership at Azusa said, “The Pentecostal power, when you sum it all up, is just more of God’s love.” Love was what was needed for this baptism of the Holy Spirit experience to be sustainable. They realized that love heals, love restores, and love is the way forward.

They also wanted more of God in those days no matter what it looked like. They “did not have a thousand other things” they wanted before Him. Nothing was going to stop them from encountering more of Him. They were all in it together no matter the color of their skin. These early Pentecostal pioneers paved the way for us in such a remarkable way. We are greatly indebted to these beautiful saints who said yes to pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly no matter what the cost. Now it’s our turn build on their breakthroughs.

How will we build on the momentum of William J. Seymour and those at Azusa Street, of Martin Luther King Jr., and of so many others who have gone before us? How will we take what they have done for us and go even further in our day? What will happen in our day when love supersedes all differences and we run toward Jesus together with total abandonment? What does it look like to say yes to radical love today?

To learn how to let your voice of justice, love, and racial reconciliation be heard and to make a difference, join our 5 Day Ignite Azusa Challenge that has now been turned into an Ecourse.

Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D., is a Revival Historian, Author, Teacher, Writing Coach, and Itinerant Minister who loves to lead people into life-changing encounters with Jesus and invite them into the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Jen is the founding director of the School of Revival which focusing on raising up leaders to steward the upcoming billion soul harvest. Jen also facilities Writing in the Glory Workshops around the world to catalyze authors to write their first books. She has supported Bill Johnson in his Defining Moments book as well as authored Walking on Water, Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution, Writing in the Glory, Life on Wings, Spirit Flood, and Silver to Gold. She founded Destiny House (2012-2019) and also taught activation classes at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministries (2014-2020). She currently teaches at her alma mater Vanguard University and also at The King’s University in Texas and recently launched The School of Revival. She is ordained by Heidi Baker with Iris Global and received her Ph.D. in Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies from the University of Birmingham, U.K.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. Excerpt taken from Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution

One of the greatest movements in history that contributed to the rapid spread of Christianity began when God crashed in on a handful of family and friends who were hungry for more of God. The Azusa Street Revival actually began as the “Bonnie Brae Street Revival” before it contributed to the spread of global Pentecostalism. The fruit that was released from this little tribe who gathered together in a home on Bonnie Brae Street is incredible. There is something significant about seeking God together with friends and inviting Him to invade even the intimate spaces of family.

Revival begins and is sustained in family

In this next era, Christianity will burst from the seams of churches, communities, homes, families, and intimate spaces and be carried over into the world. The Sunday morning worship celebrations will be important to testify and share more widely about what God is doing in the city, the region, and the world. The place of intimacy and connection will also need to be cultivated in smaller communities as more people enter into the family of God.

Being intentional with community will be an important factor in stewarding this next move of God like it was for those at Azusa. Doing life together with a small tribe of our people will be an important aspect of stewarding and discipling this incoming harvest. Staying known in a close-knit community with others who burn for Jesus is a key for sustaining revival and finishing well. Evan Roberts, a prominent leader of the Welsh Revival, isolated himself many times from community, and the revival died down shortly after. Healing evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman got herself into some marital trouble when she wouldn’t listen to her friends. Cultivating healthy community is important for continuing to burn—and to not burn out.

Preparing to Steward the Next Great Awakening

In the wild, no matter how strong a zebra is, if it is away from the pack when the lions come, it gets picked off and killed. It’s not the weakest that fall; it’s the ones who stray from their tribe. We need each other to fulfill our truest destiny. We can’t do it alone. There are keys to our destiny that are hidden within the lives and hearts of those whom God has positioned us to run with in each season. The way to access these keys in each other is to intentionally do life together, be vulnerable, love each other well, and go after the things of God together.

As we begin to go after praying for stadiums full of people being saved, at the same time, we need to realize the importance of going deeper with the few. We can only go deep with a handful of people at one time. Jesus had the twelve, but then He also had Peter, James, and John, with John as His most intimate friend. They lived together, traveled together, ate together, ministered together, and did life together.

There is something important about doing life together in God’s presence. Close community was crucial to the beginnings of the Azusa Street Revival just as it was for Jesus in His ministry. Homes represent intimate spaces of family and deep friendships. It’s easy to blend in with the crowd in larger settings and slip out without really letting anyone in. People can’t hide or avoid the deeper things of the heart in a home or small community.

The keys to our destiny are found in intimacy with Jesus and in family

Examples in history of this include the Moravian community in Herrnhut, Germany which started the 24/7 prayer movement and also those in the Jesus People Movement who opened community houses for the new believers to name a few. Family hosts the fire of God in a greater way than an individual can do alone.

I wonder what it would look like to invite God into the home in a greater measure today. What does it look like to cultivate a burning fire within the context of family? And what might be the potential effects for the world when that happens? What does it look like in our ministries or churches to become family, to do life together, to be present in intimate places and spaces with people? How can we cultivate that in this season?

I encourage you to ask God to highlight a few people in your life right now who you can pursue deeper connection with. Then, I challenge you this week to take a risk, be bold and courageous, and pursue deeper connection and vulnerability with at least one person highlighted to you. Watch and see what God wants to do in your midst in and through your community.

As your fire for Jesus burns even brighter, I pray that you would burn with other burning ones and that God would place you in family and in covenant relationships so that you are known, loved, championed, and never alone.

*Copyrighted material, excerpt taken from Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution by Jennifer A. Miskov with Heidi Baker, Lou Engle, and Bill Johnson (2016)

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

When in transition and on the journey to discover your new church family, it is important to choose a healthy revival community that is full of Jesus, gives room for the Holy Spirit to move, gathers around the very presence of God, and feels like family to you. You want to be planted somewhere that you are received as the gift that you are. It is also important to play your part and serve the body of Christ, breaking off consumer Christianity. Sometimes God will hide you from being seen by leadership because it’s either not your time or it’s not your fit. It is important to invite the Holy Spirit into your process to direct you to your new spiritual family in this season.

We all are the church and that can come in lots of different shapes and sizes (1 Peter 2:5). Ultimately, the kingdom of God is all about family, however that might look in our day.

Connecting together regularly with the wider Body of Christ and also meeting with our tribe within a tribe are significant keys to our maturity. Once you do find the church community that is a fit, greater growth happens when asking God to highlight a tribe within a tribe. These can then gather outside of the weekly celebration meeting to go deeper together. Some might share a passion for evangelism and want to hit the streets together. Others might be interested in going deeper in the Word or in the Spirit together. Others might want to learn how to step out in the prophetic or healing. Still others may want to simply cultivate a safe place to be family together gathered around God’s presence. The structure itself is not what is most important. The regular meeting together around God’s presence in a smaller more intimate community within a community is what accelerates growth.

It is important to have people in our lives that we can be vulnerable with. We usually find these people we can go deeper with in smaller groups. Cultivating family is essential for growth. This connecting heart to heart is in alignment with and obedience to the Word of God (Hebrews 10:23-25, James 5:16, 1 John 1:7). Connection is key however that might look in this season.

When I was leading Destiny House, where at one point we had up to 21 people living in intentional community (which is too big by the way), we had a Monday night family time where we shared a meal and connected just with each other. Then we also had an open Friday morning worship and ministry time where all were welcome to join. There, we gathered around God’s presence and ministered together as a family. We also went to church on Sundays. I know three meetings a week is not realistic for many in other life situations, but we were all in a season of full-time ministry training, so it worked well for us.

Similar to the rhythm described in the Book of Acts who met together daily (Acts 2:46-47, 5:42) I believe that elements of the rhythm we had at Destiny House can be adapted and integrated into our lives. In addition to regularly going to church, a smaller group can meet once a week or a few times a month to connect at a heart level. Or maybe home groups might meet consistently each week and once a month all meet together for a larger corporate gathering. Maybe some will share a similar rhythm as we did in Destiny House. The structure is not what is important here, the heart and consistency of regularly meeting together is. Connection is crucial because the keys of our destiny are found in intimacy with God and in being deeply connected with our tribe. So however it looks to get connected and go deeper with our tribe, whatever rhythm of life that looks like, it’s important to dive in. I think some of the key questions for us all to ask ourselves are:  

Who am I running with in this season?

Where am I showing up regularly to know and be known together?

If you don’t yet know the answers to these questions, I encourage you to ask God who He is highlighting for you to build with during this season. Then wait on Him and listen to what He says. Once several are highlighted, take some risks to initiate times to connect and grow deeper together and see where God takes it from there.

 In this hour, I believe it is crucial that we find our tribe and then dive in wholeheartedly to run together after the things of God. There is a Billion Soul Harvest on its way. God is shifting and aligning people with their tribe in this season so that they can grow into maturity to help steward and carry this massive revival.

Be encouraged, in this season, you are a perfect fit somewhere, but not everywhere. You are a unique shape. There is a community out there that has a “you” shaped hole. Don’t get discouraged if you try to fit somewhere and it doesn’t quite feel right. Rejection is redirection to somewhere better. God is in charge and over it all. It may take a little time to explore several communities before you find your people to run with. And once you find each other, it may take some time to build those relationships. This investment of time and heart is well worth the effort though because when you do find your tribe, you find your destiny. Keep going and don’t give up, you might just be one more risk away from finding your spiritual family to run with in this season.

You are an important part to what God is getting ready to release over our generation in this end time harvest. You will only be able to step into the fullest measure of your God-given destiny when you are rooted in the family of God (Ephesians 3:20). On this journey of discovery, I pray that you have grace to embark with fresh hope. I declare acceleration over you as you seek Jesus first above all things and take risks to find and grow deeper with the tribe God highlights to you in this season. Blessing you with divine appointments in finding the kindred spirits you were born to run with for such a time as this.

**To learn more about our rhythm of doing life together at Destiny House, see the Walking on Water E-course that goes into great depth with several sessions exclusively about our story and community life there.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

For the past seven years, I have been a part of building a revival culture in an intentional worshiping community called Destiny House. Every Friday morning, we opened our doors for a worship encounter time and essentially hosted a house church together. Because this has been such a huge part of my life, many might think I would naturally lean toward the deconstruction of the formal church structure and move away from anything “organized” or institutionalized. However, from personal experience of being committed to the wider church at the same time and a recent epiphany when reading the book of Acts, I cannot say that house church is the only way forward, though I do believe it is essential and will play an important role for where God is taking us next. We all are the church and that can come in lots of different shapes and sizes (1 Peter 2:5). Ultimately, the kingdom of God is all about family, however that might look in our day.

I have friends who lead churches, movements, and even stadium events that I fully believe in, support, and have participated in. Because of these things, while I tend to overemphasize the smaller more intimate spaces of connection, I also believe there is something important about the larger gatherings, whether that be weekly celebrations with the wider body of Christ or even stadium events to go after mass evangelism. As we continue together on this journey of reframing what the church can look like in our generation, please note that this article is an invitation into my current thought process which is still being shaped. I am also not trying to define what church is here but may attempt that another time. I look forward to the dialogue that will come.

Since we are all members of the Body of Christ, it is important we stay connected to Him and to each other, so we can fulfill His purposes on the earth (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Each one of us plays a special role in what God is doing in our generation. We need each other to be able to step into the fulness of our destinies (Ephesians 3:20). Both church gatherings with the entire community coming together and cultivating revival in family around God’s presence in smaller settings can go side by side to strengthen our connection as the Body of Christ.

During an in-depth study in the book of Acts, some Scriptures stood out for me that demonstrate the value for both larger formal gatherings with corporate direction and the more spontaneous organic ones that take place in smaller settings (this is a generalization). After Pentecost when many were added to the church, to continue to steward the fire they had just received, the Christians in the early church

Continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

A little later in Acts 5, Peter and the other apostles were imprisoned, beaten, and told to be silent for their faith. They left that persecution rejoicing for being found worthy to co-suffer for the sake of Christ. Right after this in Acts 5:42 it says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

The apostles in the book of Acts gathered in the temple, or what we might call a more organized place of worship or church, to proclaim the gospel and they also met in private homes to disciple the new converts. They realized the importance of meeting together in the wider corporate meetings to teach the truth and share vision and also saw significance in nurturing the newer believers in the smaller setting of a home. The rhythm of the Christian life in the early church was not either larger gatherings or house meetings for connection in the midst of the move of God, it was both and more.  

Acts provides us with a paradigm for healthy growth and discipleship within the Body of Christ. Wider church celebrations are just one leg of building healthy community. The other leg is meeting together in smaller groups in the intimate space of the home or other place. Location is not important. Connection is, no matter how that might look. Having a balance of both corporate times to be together to worship as well as making time to connect in smaller groups so that each one is fully known, can be important elements in spiritual growth. It is easy to go to a weekend celebration service and hide in the back. But in a smaller setting, each person has the opportunity to be seen and loved at a deeper level. And at the same time, if one only shows up at a house church that is in isolation from the wider body of Christ, it has the potential to become ingrown and get weird.

If we were to lean heavily or only on one of these legs, either the larger church gatherings or the smaller homegroup meetings, there would be an imbalance, and something would still be missing. It’s hard to run with only one leg. It’s not a question of either big church or small group house meeting, but it’s a both/and more opportunity to be walking, and running, in the fullness of what God intended for us as the Body of Christ. God is always moving. We need two legs to swiftly run after Him.

In this dialogue of exploring what it looks like to become the Body of Christ in the fullest measure, I pray that God surrounds you with your people to run with in this season. May you discover your tribe within a tribe so that you can grow into the full maturity of all that God has destined for you.

*To dive a bit deeper into learning how to find your tribe and also developing rhythms of doing life together, see blog entitled Finding Your Tribe.

**To learn more about our rhythm of doing life together at Destiny House go here or get access to the Walking on Water E-course that goes into great depth with several sessions exclusively about our story and community life there.