Alex McFarland
Evangelist and Christian apologist
November 2015 – Several years ago I had the opportunity to speak at a series of revival meetings at a church in North Carolina. Shortly before the Sunday evening service, the pastor came to me very distraught, revealing, “I’ve just found out my sister in Texas is in a coma and is not expected to live. I have to leave to see her.”
He was upset both because of her health situation and the fact that she had never come to faith in Jesus Christ. His sister had lived a hard life, and now she was facing death with no opportunity to hear the gospel.
That night I asked the congregation to pray for the soul of this dear woman. We bowed before God and literally begged for her recovery and a positive response to Jesus Christ.
In our Monday night revival meeting, I asked the church to join me in fasting and prayer as we continued to pour out our hearts before the Lord for this dear pastor’s sister. This plea extended through Tuesday as well. On Wednesday, the pastor called to report his sister had revived briefly from her coma.
She called out for him, saying, “I’m going to die, and I’m not ready!” He came and shared the gospel with his dying sister, and she prayed with him to believe in Jesus Christ.
She soon slipped back into a coma and died 24 hours later.
My pastor friend mourned her loss, yet took joy in knowing his sister had received eternal life. The church considered it a miracle, a special intervention by God on behalf of the prayers of His people.
I’ll never forget that season of prayer. We prayed as if her life depended on it – because it did. We fought on our knees for the soul of one person who had yet to trust in Jesus. We asked the Holy Spirit to act – and He did.
Our desperate need
I’m often asked, “What should be every Christian’s deepest desire?” Some mention changes in government. Others speak about the importance of family or the end of abortion. While these are important issues, God calls every believer to seek revival. This is something each Christian can pursue – for self, for family, for the church, and for our nation and world.
First, pray God would awaken your heart to the things of God. Let change begin with you.
Second, ask God to bring revival to your spouse, children, and grandchildren.
Third, seek God’s renewal upon your congregation and other churches across our nation.
Fourth, beg the Lord to bring revival to our country and around the globe.
What if we took time today to pray for our nation the way a small North Carolina church prayed for the soul of one woman far from God? Would He intervene with a similar miracle? Could we expect His hand to point our families, churches, and country to a spiritual awakening?
James 5:16 reminds us, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 adds, “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 heal their land.”
Despite the seemingly endless, nearly insurmountable challenges of our lives and nation, there is One whose power transcends every fear. We often look to God when all else fails, yet He calls us to lean on Him through every storm – before, during, and after. Only He can fix what is broken, and He often chooses to bring forth His greatest changes in response to people who fight on their knees in prayer. 
Alex McFarland (alexmcfarland.com) is an evangelist and Christian apologist who has spoken in all 50 states and internationally. He is co-host of Exploring the Word on AFRTalk radio weekdays at 3:00 p.m. CT. His most recent book is titled The God You Thought You Knew: Exposing 10 Common Myths About Christianity (Bethany House, Fall 2015).
