Spiritual Awakening Taking Place in America as Churches Deal with Social Distancing Restrictions

In the face of unrest and violent protests all across the country, a wave of revival is growing.

Recently in Portland, Oregon, thousands of Christians lifted their voices in prayer, praise and worship for an event called "Riots to Revival."  It was an effort to heal the brokenness resulting from the pandemic.

Just hours before, protestors had set fire to the city's police headquarters.

Sean Feucht has been a leader of the worship movement.   

"It's fun watching God show up," Feucht told CBN News. "We've spent the last 15 years, I have, going into a lot of dark hard nations around the world - North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia. And now we get to do it in our own nation."

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FREE CBN NEWS APP 
Click Here Get the App with Special Alerts on Breaking News and Top Stories

In Seattle, Washington, the area formerly known as CHOP or CHAZ had become a focal point for protesters who took over the neighborhood earlier this summer. Demonstrators basically took over this part of the city following the death of George Floyd. 

A group recently tried to shut down a prayer rally there, but Feucht said the power of God took over.

"The Lord started to move, even on some of the Satanists that came. God started to move," said Feucht. "We were able to pray and minister to a lot of them."

In California, where indoor worship services have been banned because of COVID-19 restrictions, churches have been discovering new ways to serve their communities.

Pastor Mickey Stonier of San Diego's Rock Church shared on CBN's Prayerlink program how God is using the pandemic to the church's advantage.

"We've had 135 churches in San Diego come together," said Stonier. "We had a prayer event; 11 different locations. We had over 15,000 people around San Diego or online. We called it 'We Pray San Diego'. People prayed for an hour for the Lord's work, for revival to take place in San Diego."

In July on the sandy shores of Huntington Beach, hundreds came together to worship, pray, and receive salvation as part of an event called 'Saturate OC.' Many gave their lives to Christ and were baptized.

Jesse Green, one of the event's organizers, told CBN News, "People are just being set free and there's so much joy and so much peace.  And people are being set free from depression and suicidal thoughts and it just feels like what God would always want the earth to look like."

A similar outcome recently played out in Chicago, where deadly violence has been rampant. A ministry called the Last Reformation flooded the city through tent revivals and street evangelism.

"There were hundreds out on the streets, all different neighborhoods and areas," explained ministry leader Garrett Peterson. "People have been really receptive. People are getting healed on the street. They were coming back to the tent, getting baptized, giving their life to Jesus."

Earlier this year, a prayer and fasting movement involving 1,000 churches called 'Awaken Tennessee,' sparked a revival that lasted several months in the state. Pastors reported record salvations and mass miracles as a result of the Holy Spirit showing up and taking over services.

These are all reasons why Feucht hopes to take his mobile ministry to even more cities, including Boston, Los Angeles, and New York.

"God is going to flip the script on these cities, that no place is too hard, no place is too dark," said Feucht.

READ  'A New Jesus People Movement in America': Revival in NJ, NYC, Boston as Move of God Hits East Coast