Students witness spiritual awakening at "Revival Prayer"

Waxahachie, TX – January 17, 2012 – Southwestern Assemblies of God University’s (SAGU) Revival Prayer is a weekly prayer meeting hosted by Southwestern Missions Association (SMA). Students meet in the Jeter Prayer Room in the Sheaffer Full Life Center (FLC) from 8-10 p.m. to pray for revival in schools, families, churches and communities throughout the world.

Revival Prayer leader Stacy Jones says, “We focus on revival here on campus, but our desire is for revival to spread. We want to witness God moving in our community and all over the world. Prayer is effective and allows us to change the world around us.”

SAGU student Ariel Ortiz has seen the effects of prayer in her family. For several weeks Ortiz and other students prayed for revival in Ortiz’s family.

Ortiz shares, “My dad and brother really needed to experience a move of God in their lives.” By the end of the semester, Ortiz’s prayers were answered. In early October, she received a phone call from her dad, who told her that he was baptized in the Holy Spirit at Bible study and began speaking in tongues. In December, Ortiz’s brother responded to an alter call at church and was baptized.

Healings, deliverance, prophecy and baptisms in the Holy Spirit are characteristic of the prayer meetings. When freshman Salvador “Chava” Avila attended for the first time, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit. He shares, “That night, I was simply worshipping and praising God; no one was praying for me or laying hands on me. I began to sense God’s presence more strongly than I ever had before. I began speaking in a language I did not recognize and shaking in the presence of God.“

Avila began operating in the gift of healing. During a team prayer meeting, Iveth Reyes prophesied that Avila had received the spiritual gift of healing. While praying for Avila, team members felt “fire" going from Avila’s hands to their own. Athalia Robinson’s back injury was healed as she felt the “fire" travel from Avila’s hands to her lower back. A few minutes later, an injured football player asked for prayer and was completely healed as Avila prayed. Then Avila prayed for student Brielle Bunn, who was instantly healed of a headache.

Since that night, many more have been healed through Avila’s prayers. Avila says, “God has chosen to work through me to reveal His glory. Nothing that has happened has been of my own ability.”

The use of spiritual gifts is encouraged and is overseen by the leadership team during the prayer meetings. Revival Prayer leader Cade Leuschner says, “We encourage spiritual gifts for the purpose of edification. Revival Prayer is an environment in which people can find out their spiritual giftings and learn to operate in them.”

Worship is foundational to Revival Prayer meetings. Students begin meetings by entering into God’s presence through song and worship, and meetings also usually close with praise. Leuschner says, “Although the meetings officially end at 10 p.m., they often last until 11 or 12 p.m. More than once they have gone past curfew. After spritual breakthrough, people just don’t want to leave.”

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The University was established in 1927, and now offers more than 60 associate, bachelor’s or master’s degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.