God’s Alternative to Wokeness

It’s hard to have a conversation these days that doesn’t include the word “woke.”

Like much of what we’re presented with, it doesn’t mean what it says. On the surface, the term can sound like social justice, equality, and freedom. But like so many other names and phrases these days, there are undertones we must pay attention to. The term “woke” has become almost seamlessly intertwined with the “cancel culture” movement, which has sought to eliminate evidence of and rewrite our history. Of course, most of us still realize that true and accurate history is full of gems that can give us clues as to how to walk through the season we’re in. Though our society has been in upheaval, God has been at work using political chaos and the pandemic to turn us into awakened people, not “woke” people. In this article, we’ll look at a few individuals who have gone before us and been used by God to bring awakening that would establish His Kingdom in the face of cultural upheavals.

Awakening = Change

Awakening is defined as “a rousing from sleep or inactivity or indifference.” We won’t have a corporate awakening apart from us being awakened as individuals. There are a lot of changes that come with awakening. If you’re a believer, think about your own salvation experience—you’ve already had one awakening. It wasn’t until you were awakened to Christ that you understood your life would be forever changed. When you were awakened, you had a reformation of your behavior. You didn’t do the things you used to do. You didn’t go to the places you used to go. You didn’t say all the things you used to say. Your whole life was reformed as a result of your having been awakened.

Maybe you’ve been a believer for a while but have been lulled to sleep. This has surely happened to a lot of people, and I’m not bringing this up to make you feel guilty. But God is sounding the alarm in this hour that it’s time for us to be awakened on a personal level, and we would be foolish to not pay attention to it! This is actually really good and exciting news for us. Think about it—God wants us to be awake, alive, refreshed, renewed, and restored. When we are, the things we do and say will undergo an even deeper level of reformation/change. And the natural byproduct of the change in our lives will be a change in the culture around us. Like the apostles said, “We cannot keep quiet. We must speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20 NCV). The same is true of any of us—when we are truly touched and changed by God, our lives will reflect that! What does this look like?

Throughout our history we have experienced revival, awakening, and reformation in our culture several times. And our current situation shows us that we need God to pour out His power and His presence on us again.

 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed (Romans 13:11).

Let’s dive into a couple amazing stories of awakening, including how God used George Whitefield to awaken his generation, and how He used one Native American to awaken his entire tribe to God’s love in a time of great devastation. In both cases, history has recorded the evidence of the powerful, widespread changes set in motion by these individuals.

 As you read these stories, consider what the world was like in these hours of history. We could say that these folks had the deck stacked against them, and across society things weren’t looking very hopeful. But God had a plan in the midst of all the chaos, and He made it known through people who simply chose to put their trust in Him, regardless of the situations around them. Remember that God is no respecter of persons. When we are faithful to God, there’s no telling how He might use us. Do you believe you could be the one God uses to awaken your generation?

 The Father of the Great Awakening

 Many people have never heard of George Whitefield, and in fact less than one hundred of his sermons still remain in print today. But God raised up this man from humble beginnings and used him powerfully to send the Gospel around the world. The influence he had upon America in its early days is immeasurable. He preached to countless people throughout the colonies, and it is said that over 80 percent of American colonists knew of George Whitefield. Whitefield is a great example of how religion can influence society. He could be considered our 18th century Billy Graham—his influence was that profound. In his day, he was called “the accidental revolutionary” because he had such an impact on the revolution that would come through both his preaching and his practical involvement as the colonists prepared for war. Let’s look at how God took an unlikely boy from an unlikely place and used him to change not just our nation, but the world! And let’s remember that we’re all unlikely in one way or another, and God seems to have fun using the “unlikelies.”

Born in the pub that his parents owned, George Whitefield entered the world in December 1714 in Gloucester, England. His father died when he was two years old, leaving his mother with seven children and much difficulty providing for them.

As a young boy, George had a love and a gift for the performing arts. He spent much of his time reading plays and practicing theater. At one point he told his sister, “God intends something for me which we know not of.” This seemed far-fetched to his family, who knew his propensity for lying and swearing, among his other questionable behavior. But God had His hand on George and would use his gifts on a completely unexpected stage.

In his teenage years, George miraculously received provision to attend Oxford University, where he would get much more than a university education. At Oxford, George became part of a group of young men, including John and Charles Wesley, who called themselves “The Holy Club” and who gathered regularly to encourage one another in their faith. George prayed one day for the Lord to show him what Christianity was, if he wasn’t a “real” Christian, and he had an encounter with the Lord and became born again. He described the experience by saying that he was filled with joy for days! That event shaped his entire ministry. George Whitefield completely immersed himself in the Word of God, and it was that same living Word that would flow through the 18,000 sermons he would preach over the following three decades.

The Holy Club probably never imagined that God would use them to birth the First Great Awakening, a movement that would change the world. These young men took the Gospel outside the four walls of the church and into the streets and open fields, from England to America and beyond. And from this small band, it was George Whitefield who would later be known as the Father of the First Great Awakening.

The Supernatural Storyteller

 George had seen the power of the Word of God firsthand. He knew what the new birth had done for him, and he was compelled to preach it to everyone he could. This “new birth” theology was frowned upon by the established churches and they didn’t hesitate to close their doors to him. But that was not a problem for George—he just went outside and preached in the streets and open fields to crowds numbering up to 30,000 people at a time!

God put George’s love for acting to good use. It is said that Whitefield’s preaching made the stories come alive to his hearers because he was such a profound orator and storyteller. Listeners would hang on every word and be mesmerized by his teaching. His charismatic personality, his love for Jesus Christ, and the anointing of God upon him would draw millions to repentance.

Whitefield crossed the Atlantic seven times to travel from England to America, and boats were not fast in those days. He actually spent three years of his life on a boat! But he had felt a divine calling to bring the Gospel to the American colonies, and he did his job with great enthusiasm and great faith. Businesses, farms, and public offices would shut down so people could attend his revival meetings. It’s been said that the gatherings were “electric,” and anticipation was always in the air.

 On one of his trips to America, Whitefield preached to a total of 500,000 people. He met Benjamin Franklin, who wasn’t a professing Christian but still felt compelled to make all of Whitefield’s sermons available in print. In those days, the printing press was the “social media” platform, and Franklin wanted to make sure the sermons were distributed far and wide. Even when George Whitefield wasn’t preaching, people would read his sermons in churches and revival would break out. Wow!

When we know how Whitefield wrote his sermons, we can see why they were so powerful. He would read the Bible on his knees, praying as he read. He said that as he would read the Word, sermons would just come to him and he would then go out and preach them. It was natural and supernatural. He simply fed himself on the Word of God and gave that out to others.

 When you read that, don’t you think we make things too complicated? I mean, Whitefield’s equation was simple—he fed himself, and then he gave what he had. No program, no “five steps to being a better you,” no gimmicks—just a man who loved God and loved people, and who was willing to spend himself so that others might know Jesus.

In the Face of Opposition

 He was a great speaker, a man who loved people; he was humble, honest, and tireless in his work for the Kingdom. He was the talk of every town—so, everybody must have loved him, right? Well, not everybody. Other pastors didn’t like Whitefield’s style or his message about the new birth. These men had been brought up under years of religious life, and even in the colonies he was shut out of churches. Hundreds of articles were printed against his preaching. At one event a bodybuilder was even sent to beat him up, but the power of God intervened and the man wasn’t able to touch him. Whitefield was not without his share of opposition, but rather than letting it discourage him, he let it empower him!

We sometimes have a tendency to think something is wrong when we face opposition, but Whitefield said that the opposition he faced increased his joy— he loved a good fight! And in the midst of opposition, he would still engage the crowd as he preached, uniting his hearers as one people under God instead of individual denominations within individual states.

His bluntness sometimes offended people, and many established ministers of his time refused to allow him to speak in their pulpits. While angry listeners occasionally pelted him with everything from rotten fruit to dead cats, many people loved to hear him preach. He delighted the masses with his colorful style, often running around the stage and using dramatic facial and hand gestures. If some people were upset by this, so be it.

 Early eighteenth-century crowds came to hear George Whitefield by the tens of thousands. When this traveling minister came to town, his meetings were not to be missed. In Philadelphia, a crowd cheered and yelled for George as he stood on a hill outside the central part of the city, mesmerizing the audience with his dynamic message.

“Father Abraham, whom have you in heaven?” he shouted. “Any Episcopalians?” “No!” the people roared. “Any Presbyterians?” Whitefield danced around the stage as he spoke, jabbing at the air with his hands.

“No!”

“Any Independents or Seceders. New Sides or Old Sides, any Methodists?”

 “No! No! No!” the crowd shouted in reply He called out, “Whom have you there, then, Father Abraham? We don’t know those names here! All who are here are Christians—believers in Christ, men who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony… God help me, God help us all, to forget having names and to become Christians in deed and in truth.”

In its simplest form, Whitefield’s message was, “You must be born again.” He preached this one message three thousand times, and it changed a nation. The Awakening in America spread. It became not just about George Whitefield’s preaching, but as more and more got saved, it became about one person sharing with another what God had done in their life. I think this is what Jesus envisioned when He told the first apostles, “And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

 Though Whitefield died at the young age of 56, it seems he lived several lifetimes in the short years he was with us. He did an amazing work for the kingdom of God in his thirty-one years of ministry. I don’t think any of us can know, this side of heaven, the impact George Whitefield had on his generation and the ones that followed. I believe it’s nothing short of staggering. And I believe America owes a lot to this man who spent three years of his life crossing the ocean so we could hear the message of salvation.

What can we learn from this man who preached the Gospel, lived the Gospel, and spread the Gospel? Well, a few things:

1.       You are not disqualified.

You are not allowed to use your personal history as an excuse to not be used by God! George Whitefield was born in a bar and lived his childhood in poverty. When he was young, his heart wasn’t turned toward God and he was better known for his filthy language and lying than anything else. And yet…

2.       You belong outside.

We are called to be light in a dark and slumbering world. This is where awakening happens. The churches closed their doors to Whitefield, but he found multitudes of hungry people outside. So will you.

3.       You have a gift.

Sure, you may not be an actor or have a love for theater like George Whitefield, but you have a gift and a passion for something. Pay attention to that. God is, and He’s planning to use it for His glory.

4.       The Word of God is still living and active, and it lasts forever.

Follow Whitefield’s example and immerse yourself in the Word of God. Allow it to anchor you and to change you, and then feed it to others.

5.       It’s always better to be famous in heaven.

The materials for forming a correct opinion about such a man as Whitefield are necessarily very scanty. He wrote no book for the millions, of world-wide fame, like Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” He headed no crusade against an apostate Church, with a nation at his back, and princes on his side, like Martin Luther.

He founded no religious denomination, which pinned its faith on his writings and carefully embalmed his best acts and words, like John Wesley. There are Lutherans and Wesleyans in the present day—but there are no Whitefieldites. No! The great evangelist of last century was a simple, sincere man, who lived for one thing only—and that was to preach Christ. If he did that, he cared for nothing else. The records of such a man are large and full in heaven, I have no doubt. But they are few and scanty upon earth.

 The Jesus Road

If George Whitefield has remained relatively unknown to most people in recent generations, the Kiowa Indians are probably even more unfamiliar. But as God changed nations through the preaching of George Whitefield, the way He transformed the Kiowa Nation is no less miraculous.

 There are two heroes I want to highlight in the Kiowa story you’re about to read—Marietta Reeside, a young missionary, and Sanko, a Kiowa tribesman. There was nothing particularly magnificent about either one of them; she was an ordinary young girl, and he was a typical Kiowa. They were human, just like you and me. But because they were courageous enough to put all their trust in our magnificent God, they saw the miraculous. Let’s jump into a “history lesson” that lays the foundation for how the incredible transformation of this entire tribe unfolded. We’ll look at the political situation, the impact of the “white man” on the Kiowa people, and the profound spiritual awakening that occurred in the midst of great chaos and turmoil. My hope is that you will be able to find yourself somewhere in this story, maybe as a Marietta Reeside, a Sanko, or another brave Kiowa warrior, with your faith strengthened and your heart encouraged!

Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? (Isaiah 66:8)

There actually was a time when a nation was born in a day; it happened in the late 1800s on a small mountain in southern Oklahoma, and the way it came about is a modern-day telling of the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. It only took one man’s faith to turn his entire people group toward Jesus.

You probably don’t have Southern Oklahoma’s Rainy Mountain on your list of vacation destinations. Most people don’t. But the area holds some of the nation’s greatest history and was a sacred mountain for the Kiowa Indians, as this is where they held their annual sun dance and worshiped their ancestral gods. It was called Rainy Mountain by the Kiowa because every time they camped on the mountain it would rain.

This place was symbolic of the Kiowa way— their culture and their traditions. For generations, the Kiowa had sought the Great Spirit at Rainy Mountain, and one night in the late 1800s, in the culmination of an epic battle between good and evil, the true Great Spirit showed Himself strong on their behalf. After that battle, Kiowa life would never be the same.

 The Kiowa Indians were a small but fierce warrior tribe of around 2,500 people who lived on the Southwest Plains. They played a huge role in the west and their story is woven through its history. The Kiowa were considered the noble warriors of the plains and are unique in that we seem to know more about them than any other Native American tribe. It seems like God took special care to make sure their story would be remembered. As you read on, you’ll see why.

This is not a story of the white man vs. the Native American; it’s a story of “good medicine” vs. “bad medicine.” It was never God’s plan for Native Americans to endure the wars, tragedies, and heartbreak they endured at the hands of American settlers. I am not condoning the atrocities that were committed against them. I want to draw your attention to the way God uses everything, even the tragedies of life, to work out His perfect Kingdom plan. He always responds to hearts that seek Him, and history shows us that He had plans for the Kiowa tribe that ran even deeper than their heartbreak—He intended for them to know the Good News of Jesus Christ. It was the Kiowa tribe who coined the phrase “the Jesus Road,” and as we’ll see, the Lord eventually merged the road that took them through death, destruction, and devastation with this Jesus Road.

The Ambush That Changed Everything

By 1871, with the Civil War long over, the military had received news of reported Indian sightings, massacres, and attacks in Northern Texas. General Sherman was still very popular and active in the Army at that time. He was almost certain these reports were embellished, but he decided to investigate, and his journey took him along the Butterfield Trail—the main access road between Texas and Southern California. This trail was widely used and so it became a prime spot for Indians to set up ambushes against unsuspecting travelers.

 General Sherman was unaware that the fiercest Kiowa fighters were waiting along the trail for their next victims. Chief Big Tree, a renowned battle-hardened leader, and several other ruthless warrior chiefs were lying silently in wait for their next victims.

 Prior to General Sherman’s traveling through, these Kiowa warriors had been informed by their medicine man that a wagon train was on its way. While the Kiowa allowed Sherman’s train to pass through, they weren’t so generous with the second wagon train that followed. Those wagons were carrying food, supplies, and horses, which were all great prizes for the Kiowa. Big Tree and his fellow warriors waited until just the right time when they viciously ambushed the twelve wagons. That day’s event would come to be known as the Warren Wagon Train Massacre. No one expected it, but the entire destiny of the Kiowa would change because of the decision to ambush this second wagon train.

Initially, Big Tree and the Kiowa warriors reveled in their victory that day. The tribe was well known for their ability to slip away unharmed from these kinds of conflicts, so they were not expecting that they were in harm’s way. But General Sherman, who’d passed through the Kiowa ambush unharmed in the first wagon train, soon heard about the massacre. As survivors of the raid trickled into his hospital in Fort Richardson, Texas, Sherman was enraged and immediately gave orders to find the perpetrators of this horrific attack.

Though Sherman’s nemesis had slipped away easily in the past, the battle soon came close to home for him when there was a showdown with the Kiowa warriors at Fort Sill. This time, Sherman captured the warriors and took them into custody. Big Tree was immediately put on trial, incarcerated, and thrown into a tiny jail cell. Within three days, he was found guilty and sent to Huntsville, Texas to serve out his three-year sentence. You can imagine what that must have felt like for an Indian warrior who’d only ever known the freedom of living with his tribe and hunting on the plains.

Tragedy and Destiny

During that time, life for the Kiowa tribe was in complete turmoil. The government had taken over and was brutally forcing them to assimilate into a life that was completely foreign to them. Worst of all, they were being corralled into dependence on the government. It was a life they never wanted. When Big Tree returned to his tribe, the buffalo and horses were being destroyed, and their land was being parceled out as allotments. Food, if the government got it to the people, was simply not enough to sustain them. For those who did survive, they endured the tragedy of watching many of their loved ones starve to death. No longer would the Kiowa live freely off the land the way their ancestors did. But God had not forgotten this small tribe, and He had a freedom in store for them that was beyond their wildest dreams.

Forcing Native Americans onto reservations and into a life the government deemed reasonable for them was horrific. Yet, alongside the federal policies that would exterminate and imprison them, God was raising up a missions movement among this tribe who had otherwise lost all hope. In the face of adopting “the white man’s way of life,” the Kiowa would learn the most important way forward would be on what they would call “the Jesus Road.”

New Life, New Religion?

Stop for a moment and imagine that you are Big Tree. You were sent away and imprisoned for several years, and now you’re finally returning to your homeland. But it’s not your land anymore, and it certainly doesn’t feel like home. You were used to hunting buffalo, but the advent of the railroad and the buffalo hunters mean there are no buffalo left to hunt. You are no longer free to roam the land; instead, you’re allotted a small piece of property for you and your family. White men are taking over and have established schools for your children, with their rules for behavior and their style of dress. Your native language is slowly being drowned out by their English. Your children are now required to learn to read, no matter their age. And you are having trouble catching your breath. But it gets worse—they also want you to adopt their religion. Weeks and months passed as Big Tree struggled to find his place in this new world that was trying to overtake everything he’d ever known.

Because Rainy Mountain was a sacred place for the Kiowa, the Church had begun sending missionaries to that area and built a mission that would provide the Kiowa with practical resources and give them exposure to the Gospel. Marietta Reeside, a young American girl, was the first missionary to this band of Kiowa. Marietta, with her helper Loretta Ballew, a Cherokee by birth, became beloved friends of the Kiowa and were even given Kiowa names by the tribe. Marietta went to great lengths to learn the language and dedicated herself to these amazing people on whom God had clearly put His mark. Two of the tribe’s first converts were Big Tree’s wife and his dear friend, Sanko. Talk about turning his world upside down!

Despite Big Tree’s wife and his friend Sanko telling him about “the Jesus Road,” he was not willing to listen. After all, hadn’t life already changed enough? Big Tree understood being a warrior; he understood fighting. Remember, the Kiowa were known for their fighting—they were like today’s Special Forces. Big Tree had only ever followed what the tribe’s medicine man had taught. It didn’t matter what his wife said or what his friends said—Big Tree knew the power of the medicine man’s gods and he wanted nothing to do with what these missionaries had been sharing.

At one point the medicine man himself decided he’d had enough of his tribe being influenced toward this Jesus Road. He approached Sanko because he felt threatened by Sanko’s abandonment of the tribe’s traditional teaching. In no uncertain terms, he told Sanko to “give up the white man’s God” and “return to the Indian way.”

Sanko replied, “I have taken the Jesus Road. It is a good road. When I take up a new road, I keep it. The Jesus Road is kindness. It says to love your brother, which we Indians have always known was good. The white God is the Great Spirit. He loves us all. I believe in His medicine. I have taken it close to my heart and I will hold it fast.”

When the medicine man asked him, “Do you want to live long?” Sanko told him, “I do, but I’m not afraid to die. I’m not afraid of your medicine.” At that, the medicine man had had enough. He told Sanko to dig his own grave, because he’d make sure he’d be dead within two days.

 Being a new believer, Sanko was naturally nervous and shaken by the medicine man’s threat. He did the only thing he knew to do—he went to church to find Marietta Reeside, the missionary who had led him to Jesus. Though she didn’t take Sanko seriously at first, the interpreter made it clear that this was a life-or-death situation. These two Kiowa knew all too well the power behind the medicine man’s gods. In fact, the interpreter’s own brother had been murdered by the medicine man!

Once Marietta realized the seriousness of the situation, she advised Sanko to use his most powerful weapon—prayer. She joined with him and sought the Lord for help and protection. As they prayed, an anointing filled the room where they were sitting. Finally, having received confirmation from Holy Spirit, she confidently told Sanko, “It is finished, go in peace.”

Only One Winner

 It was no surprise that the medicine man chose Rainy Mountain as the place for this showdown between his gods and the God of Sanko. Throughout much of Kiowa history, it had been their sacred mountain. Much like the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, each of these men would call out to their god on this epic night, but only one could be victorious.

 The medicine man intensely prepared for battle inside his tipi, while the tribe gathered in the light of the fire outside. The gods of the Kiowa were to be called upon to strike down this follower of Jesus. Though this Jesus was being proclaimed as the one true God among the white men, the Kiowa gods were surely strong enough to defeat Him.

Not far from where he stood, Sanko saw the human-shaped effigy made of dirt, a powerful tool the medicine man used to murder those he cursed. In the center of its chest was a heart-shaped hole. Sanko fought fear as he knew that figure represented what the medicine man had promised would happen to him this very night. The entire tribe had seen the medicine man kill others or drive them to insanity. Sanko tried to focus his thoughts on Jesus, despite the fear that raged around him.

As the tribal drums were sounded, the medicine man came forth from his tent, dressed in his ritualistic garb, dancing in ways that would intimidate his opponent. He’d brought his best weapons to the battle and was determined to defeat this “God of the white man” and His new servant, Sanko.

 The medicine man picked up hot coals from the fire and poured them into the heart of the effigy on the ground, pronouncing his determined fate for Sanko. At that moment, Sanko felt an agonizing pain in his chest. It was now time for the medicine man to pray his “death prayer.” After he prayed the prayer, he grabbed his rifle and fired into the heart of the effigy.

 But when the shot’s echoes faded, it was the medicine man, not Sanko, who clutched his stomach and fell to the ground, dead. Tribal members stood stunned and in silence. Could this be true? Could their trusted medicine man have finally met his match? Had the Kiowa gods failed them?

When Sanko realized what had happened, he gained new courage and stood up tall. He was alive! He made his way to where the medicine man lay lifeless on the ground. There, he lifted his arms and shouted, “My God wins! My God wins!” Sanko’s faith in Jesus had saved him from the dark forces that had driven the Kiowa medicine man.

 Big Tree recognized the power of what he’d just witnessed. Never before had he seen the medicine man’s gods lose a battle. Everything he’d been told about the Christian God had to be true—He had surely shown His power!

 When Sunday came, the church was full! As a result of what they’d seen that night, Big Tree and the other tribal leaders laid down their weapons and, instead of warring with those set against them, were transformed into compassionate servants of the God who’d shown Himself strong on their behalf. They took up the Jesus Road with the same passion they’d had when they’d walked the Warrior Road.

Chief Big Tree accepted Christ and soon traded his title of “warrior” for the new designations of “deacon” and “Sunday School teacher” at the Baptist church there in Rainy Mountain, Oklahoma. Farming his allotment near Mountain View, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, he became a model and peaceful citizen in his later years. He died peacefully at Fort Sill in 1929.

 Willing and Courageous

When the Lord called Marietta Reeside to lay down her life in service of the Kiowa, she answered— and as a result, this warrior tribe found the Great Spirit they’d sought for so long—Jesus Himself. Like Marietta Reeside, God has someone for you to serve—someone who needs to hear the Gospel, and even beyond hearing, to see it lived out through your life. Where is God calling you? Are you willing to go? I encourage you—don’t delay in answering this question. The hour is late and the need is urgent.

A couple things also stand out about Sanko’s story. First, he was willing to forsake his ancestral gods to follow this Jesus, simply because a missionary had shared her faith. This had to have taken a great measure of humility. He was doing what no Kiowa had done before—forsaking the Kiowa way for “the Jesus Road.” Second, Sanko discovered the power of agreement in prayer as he and Marietta spent time seeking the Lord before the battle with the medicine man.

We would do well to pay attention to these two aspects of Sanko’s life. When we walk in humility and allow God to lead us, we are more likely to be used to bring others to the Lord, and maybe even in more dramatic and powerful ways than we think! Remember, his entire tribe came to know Jesus because Sanko was willing to take a stand! And along the lines of agreement with other believers, let’s not forget that gathering is important. Sanko and Marietta sat and prayed together before the battle at Rainy Mountain, and Sanko showed up battle-ready because his faith had been strengthened through their agreement in prayer.

I know the government has tried to condition us that gathering together is dangerous, a “health risk,” and that we’re better off alone. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said, “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matt. 18:19-20).

We need each other—it’s as simple as that. Don’t be afraid to gather with other believers. In fact, make a point to do it! There is strength in numbers, and just like Sanko was strengthened to square off against the tribal gods, when we come together in prayer we will find ourselves strengthened to stand against the powers and principalities that seek to destroy our nation.

We’ve just glanced at two chapters of history that only God could write. I bet George Whitefield, Marietta Reeside, and Sanko never imagined early on that God would give them leading roles in their hour of history. He has always known how to reach every tongue, every tribe, and every nation, and He is still at work doing it today. You and I have the amazing opportunity to allow God to use us as His hands and feet in this next Awakening. Can you feel its rumblings? Are you ready to be part of an amazing story? God and our nation are waiting for us to respond.