Sep 164 min read

Positioning for the Overflow

Over two centuries ago, in the Epworth Rectory in England, John Wesley—one of the most influential revivalists in church history and the leader of the Methodist movement—spent countless hours in prayer. Wesley knelt by his bedside, fervently praying for the social and spiritual renewal of England, pleading for God to awaken hearts and transform lives across the nation. His prayers were so persistent and filled with longing that they left deep impressions in the floor beside his bed—marks of a man who would not stop until he saw God move.

Fast forward to 1940: A group of Wheaton College students, led by Dr. J. Edwin Orr, a renowned authority on church revival, visited England to explore sites where God had moved powerfully in the past. One of their stops was the very room at Epworth where Wesley’s knees had pressed into the floor through countless hours of prayer. The students stood silently, struck by the sight of the worn impressions in the carpet, a testament to Wesley's relentless prayers for revival.

As the group prepared to leave, Dr. Orr realized that one student was missing. Returning upstairs, he found a young man, his knees planted firmly in those very worn impressions, his face buried in the bed, crying out with deep, desperate longing, "Oh Lord, do it again! Do it again!"

That young man was Billy Graham. He wasn’t just captivated by history; he was moved by the very same longing that had driven Wesley to his knees—a desire to see God move mightily in his own generation. God answered that prayer, and through Billy Graham’s ministry, millions around the world came to know Jesus, their lives transformed by the same Spirit that had answered Wesley’s prayers. Today, that same call reaches out to us.

God Gave Me a Vision

Two Wednesdays ago, during worship, God gave me a vision. I saw a pitcher pouring out from heaven, a never-ending flow of water—symbolizing God's desire to continually fill us with His Spirit and power. Then, I was taken to a room where pitchers lined all four walls, each one labeled with the name of a different church. As I looked around, I saw an angel reach out and tip over the pitcher labeled 'Awakening Church.' In that moment, I understood that we, as a church, have positioned ourselves to receive an outpouring from God.

But this vision is not just for our church; it is a call to each of us. God is inviting us to position ourselves personally to receive all that He wants to pour out. The question is: Are we willing to do what it takes to see this outpouring, this overflow of His Spirit in our lives?

Understanding the Overflow

The “overflow” we are talking about is an abundant outpouring of God’s Spirit, power, grace, and presence—the "rivers of living water" Jesus promised in John 7:38. But this overflow is not meant for us to keep to ourselves; it’s meant to flow through us to those who are lost, those who are searching for meaning and hope, those who are desperate for more of God. It’s a blessing designed to reach beyond our walls!

Consider this: Why would the Lord give us more if we are not using what we already have? If we are quenching the Spirit and not allowing Him to minister through us, why would God pour out more? The promise is clear in Scripture: those who earnestly seek will find; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Just as Wesley and Graham positioned themselves in prayer and faith, so must we be ready to receive this overflow.