Revival does not happen by accident. It is built through daily rhythms. This past Sunday, Pastor Chip Dean brought a message from 2 Chronicles 20 that showed what those rhythms look like when the enemy attacks and everything feels impossible.
When the Enemy Attacks
Pastor Chip opened with God has been working in our church. God is moving at First Baptist Powder Springs. Miracles are happening. Three families were prayed over the previous Sunday and all three received miraculous reports the very next day. A mass on a little boy’s chest was gone. A cancer diagnosis came back localized. A family gripped by fear over mold in their home received peace.
But Pastor Chip was honest about the other side of revival. The enemy is always present when God is working. Couples cycling in and out of hospitals. Accidents and injuries. Unexpected diagnoses. He said it plainly. Either you are coming out of an attack, in the middle of one, or you do not know it yet but one is coming.
That is not pessimism. That is the reality Scripture prepares us for. The greater the revival, the greater the resistance.
Fear Is Real. So Is the Remedy.
The message anchored in 2 Chronicles 20 and the story of King Jehoshaphat, one of the most godly kings in Israel’s history. Three nations combined their armies and marched toward him. The Bible says he was afraid. Not a little uneasy. Afraid.
Pastor Chip made a point worth sitting with. Fear is natural. Fear is biblical. God mentions it 365 times in Scripture, one for every day of the year. But fear is also spiritual. It is one of Satan’s most effective weapons because if he can paralyze you with fear, you become powerless.
So what did Jehoshaphat do? He set his face to seek the Lord.
Pastor Chip unpacked what it really means to seek God. It does not mean to search for him as if he is lost. When you gave your life to Jesus, you found him. More accurately, he found you. Seeking God means pursuing him. Following the dotted line on the treasure map closer and closer to him every single day. The greatest blessing of your life is not what God gives you. It is the experience of God himself.
Rhythm One: Prayer and Fasting
The first thing Jehoshaphat did was proclaim a fast. The entire nation stopped eating and gathered to pray. Every city in Judah sent people. They were desperate.
Pastor Chip defined fasting in a way that makes it accessible for anyone. Fasting is disconnecting from something you desire in order to connect deeper with God. It does not have to be food. It could be social media, the internet, financial purchases, or anything God is calling you to set aside. The point is not the going without. The point is the going toward God.
He was transparent about his own journey. He did not start fasting until he turned 40. A pastor challenged him and now, eight years later, he would never go back. In this current season of seeking revival, God has called him to fast one full day each week.
His challenge to the room was simple. How can prayer and fasting become a rhythm in your life? Weekly, monthly, seasonally. Prayerfully, worshipfully, scripturally. Not to impress anyone. Just to get more of God.
Rhythm Two: Studying the Word of God
While Jehoshaphat and all of Judah stood before the Lord, the Spirit of God came upon a young man named Jehaziel. He could have been as young as twenty years old. He stood before the entire nation and spoke the word of the Lord.
Pastor Chip took a moment to explain prophecy clearly. In the Old Testament, prophets would declare thus says the Lord because the Bible was not yet complete. Now that Scripture is finished, we do not need prophetic words outside of it. We already have them. 2 Peter 1 says God’s word contains everything we need for life and godliness. If you want a word from God, get in the word of God.
Jehaziel’s message to the nation came straight from the book of Exodus. What God said to Israel at the Red Sea, God was saying again to Jehoshaphat. Do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. The battle is not yours. It is God’s.
Pastor Chip challenged the room not to just skim Scripture. Get a study Bible. Read the notes. Use a commentary. Slow down and let God speak. The deeper you get into his word, the closer you get to him.
Rhythm Three: Worship
The third rhythm is the one that might surprise you most. Jehoshaphat did not send his army out first. He sent the worshipers. Singers dressed in holy attire marched before the soldiers declaring, give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.
When they began to sing and praise, God sent an ambush against the three armies. Moab and Ammon turned on each other and destroyed one another. Jehoshaphat’s army never raised a sword. They just worshiped.
Pastor Chip made the application clear. Worship is not just what you do on Sunday morning. It is your greatest weapon against Satan’s greatest weapon, which is fear. You fight fear with worship. You fight the enemy’s attacks by praising the God who has already won.
He closed by asking the room to stand and think about their greatest battle right now. The area where the enemy is attacking hardest. Then he invited everyone to make the closing song a prayer, singing it over that battle and to the King who does not lose.
There’s a Seat for You
Whether you are in the middle of an impossible situation or you are simply looking for more of God in your everyday life, you belong here. We are a church that believes revival is built one daily rhythm at a time.
Plan Your Visit and come experience what God is doing here. Or take your next step and Get Connected with our church family. We would love to seek God alongside you.