By Robin Cornetet
Kentucky Today
ANAHEIM, Calif. — With the weight of so many important decisions facing Southern Baptists in the coming days, hundreds gathered to pray at the Anaheim Convention Center June 12.
Arkansas pastor Bill Elliff and Robby Gallaty, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, led audience members on what the men hoped would be a journey where God would meet each person in a real and tangible way.
Within hours, the cavernous room they occupied would be filled with 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference attendees. By Tuesday morning, an estimated 9,000 people from across the U.S. were set to assemble for the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.
“One of our prayers from the beginning was that God would meet with us tonight in a tangible, palatable way and He would make us aware of His presence,” Gallaty said.
Gallaty
He briefly talked about his own struggles and how God taught him about silence and solitude, and how the lesson positively impacted his prayer life.
After spending time silently praying, attendees were encouraged to gather in small groups with those around them and pray “unto God” rather than about personal wishes and wants.
ssed a great opportunity for revival.”
“If we respond rightly as a convention, God will hear, forgive, cleanse, transform, and heal,” he said. “We can be better in the days ahead by His grace. There is a wonderful groundswell we’re seeing of people and leaders who want to see God move in this convention and lead us to times of revival and genuine, biblical change for His glory.
Gallaty took a more individual route encouraging each person to examine himself and ask, “Am I the blood clot of revival?”
“You may be the blood clot preventing revival from coming to your church,” he said. “Would you confess jealousy right now? Maybe you have arrogance in your heart, a self-sufficient attitude, maybe you gossip, maybe your sin is criticism. Confess that to the Lord.” B&R
