March 2023 Newsletter
Unless you have been hibernating the last few weeks, I am sure you have heard about the worship services going on round the clock on a few college campuses. It is encouraging to see young people in particular sacrificing their time to simply worship God. I think it has impacted so many because at the core of who we are, we all long for deep Christian community where we can repent and still be loved, pray without distraction, and raise our voices together in praise through reading of Scripture and singing songs. God's design for the Church is beautiful. I think many have forgotten that.

These events have also stirred so much debate within the same groups of people. We are called to be discerning but not skeptical of what God is or is not doing. Testing to see what is good is healthy; criticizing what we don't know is not. God will sort it all out.

I think part of the tension is that Scripture doesn't record many events like this. In 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 24 we see King Josiah, who became a king at the age of 8 (can you imagine your kids at 8 being king/queen!! :)), leading Judah in turning back to God. The priests rediscovered the Torah and everyone gathered to hear it read. Repentance and tearing down of idols throughout the nation was prevalent. And a unity among the people led to the restoration of the Temple. Regardless of the judgment of God, Josiah had decided to lead the people to honor God in his lifetime.

2 Kings 22:2 says, "He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right."

May this be said of us as well!

The other main passage where we see a great number of people (over 3000, in fact) coming to a saving faith in Christ and turning from sin is in Acts 2. The disciples were gathered for the Jewish celebration, Pentecost, and God did something big. He poured out His Spirit on them. He gave individuals the ability to speak in other languages so that all could hear the gospel clearly preached. And because of this thousands came to Christ. But they didn't just stay gathered in worship. They left to go do the work God had for them in the world. They went out into the world as witnesses to the grace and mercy of God!

John Piper sums up "revival" this way: "In the history of the church, the term revival in its most biblical sense has meant a sovereign work of God in which the whole region of many churches, many Christians has been lifted out of spiritual indifference and worldliness into conviction of sin, earnest desires for more of Christ and his word, boldness in witness, purity of life, lots of conversions, joyful worship, renewed commitment to missions. You feel God has moved here. And basically revival, then, is God doing among many Christians at the same time or in the same region, usually, what he is doing all the time in individual Christian’s lives as people get saved and individually renewed around the world."

Lesson? We all struggle to be fully committed to Christ. We all have times of apathy, weariness, and distraction. God is always leading us to turn back to Him, our first love. He is renewing us day by day. He is transforming our hearts and minds as we seek Him. Have we stopped seeking? Are we ignoring a sin problem in our lives? Are we indifferent to seeing others come to Christ? Do we find joy in worship and fellowship with the saints?

If so, we need reviving. We need an intervention of the Spirit to turn our wayward hearts back to Him. Whether God prompts us to do that in the quietness of our home or in a building with other believers, He is after the same thing...for us to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. That should always be our prayer and motivation for worship. When that occurs, our ability to love others will also be revived, because His love will manifest itself in our lives.

Let's rejoice to see God being praised! And let's pray for true repentance in all of our lives that leads to many coming to saving faith in Christ. We can't all live gathered together round the clock worshiping God -- we have responsibilities and people to serve -- but we can live a life of devotion and passion for the things of God "as we go" about the good works He has assigned to each of us.

May we let God begin a new work in us this day.

Your sister in Christ,
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In Case You Missed It!!

In honor of February and the topic of love, here are some resources you might have missed. I have a blog series on loving our children well and also our spouses. Use the search bar at terriprahl.com and type in 1 Corinthians 13 and you will find them. :)

This is an ebook for marriage that I compiled from the blog post. Click the image to download.
Romance eBook Cover

Last Chance!!


I know many of you have purchased a paper copy or e-book already, but I also know many have not had the funds. As a special one-year anniversary treat, I'm offering each of you a free download of Consider from this link: https://www.terriprahl.com/wp-content/uploads/prayerbook/Prayer_Book_2023.pdf. Be sure to save the download to your computer so you don't lose it. The free link will expire in 3 days on February 28th, 2023, and I am asking that you don't send the link to non-subscribers. (**Please note that it is a large file and will take time to download.) This is a gift from me to you who so faithfully open my emails and support my online work! And if you like what you see, it really is better in paper form and makes a great gift, so I hope you will consider buying a copy (wink, wink). As always, contact me if you want a signed copy. Otherwise, it's available to purchase on Amazon for a new low price. :)

Thank you for being here! I pray for each of you to know the love of God and experience the fullness of His peace today.

What I'm Reading! Follow along on my Instagram account each week as I discuss one chapter.

Reflections in the Psalms
A final note of encouragement:

John 16:33, ESV: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

If you need prayer, please send me a message, and I will be more than happy to intercede on your behalf.
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