THAT DAY
When God Shows Up in Ordinary Moments
We've all had those moments—ordinary days that suddenly become extraordinary. Days when everything changes. Days when God shows up in unexpected ways.
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Throughout history, God has orchestrated specific moments to advance His redemptive purposes. These aren't random occurrences. They're divine appointments where heaven intersects with earth, where prophecy meets reality, and where ordinary people become part of something far greater than themselves.
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The Power of Praying Together
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In Acts chapter 4, when Peter and John had been persecuted and threatened, they returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God; the believers didn't scatter in fear. The place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit again.
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There's something powerful about united prayer. Years ago, churches used prayer books—simple collections of written prayers. People would pray the same prayers together, just like we sing the same songs in worship. The purpose was to bring us together in spirit and heart, creating unity in the presence of the Lord.
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We see this throughout Scripture. Paul wrote out his prayers and prayed them repeatedly. David penned prayers like "Create in me a clean heart, O God" that believers have prayed for centuries.
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This is the kind of prayer our nation needs right now. Not scattered, unfocused petitions, but unified declarations of faith based on God's Word.
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Living in Prophetic Moments
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After 400 years of silence—longer than America has been a nation—God finally spoke again. No prophets, no miracles, no "Thus says the Lord" for four centuries. But God was working behind the scenes. Roads were being built throughout the Roman Empire. The Greek language was spreading. The stage was being set for the gospel to explode across the known world.
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Then came that day
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“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. . . But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years” (Luke 1:5-11 NKJV).
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An ordinary priest named Zacharias, living far from Jerusalem, had his lot chosen to burn incense in the temple. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many priests never received. He wasn't wealthy or influential. He didn't pastor a mega-synagogue. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had no children—a source of shame and heartbreak in their culture.
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But God chose them. That day, in that moment, the angel Gabriel appeared with a message that would change everything: "You will have a son, and you will name him John."
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What God Looks For
In Zacharias and Elizabeth, we see what God searches for in people:
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Faithfulness in the mundane. They were righteous, walking blamelessly before God, even when no one was watching, even during 400 years of divine silence.
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Desperation born from barrenness. Whether it's physical barrenness or spiritual barrenness—when we're not seeing people saved, when revival seems impossible—that desperation positions us for God to move.
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Willingness to believe the impossible. When Gabriel told Zacharias about his coming son, the old priest struggled to believe. His doubt didn't stop God's plan, but it did silence him until the prophecy was fulfilled. How many times do we limit what God wants to do because we think it's impossible?
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The Connection Between Prayer and Prophecy
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The first word from God after 400 years came during prayer. Not during a festival, not during a political rally, not during anything spectacular. During prayer.
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While Zacharias burned incense inside the temple—a picture of prayer rising to God—a multitude of people prayed outside. There was a remnant eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of God's prophetic promises. People like Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna, who were watching and waiting.
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* God is looking for people who are looking for Him.
* He searches for those who are searching for Him.
Throughout history, during seasons of revival, there have always been people who believed God was near, who sought Him with desperate faith.
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That Day Is Coming Again
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God promised through the prophet Joel, quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost: "In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams."
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This isn't just ancient history. We're living in the last days. This prophecy is for us, right now.
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Just as Mary was at home that ordinary day when Gabriel appeared to her.
Just as 120 believers were praying in one accord that day when the church was born.
Just as Moses was tending sheep as he had for 40 years, he encountered the burning bush that day.
Just as Joseph sat in prison for years, but that day Pharaoh called for him.
And just as on February 8, 2023, that day, at Asbury University, during a normal, mandatory chapel service that students didn't even want to attend, but that day, a handful of teenagers began praying for one another. What started with 16 teenagers lasted 14 days, 24 hours a day, and touched 60,000 to 70,000 people.
Your Day Is Coming
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God is no respecter of persons. If we believe without doubting, if we're desperate for God in our barrenness, if we humble ourselves and pray—that day can be today.
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We're not going to reach billions of people through our own meager efforts. We need the supernatural power of God poured out. We need signs and wonders. We need God to stretch out His hand with healing power. We need miraculous interventions that only He can accomplish.
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The question isn't whether God will move. He's promised He will. The question is: Will we be found faithful, desperate, and believing when He does?
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Let's declare together: Father God, we acknowledge that we are living in the last days. Pour out Your Spirit upon all people—young and old, men and women. Pour out Your Spirit in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in our businesses, in our churches. Fill us again with Your Spirit. Have Your way in us at this time. We humble ourselves before You.
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That day is coming. It might even be today.
Key Takeaways
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1. United, focused prayer has power. When believers pray together with one voice, declaring God's Word, heaven responds.
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2. God works through ordinary people in ordinary moments. You don't need to be wealthy, influential, or perfect. You need to be faithful and available.
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3. Barrenness and desperation position us for a breakthrough. When we're at the end of ourselves, we're at the beginning of God's possibilities.
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4. God's timing is perfect, even when we can't see it. Behind the scenes, He's orchestrating circumstances to fulfill His prophetic purposes.
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5. We must believe without doubting. Our lack of faith won't stop God's plans, but it will limit what He can do through us.
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6. Prayer and prophecy are deeply connected. God moves in response to the prayers of His people who are watching and waiting for His promises.
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7. Believing in the return of Christ fuels revival. Throughout history, every major revival has been marked by believers who urgently expected Jesus to return.
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8. That day can be today. God is looking for desperate, faithful people who will believe Him for the impossible—right now, in this generation.
