By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
PINEVILLE – Gregory Frizzell believes the need for prayer and evangelism has never been more urgent than today.
Moreover, he contends the time is now for Christ’s followers to rise up and ask God for a great revival and awakening to sweep across the United States – beginning in the hearts of each believer.
“If programs, education, strategies and promotions could by themselves bring revival, we would have long since had the biggest in history,” Frizzell said. “The fact that true New Testament power must also be tied to fervent prayer and deep repentance is now abundantly clear. We are past being helped by quick general prayers and surface confession. The good news is that more and more are awakening to this reality.”
Frizzell, whose ministry is based in Oklahoma City, Okla., will share more about his passion for revival during the final session of the 2018 Louisiana Baptist Convention Evangelism Conference, Jan. 22-23, at First Baptist Church, Pineville. He also will touch on the elements of an effective prayer life during the Senior Adult Luncheon at ECON 2018.
Frizzell will be joined in the program by Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention; Brent Crowe, vice president of the Student Leadership University, Orlando, Fla.; Rick Gage, founder of GO TELL Ministries, Atlanta, Ga.; Sammy Tippit, founder of Sammy Tippit Ministries, San Antonio, Texas; Ron Herrod, founder of Ron Herrod Evangelism Ministries Association, Knoxville, Tenn.; and, Karen Abercrombie, an award winning actress who played the spicy, 80-year-old prayer warrior, Miss Clara, in the film “War Room.”
“In our evangelism conference, we will rediscover a couple of elements that can make all the difference in taking our prayers and empowerment to another level,” Frizzell said. “The hopeful news is that greater power and closeness with Jesus are not out of reach. We really can learn to pray in ways that transforms ourselves, our families, churches and reaches our lost communities.
“I urge every Louisiana Baptist to pray fervently for God’s power and presence to be mighty in our January meeting. Without His grace and power, we can do nothing. But with His grace and power, nothing is impossible.”
Frizzell has traveled throughout the United States and world sharing his message, and recently launched an initiative that targets 250,000 pastors for spiritual awakening and sweeping evangelism in strategic nations, according to a biographical page on Frizzell.
He has served as pastor of several congregations and also was a prayer and spiritual awakening specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma as well as the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Additionally, he has written more than 40 books and published hundreds of articles on prayer, church renewal, evangelism, leadership and spiritual awakening. His book, “Returning to Holiness,” has been translated into 40 languages and is approaching 2 million copies.
A graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Frizzell said he is excited about engaging with Louisiana Baptists during ECON 2018.
“I am especially excited because of my experiences with many Louisiana Baptist churches, pastors, missions directors and state staff over many years,” he said. “In Louisiana, there has been a unique sense of connecting evangelism and missions with prayer and revival. Not only is that connection totally biblical, it is the pattern of great awakenings throughout history.
“My special word to Louisiana Baptists is God’s power and grace are as great as in the days of early believers,” he said. “The Lord has definitely not lost His power. My current ministry often places me in many countries such as Africa, China, India and South America. In several places I minister, there is great risk and persecution of believers. Yet What I have discovered is the levels of prayer and surrender are somewhat higher than those most common in some other nations. Rather than just saying some general prayers, they have moved into the effective, fervent prayer of fully yielded hearts.”
