So what about us? Did we miss the boat?

If you've read the last two blog posts, you might be asking yourself the question: “Did Moody and Finney receive some magical supernatural outpouring that only a few have access to?” 

No, of course not! But the problem is, we read stories like his (and others like Charles Spurgeon, Evan Roberts, William Miller, and others) and we think, “Since I obviously have not heard a voice speaking to me, experienced meeting Jesus face to face, and am not accomplishing what they accomplished--winning thousands to the Lord, I must not yet have received that baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

This assumption is natural, but it is wrong!

God has called all of us to be His witnesses. And it’s quite clear, since His power is limitless, that there is much much more that He could do and would do in our lives if we were truly completely surrendered to Him. However, keep in mind that we are not all called to the stage as famous evangelist. We are called to be faithful in the field, or in the corner, where we are—right now. If we are faithful where God has placed us right now, and if we are daily seeking to abide in Christ and are examining our hearts asking, “Is there anything between me and the Savior,” and making changes in our life as the Holy Spirit leads, while there may not be huge fireworks and Holy Spirit drama, we have received that Holy Spirit Baptism. God will continue to use us and expand our influence. We may end up on the stage, or we may work behind the scenes, but still, God is working through us and He will guide and bless our steps if we keep surrendering day-by-day to Him.

Understanding that we aren’t all called to be Peter’s or Paul’s, or Finney’s, doesn’t mean we should stop seeking for more of the Holy Spirit though. Remember, God has given everyone a measure—at least everyone that believes. But we don’t want just a measure of His Holy Spirit! We want His fullness! So we never stop asking. We never stop seeking. God has much more that He longs to do in our lives today. In our lives, the feelings may come and go, but we move forward based on the facts of God’s Word, trusting in His unchanging truth. As we do this, we will receive fresh supplies of grace to meet our daily needs and His daily commands.

After Finney’s conversion, he continued to seek the Holy Spirit’s filling daily, recognizing that it was only through the Holy Spirit’s continual presence that he could continue to work. He was a humble man, and a believer in prayer, and attributed his success in ministry to his disabled prayer partner Abel Clarey, who prayed for him during each meeting, and often went into an area to pray before Finney arrived.

Later, near the end of Finney’s ministry, he had another personal outpouring. But it wasn’t so much outward as it was inward. Describing this experience in his Memoirs, he wrote:

“The Lord gave my own soul a very thorough overhauling, and a fresh baptism of His Spirit…I gave myself a great deal to prayer. After my evening services, I would retire as early as I well could; but rose at four o’clock in the morning, because I could not sleep longer, and immediately went to the study and engaged in prayer…my days were spent in searching the Scriptures; I read nothing all that winter but my Bible, and a great deal of it seemed new to me…the whole Scripture seemed to be ablaze with light, and not only light, but it seemed as if God’s Word was instinct with the very life of God.” V. Raymond Edman, They Found the Secret, p. 69

So let us admire what God did thru men like Finney. Let's not pitch our tent. But at the same time, rather than thinking we need to see fire-works and massive evangelism explosion, let's seek to follow God faithfully TODAY….right where we are!

[This excerpt is copyrighted material taken from our upcoming book: Daring to Ask for More: Divine Keys to Answered Prayer and Successful Ministry]