As we got on to Darley Road, the first thing that struck me was the traffic jam. It was not started by a crowd going for a musical show or a political meeting at Hyde Park. It was being caused by the sea of people converging on St. Josephs College to spend time in the presence of God. This itself was a witness to the scale of the revival that the Lord was bringing about among a people who are weary of violence and the economic burden forced on them by an ongoing civil war. An estimated crowd of about 8,000 with many more being turned away due to the lack of space, was a testament to the sheer number of people who had been touched by God in the recent past. As we entered the auditorium, the anointing and sense of expectation was palpable. Surely, the Lord had blessed the day of revival with his presence.

As soon as Fr. Priyantha started singing, the anointing swept through the auditorium and those present were drawn into praise and worship. Not even the shouting of those possessed by unclean spirits disturbed us. As Bro Lalith led us into “We were made to Worship Him” we began to realize that even though we came to Jesus expecting him to solve the burning problems of our lives, we had discovered a new secret that filled our hearts. We were truly created to worship him. As we discovered what we were created for, everything else paled into insignificance. Later, Bishop Vianey Fernando commented that this was a more exhilarating experience than the devotions traditionally practiced by the church. He was deeply touched as he saw young men and women, who usually cannot be attracted to church, totally lost in worship.

As Fr. Vallooran broke the word, we began to wonder if there is anyone else in the world who could share such a powerful word. As we listened we began to realize why the Holy Spirit had led us to invite him for the keynote address. The word was truly anointed, bringing hope and healing to those of us who listened. As the few gathered in the upper room began a movement that saw the roman empire fall and those who surrendered to the Lord Jesus establish their headquarters in Rome, He led us to expect that the War will soon end because of the impact of the gathering in the auditorium that morning. He then said that the Lord placed in his heart a message to give all of us, a message of prophesy based on Genesis Chapter 12. Fr. Vallooran said that the Lord will make us into a great nation, and that he will bless us; He will make our name great, and he will bless the whole world through us.

During the anointing service as we sang “Have your way, Holy Spirit fill our Hearts and Have your way”, we knew that no one would go back home empty handed. As we sang “Surely the Angel of the Lord is around me” there was no doubt in our minds that the day of revival 2008 was the beginning of a new chapter in our journey.

Praise the Lord!