We are in significant times in Australia right now. God is pouring out His Spirit in fresh and unprecedented ways.
There are moments when the fervent prayers of the saints, the need of the hour and the divine move of God come into alignment and awakening occurs. The reality of the Kingdom of God breaks through with fresh power and spreads like wildfire.
When this happens mighty things happen. Christians are renewed in their faith, many come to Jesus, signs and wonders are released, reformation occurs and new movements are birthed.
Many people are becoming increasingly aware that this is what is starting to happen in Australia right now and a powerful recent manifestation of this was the event in Melbourne called Awakening Australia.
Awakening Australia
Awakening Australia was a massive three day gathering at Marvel Stadium where thousands of Christians from all around Australia came together to be involved in a huge evangelistic outreach in Melbourne and unite together to seek God for a mighty move of His Spirit across Australia. Many well known speakers spoke at the event including Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker, Todd White and Nick Vujicic.
Right from the first morning of the event there was such a strong sense of God moving in the stadium as the crowd spontaneously broke out in songs of praise and worship.
Australia for Jesus
A large focus of the first two days of Awakening was evangelism. Each day thousands of us went out on the streets to give out free tickets to the stadium, talk to people about Jesus and pray for the sick.
On the Saturday afternoon as we left the stadium to go out on the streets there was such an energy and fervency in the air. Nothing captures the amazing spirit of the moment better than the video footage on social media of hundreds of people singing Amazing Grace and shouting the name of Jesus next to Southern Cross station on Spencer Street.
In fact a few days earlier before I had even left Adelaide God indicated to me that something iconic would happen on Spencer Street. On the way to the airport in Adelaide the bus went past a small side street called Spencer Street. The street sign seemed to jump out at me and take on significance for no reason.
When I arrived at Southern Cross station on Spencer Street in Melbourne I realized I wasn't just imagining it, God was informing me that the power of God was descending upon this part of Melbourne near Marvel Stadium.
The cross of Christ over Australia
Something else that amazed me was discovering that Marvel Stadium was right near Southern Cross Station. This is because earlier this year God started to repeatedly draw my attention to the Southern Cross. First I continually noticed the Eureka Southern Cross flag on cars and trucks. Soon I started to notice businesses everywhere with the Southern Cross in their logo. And then I would look up at night and my eyes would automatically lock with the Southern Cross.
I asked God what this meant and I felt Him say 'the cross of Christ over Australia'. This instilled in me an encouragement that God was doing something significant in Australia and wanted to bring many people to Him.
Many people came to Christ over the weekend and there were some amazing testimonies, including people being saved from suicide and even some of the police and security staff working at the event becoming Christians!
Calling out for a move of God
By the last day of Awakening the longing for a move of God was palpable. One of the most powerful sessions was the Sunday morning national unity service where a number of Christian leaders from around Australia and from different denominations shared and prayed.
One of these speakers, Katherine Ruonala from Glory City Church in Brisbane, prophetically declared that the times are now ripe for harvest.
She drew attention to two important things:
Firstly, outpouring will happen through a demonstration of the Spirit's power like never before in Australia. There is a greater openness to signs and wonders and the prophetic and the supernatural are increasingly becoming a normal part of the Christian life across the body of Christ.
Another Jesus People Movement
Secondly, she mentioned that there had been prophetic words about what God was doing at the moment having parallels with the Jesus People movement that happened in the 1970s. She prophesied that there is coming a greater harvest than happened in the '70s.
This particularly stirred me because God has been drawing my attention to the Jesus People movement this year too. And one of these powerful parallels was the beach baptisms that happened at St Kilda beach the night after Awakening finished. Over a hundred people, many of them brand new believers, sealed their decision to follow Jesus in the waters of baptism.
Only a few months ago I was watching YouTube videos about the Jesus People movement and watching mass baptisms in the ocean and now here I was watching it happen in real life! It was such a sacred and beautiful time and a foretaste of what is to come.
Since Awakening there have been many stories of fresh evangelistic activity across Australia. It is clear that something has shifted spiritually in Australia and I am excited to see what God will do in the days ahead.
Conor is from Adelaide South Australia. He is a gardener and is involved in ministry. He loves God, music, reading and thinking deeply about philosophy and current events in the world.
Conor Ryan’s previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/conor-ryan.html
Conor is from Adelaide, South Australia. He has a history degree from Tabor College and has a gardening business. Conor has played in Christian heavy metal band Synnove. He is involved in Operation Canaan, a ministry that prays and intercedes for the music scene. He loves God, music, reading, traveling and thinking deeply about philosophy and current events in the world.
Conor Ryan’s previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/conor-ryan.html