Transcribed by Jeff Fenske

I tried to get a hold of the worship leader to come and lead us in a worship song, because, you know, when we worship Jesus the flesh kind of dies down. But what happened:

We began worshiping Jesus and His activity intensified!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBXACTfrYQE]IHOP Awakening Wes Hall Testimony

The Lord showed up at our classes at IHOPU, and began releasing His joy, began releasing a fresh window of His presence and setting many of our students free from chains of self-hatred and shame, and encountering those who never encountered the love of the Father in a real meaningful way. The love of the Father was a concept, but now it has become a reality.

And we had some skeptics who came in. In fact, I was one of them. I was leading that first class, and things started getting a little bit crazy in the class — and I’m the provost of the university. And I was holding onto this podium and I couldn’t stand up. I was pinned to the floor.

And the class was going crazy. There were some of the most sensible students rolling on the floor, laughing for about an hour and a half.

And I thought, you know what, this has got to be mostly the flesh and a little bit the Holy Spirit.

And so I tried to get a hold of the worship leader to come and lead us in a worship song, because, you know, when we worship Jesus the flesh kind of dies down. But what happened: we began worshiping Jesus and His activity intensified.

I was like, ‘okay, You’re doing something unique here.’ And so the Lord began touching some of us who pride ourselves on being sedate and in our right mind for the gospel.”

Ezekiel 47 speaks of the River that flows from the throne of God. And it says it’s a River of Life, and it’s a river that brings life and it brings healing wherever it goes. The Lord says I’m releasing My Holy Spirit. I’m releasing that River that flows from the throne of God. It starts at the throne of God.

And the Holy Spirit is not a thing. He’s a person. He is God. And He’s pictured as a river, but it doesn’t mean you can scoop Him or do backstroke in Him — because He is God.

But He comes like a river to bring life to the barren areas of our hearts. And He’s come because He wants to flow like a river, not just in us, but through us. But until we encounter the life of the Spirit in our inner man, that River is like damned up. It comes into us but it never flows through us.

And if you study Ezekiel 47, you will see that that river flows from the throne, and it ends up in the sea. And it brings life to the sea. And in the sea is suddenly a multitude of fish.

The Lord says that I want that River of Life to flow in you, to break down every barrier to My love, to break down every barrier to you being who I created you to be.

We have testimony after testimony after testimony of how the Lord has released His life in new ways. In an instant, deliverance from demonic affliction; in an instant, deliverance from years of addiction, same-sex attraction; deliverance in an instant from eating disorders, self-hatred, shame — things that have taken years years of counseling. In an instant, the Holy Spirit has come with His power and set people free and set hearts free.

And sometimes when the Holy Spirit touches us, He reacts in a funny way with our bodies….”

— Wes Hall, Provost of IHOPU

Related:

What is Real Revival? (“The more I forgave the more I shook and laughed”)
Wes Hall: Why do people laugh and shake under the power of God? “The Lord has released a revelation of the Father’s love I’ll never forget”
There is A RIVER, the streams of which make the city of God glad! “Drink from THE WELL that will never run dry! Drink from THE WELL that will never run dry! Drink from THE WELL that will never run dry!!!”
IHOP revival leader on God’s provision during martyrdom: “When we’re in the presence of the Lord, martyrdom doesn’t seem like such a bad deal”
My Poem: The Ghost and THE RIVER!