How “Steps to Personal Revival” has Changed my Life
Testimony by Dwight Nelson
Last August a young man at the British Columbia camp meeting where I was preaching, gave me a book. I’d never seen the book before nor had I ever heard of the author—but the man told me there were over 600,000 copies of the book circulating the world in 29 languages. Little did I know this short book would end up dramatically changing my life—the way I pray, the way I preach, the way I relate to others—it has changed my ministry.
In all my years of schooling, preaching and teaching, nobody ever told me or taught me that the Bible and Ellen White teach us to DAILY petition God for a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. How could I have gone this far through pastoring and preaching and never learned so compelling a truth!
But that’s what Helmut Haubeil’s book Steps to Personal Revival has taught me. By the time I returned home from that camp meeting I had read the book—in fact I have now read it four times. And my life is changed—you can ask the woman I live with and the people I pastor.
For years I have preached on receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit—series of sermons on this vital theme. But now I’ve discovered a way to meet with Jesus every morning and do just as He did every morning with the Father—ask for a fresh baptism of His Spirit.
Humbly I testify that God has raised the bar on my prayer life. I used to spend much time in the Word and a comparatively short time in actual prayer. Now my practice is reversed—I spend much time on my knees in my early morning prayer closet in communion with God and then turn to His Word for His communication with me.
My preaching has gained a new freedom and intensity. My leadership with my team and my people has been raised to another level. Suddenly coincidences (what one writer calls synchronicity) are multiplying—it’s as if someone is orchestrating my days and nights, my “chance” meetings and emails and conversations. It’s as if the Holy Spirit is personally directing my waking hours (even my sleeping ones). In fact, I’ve come to know Him as a very personal and truly dear Friend.
Why am I telling you this? I have nothing to gain from this testimony—but I am deeply convicted that you do. Jesus is coming soon. We still have a world, an entire generation, to reach with the everlasting gospel. We simply cannot accomplish that mission on our own. Our only hope is to learn what Jesus knew, to practice what Paul and the first disciples lived. We must have the DAILY baptism of the Holy Spirit upon our lives and ministry. And the only way we will have it is if we humbly daily ask for it.
I don’t know who you are, but I am praying for you as I write this. The promised Gift is yours and mine for the asking. After all didn’t Jesus promise us: “If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who [Greek—daily, continually] ask Him” (Luke 11:13)? Won’t you join me in that daily asking.
To get your own copy of "Steps to Personal Revival," click here!
Dwight Nelson is senior pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Download this week's blog and prayer requests.
World Church Prayer Requests
April 15-22, 2018
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the Holy Spirit to fill God’s church as a whole. Inspiration tells us, “The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future; but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it” (The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895).
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit in your local church and for your local pastor. “When the church awakes to the sense of her holy calling, many more fervent and effective prayers will ascend to heaven for the Holy Spirit to point out the work and duty of God’s people regarding the salvation of souls” (1 Selected Messages, p. 116).
• PRAYER REQUEST: Let’s also pray for the Holy Spirit to live in us daily. Inspiration tells us, “Will we wrestle with God in prayer? Will we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit? This is what we need and may have at this time...If we will walk humbly with God, God will walk with us” (Prayer, p. 87).
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please continue to pray for the Total Member Involvement events coming in Japan (May 4-20, 2018), Zambia (June 8-23, 2018), and the Philippines (July 13-28, 2018).
• PRAYER REQUEST: Continue to earnestly intercede for Japan as this is such a difficult territory and we need God to work miracles. In May, there will be 163 evangelistic sites across Japan where half of the speakers will be laypeople. Please pray for a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the laypeople and pastors who will be involved in this special event. Pray for God to bless mightily in the preparations and pre-meetings.