October 31st: A Catalytic day for Reformation and Revival
by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.
The Shift is now
Did you know that October 31 is a day of Reformation, Revival, and Destiny? Contrary to popular views, October 31st is not the “day of the devil.” It is God’s day full of inheritance where He birthed two major Reformation and Revival movements that are still impacting us today, hundreds of years later. There is great momentum for us to step into on this significant day in revival history. October 31st is a time for revolutionary shifts to happen. It is a day pregnant with world-changing movements waiting to be catalyzed as we fiercely follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, even in unusual ways. It is a day of religious freedom and of freedom from the religious spirit. It is a day when God is waiting for His yielded lovers to pursue His heart with reckless abandonment.
Halloween Roots
It is interesting that even in secular tradition, many believe that October 31st is the time when the physical and spiritual worlds are the closest, when heaven invades earth in a greater measure than on other days. This was also a time of celebrating the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. In the year 609, Pope Gregory III introduced May 13 as a Catholic holiday to honor saints and martyrs who came before. This was called All Saints' or All Hallows Day. In 835, the date was changed to Nov. 1, the same day as the Samhain, which was an Ancient Celtic pagan festival initiating summer's end. The evening before “All Hallows Day” became known as All Hallows' Eve, which was later changed to Halloween. Even more importantly, this day was set apart from Heaven as the day God wanted to catalyze significant Reformation and Revival movements.
Reformation
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther (1483-1546) posted his 95 Theses on Wittenberg Church door which lit a flame that reformed the Christianity of his day, breaking people out of religious cycles that had entrapped them for hundreds of years.
His 95 Theses were then translated into German, printed on the newly invented Gutenberg printing press, and then quickly began to spread. Originally, this was simply an act of inviting people to debate over these issues within the Catholic Church, rather than a rebuke against the pope. However, God breathed on his declaration for justice and it served to be the catalyst to set things in motion for the Protestant Reformation.
Welsh Revival
Nearly 400 years later on this same date in history, a spark for the Welsh Revival was ignited. On October 31, 1904, Evan Roberts (1878-1951) followed the leading of the Holy Spirit back to his hometown to conduct a catalytic meeting where 17 confessed Christ. He realized at that time that the revival he had been praying his whole life for had arrived. Less than four months later, over 80,000 people were saved and the nation of Wales experienced a powerful revival. From Wales, the revival began to spread to cities in England, Scotland, and Ireland and then around the world.
The revival was also a precursor and believed to be a catalyst for future Holy Spirit movements like the Azusa Street Revival. Frank Bartleman, who participated in and scribed the happenings of the Azusa Street Revival, asked Roberts to pray that a revival fire similar to the Welsh Revival would break out in Los Angeles. The Azusa Street Revival exploded to the scene not long after this in 1906 contributing to the influence of Pentecostalism around the globe.
Momentum of the Ages
The Protestant Reformation transformed a religious system and freed people to worship God in spirit and in truth. The Welsh Revival ignited a flame that inspired and gave birth to future Holy Spirit movements. October 31 is pregnant with potential to once again be a powerful day of ignition for reformation and revival. There is an inheritance waiting to be tapped into for those who are brave enough to step out in faith to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit on this special date in history. There is a deep well of revival to be accessed on October 31st, filled with fresh flames waiting to be ignited and spread around the world.
The momentum has already begun. Martin Luther, the Moravians, John Wesley, Evan Roberts and many others have already paved the way for us to walk in great freedom today. This is not a new wave of revival but one that has been building for generations. There is great momentum toward a new billion-soul harvest, another great awakening, and new wave of revival on the horizon. And in fact, I believe it has already begun and is all around us for those who have eyes to see.
What are we going to do today with the ground already gained on our behalf? How will we position ourselves to build upon the momentum that has gone before us? What further ground needs to be taken to advance God’s Kingdom in our generation today so that it will set things in motion for the next 500 years ahead? We are in a historic shift. God is calling us to a new level of holiness, consecration, connection, surrender, and possession of the Holy Spirit. This is necessary so that this upcoming wave of revival will not crush us. It’s time to walk in purity, passion, and total obedience so that when the swell comes, we are positioned to ride the biggest wave of revival this world has ever seen!
Activating the Anointing in October 31st through Worship
Since 2012, the Destiny House tribe of worshippers has hosted an encounter night each year on Halloween to tap into the deep wells of revival, seek God for an even greater Reformation in our day, and worship Him with all of our strength. Last year there were celebrations in Redding, CA, in Australia, and in Maui, Hawaii where we gathered together to worship and proclaim the name of Jesus. We have seen people radically encountered by the presence and power of God in these meetings where they were marked for life in His presence. We will also be doing this together this year in 2020 around the world with the School of Revival family. Learn more on how to join us here.
Wherever you are in the world, I encourage you too, to gather with friends this October 31st to share Holy Ghost stories, pray and worship together on this significant day in revival history. Let’s gather together with one agenda, simply to worship Jesus and lift up His name on high. Together, we can tap into what God wants to do in our day by giving Him higher praise. Let's take back this significant day in history by releasing the fragrance of worship that pleases the heart of God, causing the darkness to tremble.
Send the Spirit Now
Evan Roberts sent on a prayer ahead of him to the children in the towns he was going to visit. When the children prayed this prayer, revival broke out before he even arrived to the scene. As you pray this catalytic prayer and take risks to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit into new territories, may you see the Holy Spirit move in greater ways than ever before.
Send the Spirit now, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Send the Spirit now powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Send the Spirit now more powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Send the Spirit now still more powerfully, for Jesus Christ's sake.
Join us for one of our upcoming School of Revival modules
To go more in depth on significance of what happened on this day in history, see
How October 31st is a Catalytic Day for Reformation, Revival, and Destiny: Extended Version
Tapping into the Power of the Testimony: Launching into Greater Destiny
Defining Moments by Bill Johnson and Jennifer A. Miskov (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2016).
Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution by Jennifer A. Miskov with Heidi Baker, Bill Johnson, and Lou Engle (Redding, CA: Silver to Gold, 2016).
*As a disclaimer, we also want to recognize and honor our Catholic brothers and sisters today and celebrate the whole Body of Christ as we move forward together, hand in hand to see God’s Kingdom come here on earth in our day.