Wang Ming Dao was a famous house church pastor / evangelist in China who was imprisoned 23 years for his faith. He was released from prison in 1980.

“For Wang, revival could only come upon those who knew that walking the way of Christ would be hard, requiring courage, determination and sacrifice. During a visit, I quizzed him on his prison experience. ‘I will probably never be put in jail like you, so how can your faith have any impact on mine?’

He replied by asking me a series of questions: ‘When you go back home, how many books do you have to read this coming month? How many letters to write, people to see, sermons to preach?’

Then he stopped and said, ‘You need to build yourself a cell. When I was put in jail, I was devastated. I was an evangelist. I wanted to hold crusades all over China. I was an author. I wanted to write books. I was a preacher. I wanted to study my Bible and write sermons. But I had no Bible, no pulpit, no audience, no pen and paper. I could do nothing. Nothing except get to know God. And for 20 years, that was the greatest relationship I have ever known.’

His parting advice was, ‘I was pushed into a cell, but you will have to push yourself into one. Simplify your life, so you have time to know God.’ For him, the absolute requirement is to go at a ‘walking pace,’ slowing down stilling yourself enough to commune properly with God.

Revival can only come to those who make room for God.”

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon