How Halloween Is a Catalytic Day for Reformation, Revival and Destiny
Children and adults across the nation will celebrate Halloween next week. Sacks will be full of candy, and churches will host harvest festivals. But there is more to Oct. 31 than costumes and who gets the most chocolate.
October 31: A Day Pregnant with Destiny
Oct. 31 is pregnant with world-changing opportunities to be catalyzed as we fiercely decide to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, even in unusual ways. There is something about how we respond immediately to the leading of the Spirit on this day that has the potential to impact not only our generation, but also generations to come.
Oct.31 is a day of religious freedom and of freedom from the religious spirit. It is a day that is waiting to be set aflame with the fire of God. It is a day of breakthrough and revolution, of new paradigms being released. It is day where old wine skins are abolished and where new wine skins are filled to overflowing with the wine from heaven.
There is victory as we face our fears and walk through the fire on this day (Is. 43).
Halloween Roots
Originating in the early Middle Ages with roots in an Ancient Celtic pagan festival of Samhain (summer’s end), some believe that Oct. 31 is the time when the physical and spiritual worlds are the closest. It is interesting that even in secular tradition, this day is believed to be one when heaven invades earth in a greater measure than other days. This is 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. The evening before “All Hallows Day” became known as All Hallows’ Eve, which was later changed to Halloween. In my research on revival history, I have also discovered that this was a catalytic day for Reformation and Revival movements.
Reformation
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther (1483-1546) lit a flame that reformed the Christianity of his day, breaking people out of religious cycles that had entrapped them for hundreds of years. It was on this very day that Luther posted his 95 Theses on Wittenberg Church door.
These were translated into German, printed on the newly invented Gutenberg printing press, and then quickly began to spread. Originally, this was 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, which would later set people free people from the religious spirit at the time and impact the future of Christianity as we know it.
Welsh Revival
Nearly 400 years later, on Oct. 31, 1904, a spark for the Welsh Revival was lit.
On this very date in history, Evan Roberts (1878-1951) followed the leading of the Holy Spirit back to his hometown to conduct a catalytic meeting where 17 confessed Christ. 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 scattered cities in England, Scotland, 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.
Redeeming a Sacred Day
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.
Oct. 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.
Oct. 31 is an anointed day, filled with opportunities for new revival flames to be ignited and spread around the world.
Activating the Anointing in Oct. 31
Halloween is a catalytic day to take risks, move out of our comfort zones and push the envelope just a little further. It is a time to act immediately on the whispers of God as we shift into a new season. I encourage you to tap into this stream of testimony and to be sharply in tune with the Holy Spirit; don’t hesitate for one second to respond to His leading. There are significant parts of our destiny that will be catalyzed and released this day that have the potential to not only impact the rest of our lives, but also impact generations to come.
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. I encourage you to pray this out loud as a declaration over your life today.
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.
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. God is so for and with you today. Never look back. He will lead you on.
The community at Destiny House in Redding, California, also does a worship night each year on Halloween to tap into the deep wells of revival and to seek God for an even greater Reformation in our day.
I am also releasing my next book which includes a foreword by Heidi Baker called Writing in the Glory: Living from Your Heart to Release a Book That Will Impact the World, this same day to catalyze people to release works that will set the world on fire for Jesus. Wherever you are in the world, I encourage you too, to gather with friends on Oct. 31 to share Holy Ghost stories, pray and worship together on this significant day in revival history.
Let’s tap into what God wants to do in our day by giving Him higher praise and remembering the works he has done in our lives and those who have gone before us.
Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D., is a revival historian, author, and founding Director of Destiny House, a community of worshippers seeking to launch people into their destinies from a place of intimacy with God and connection with family. She has written Writing in the Glory, Life on Wings, Water to Wine, Spirit Flood, Silver to Gold as well as supported Bill Johnson in his upcoming book. You can learn more about Jennifer and Destiny House at silvertogold.com.
