PRAYER & the WELSH REVIVAL
Posted by: revival4 <revival4@...>
"Evan Roberts, Prayer, And The Welsh Revival"
The seeds of revival are always nurtured in the hearts of the humble.
And so it was with the great Welsh Revival of 1904. It was in a young
coal miner named Evan Roberts that God imparted a burning vision for
spiritual revival. Evan Roberts did not possess the gifts of a great
intellect or eloquent speech, but simply a burning passion for Jesus.
While other young men were sailing boats in the bay, young Roberts was
faithfully attending prayer meetings.
Though only 26 years old, Evan Roberts had no time for youthful
entertainment and pleasure. "Day and night without ceasing, he prayed,
wept and sighed for a great spiritual awakening . . ." Roberts writes,
"for ten or eleven years I have prayed for revival. I could sit up all
night to read or talk about revivals." Eventually Evan Roberts was
turned out of his lodging by his landlady who thought that in his
enthusiasm he was possessed or somewhat mad. "He spent hours praying and
preaching in his room until the lady became afraid of him, and asked him
to leave."
The role of Evan Roberts in the Welsh revival was anything but
conventional. Often he would simply lead the people in prayer or read
the Scriptures. Then at other times he sat silent, while, one after
another, people confessed their sins or gave testimony of Christ's
victory and power. There were also glorious times of worship which
lasted literally hours. Roberts merely gave humble instruction from time
to time and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. He was a constant example
not of how to preach, but of how to be led by the Spirit.
The Welsh revival was a mighty invasion of the Spirit; God's Kingdom
radically manifested on earth. "The earnings of workmen, instead of
being squandered on drink and vice, were now bringing great joy to their
families. Outstanding debts were being paid by thousands of young
converts. Restitution was the order of the day. The gambling and alcohol
business lost their trade and the theaters closed down from lack of
patronage. Football during this time was forgotten by both players and
fans, though nothing was mentioned from the pulpits about it. The people
had new lives and new interests. Political meetings were cancelled or
abandoned. They seemed completely out of the question since nobody was
interested. The political leaders from parliament in London abandoned
themselves to the revival meetings. The man-made denominational barriers
completely collapsed as believers and pastors worshipped their majestic
Lord together." One of the outstanding features of the revival was the
confession of sin,not among the unsaved only, but among the saved. All
were broken down and melted before the cross of Christ.
Throughout the revival, Evan Roberts constantly stressed the necessity
of dealing honestly with sin, complete obedience to the Holy Spirit, and
the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Evan Roberts was instrumental
in bringing healing to an entire country because he cared and wept and
prayed. He embraced the broken heart of God and offered it back up to
Him through prayer and intercession. As a result "wherever he went,
hearts were set aflame with the Love of God!"
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References Used:
Invasions of Wales by the Spirit by James A. Stewart
the Great Revival in Wales by S.B Shaw
I Saw The Welsh Revival by David Matthews
Copyright © 1999. The Watchword.
http://www.watchword.org
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