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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