Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? – Psalm 85:6
The seeds of revival spring up in the hearts of the humble, which is how it happened to Evan Roberts, a young man from Wales. At the age of twenty-six, he enrolled in Bible school, but while in prayer one day, he felt strongly impressed by the Holy Spirit to return to his village and speak to the people of his hometown church. Arriving in town, he went to his pastor and asked to speak to the people. Though the pastor thought it was rather forward of Roberts to ask, he granted permission for the young man to speak after the upcoming prayer service. When the prayer meeting was over, the pastor announced that if anyone wanted to stay, young Mr. Roberts had something he wanted to say. Seventeen people stayed, and Evan Roberts addressed them.
He gave them a simple challenge. He told those who were interested in revival to take three actions:
He said that he would be waiting, and invited any who wished to meet him back at the church in one hour. The people left, and almost all returned an hour later. As soon as they gathered, something happened among them. The presence of God was so tangible and they began to worship and pray with such fervency and power that news of what was happening quickly spread through the town. Soon the church was filled. The prayer meeting didn’t break up until early the next morning, and within a few hours, people returned and the prayer meeting began again.
The Holy Spirit began to stir hearts as people heard of what was happening at the church. People who had not been to church in years began to attend. People who had never been to church turned out, and as they entered the church, they would melt down in tears and plead for salvation. Hardened sinners melted like wax before a fire. Within a couple of days, neighboring towns and villages began to experience revival. It spread to the cities, and after just a few weeks, taverns were emptied, brothels were closed, and the churches were filled daily. The fire spread until all of Wales was brought in repentance to the Cross.
Today, are we serious in saying that we want revival? We may acknowledge that we need it, but do we really want it? If the answer of our hearts is yes, then we must do what it takes to prepare our hearts for the moving of the Spirit of God in our lives.