In our daily meditations at groupbiblestudy.com, we continue to reflect on the Holy Spirit's work of revival and how revivals begin. Today, we examine the Holy Spirit's stirring among the people of Wales on the western side of the UK.
The Welsh Revival, which took place from 1904 to 1906, began with young people yearning for a deeper, more personal knowledge of God. Evan Roberts, the main catalyst used by God in this revival, was almost unknown when this great work of the Holy Spirit began. His education was limited because he left school at 11 to work in the coal mine with his father. After his conversion to Christ at the age of 13, he prayed that God would visit Wales in revival. At 26, he began training to become a minister, but God intervened in his formal training when revival broke out in a small church in South Wales.
The Spark of Holy Spirit Revival in South Wales
The revival began during the main Sunday morning service among young people in New Quay, South Wales. Young Florrie Evans was a teenager at a youth meeting in February 1904. Florrie publicly declared that she loved the Lord Jesus with all her heart, and at that moment the Holy Spirit descended on the meeting, moving the young people to tears.
After this meeting, the Spirit's convicting work quickly spread to other young people in the Cardiganshire area. Young people aged 16-18 began traveling with evangelist Seth Joshua, who had been praying for revival for some time. He prayed that the Lord would call someone not from the university or college but from the working classes.
How God Prepared Evan Roberts for His Calling
Evan Roberts was the answer to his prayer. In the spring of 1904, Evan felt a profound sense of God's presence. One night, he was awakened from sleep and led into deep communion with God for hours. This experience repeated every evening for several months until he attended a preparatory school for the ministry in Newcastle Emlyn. He stayed there for 2½ weeks before hearing that the Holy Spirit had descended on the youth in New Quay. He had to return to receive it himself.
At a meeting Evan attended, Seth Joshua, the evangelist, challenged the congregation to allow the Spirit of God to "bend" all who listened. Evan had been prepared by his evenings of prayer; the Holy Spirit descended on him and filled him. It was a life-changing experience for Evan Roberts. Oswald J. Smith, in his book The Passion for Souls, records Evan Roberts as writing the following words:
“For eleven years, I prayed for the Spirit, and this is how I was led to pray. William Davies, the deacon at the church where he grew up in Christ, said one night in the society: 'Remember to be faithful. What if the Spirit descended and you were absent? Remember Thomas, Jesus' disciple, what a loss he had by not being there when Jesus turned up after the resurrection!' I told myself: I will have the Spirit, and through all kinds of weather and despite difficulties, I kept going to the meetings. When I saw other boys with boats on the tide, I was often tempted to turn back and join them. But no, I told myself: 'Remember your resolve,' and I kept going. I attended the prayer meetings faithfully for ten to eleven years, praying for a revival. It was the Spirit that moved me to think this way.”
The Cry for Surrender: "O Lord, Bend Me!"
During a morning meeting Evan Roberts attended, the evangelist, in one of his prayers, asked the Lord to "bend us." The Spirit seemed to tell Roberts: "That's what you need, to be bent." He then described his experience:
"I felt a living force entering my chest. This leading of the Spirit grew stronger and stronger, and I was almost bursting. I fell to my knees with my arms over the seat in front of me; tears and sweat flowed freely. I thought blood was gushing out."
Some friends came to wipe his face. Meanwhile, he was crying out, "O Lord, bend me! Bend me!" Then suddenly, the glory broke. Mr. Roberts adds: "After I was bent, a wave of peace came over me, and the audience sang, 'I hear your welcome voice.' And as they sang, I thought about the bending at the Judgment Day, and I was filled with compassion for those that would have to bend on that day, and I wept.” [1]
We’ll continue our meditations tomorrow. Keith Thomas
Daily Meditations: How to Apply This to Your Life
To experience the Holy Spirit's reviving power in your own life today, you don't need a formal theological background or a grand platform. True spiritual renewal starts exactly where it did for Evan Roberts and Florrie Evans: in the heart.
Here are three practical ways to apply this message to your daily life:
Commit to Faithful Consistency: Evan Roberts prayed for eleven years, choosing prayer meetings over hanging out with friends on the riverbanks. Look at your schedule this week. Choose one specific time slot where you will consistently shut out distractions to read Scripture and pray, even when you feel tempted to do something else.
Pray the "Bend Me" Prayer: To be "bent" by God means to completely surrender your own pride, plans, and stubbornness to Him. In your private prayer time today, sit quietly and ask God: "Lord, what area of my life am I keeping rigid? Where do I need to be bent?" Yield your will to His leadership.
Openly Share Your Devotion: The Welsh revival sparked when a teenager, Florrie Evans, simply and publicly stated how much she loved Jesus. You don't have to preach a complex sermon. Look for a natural opportunity today—whether in a conversation, a text message, or a journal entry—to express your gratitude and love for God.
Continue Your Spiritual Journey…
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Read the full study online: Revival Changes Nations.
Series: This excerpt is taken from the series called On Fire With the Holy Spirit.
[1] Oswald J. Smith, The Passion for Souls, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Canada, Page 42.