How Did the Irish Revival Begin?

In the 1850s, many people began praying for the Holy Spirit to visit and revive the church in Ireland. It started when a Christian woman, Mrs. Colville of Gateshead, England, visited Ballymena, Ireland. Mrs. Colville was blessed with the courage and faith to lead others to Christ. During her visit and while distributing tracts, she shared Christ with a woman. A young man named Jeremiah McQuilken overheard her kindly say to a woman, "You have never known the Lord Jesus." Those words affected McQuilken deeply. He realized the truth applied to him, even though he was a professing Christian. For two weeks, he had no peace, day or night. Then, he found peace in Christ. His first convert was a friend named Jeremiah Meneely, and together they began to pray with two other men, John Wallace and Robert Carlisle. These four prayed for the Holy Spirit to bring awakening to Ireland. The revival spirit began to grow. People cried out for mercy in open-air meetings. A singing class turned into a prayer gathering, with many coming together to pray all night.

It was with extraordinary fervor that the movement spread into Ahoghill and other parishes. In barns, schools, and private homes, converts led and addressed meetings, and large crowds attended these gatherings. At Ballymena, the entire town seemed suddenly spiritually awakened. "The difficulty used to be to get the people into the church," wrote a minister, "but the difficulty now is to get them out." The closing prayer would be said again and again, but each time, the unstoppable prayers of the praying people would burst forth again. The cry of the penitent, mourning over sin, would ring out, and so the meeting would, of necessity, be extended into the early morning hours.

The remarkable nature of the spiritual revival in Ballymena is shown by the testimony of Rev. S. Moore, who said: "On my return, after two days' absence at a Meeting of Synod, I found the town in great excitement. Many families had not slept for two or three nights. While passing by dozens of houses, night and day, you would hear loud cries for mercy from those under conviction, the voice of prayer by kind visitors, or the sweet, soothing tones of sacred song. Business seemed at a standstill." [1]

I share these accounts to give you an idea of what happens during a revival. One thing that stands out to me is that when God moves supernaturally during a revival, there is no logical explanation for how it occurs. At times like this, I believe people outside God's kingdom would be unable to explain the phenomenon.

When a genuine Holy Spirit-led revival occurs, the fruit is evident in transformed lives, as many people turn to Christ, repent, and confess Him as their Savior. In my view, anything less than that is not a true revival. God is in the business of salvation. He has not come merely to give us a feeling, a spiritual high, or physical healing, but complete redemption. I love it when God visits us with His powerful presence, such as when we see healings and the gifts of the Spirit at work. However, God's primary desire is for people to come to know Him. He wants His house full, and He will work through us if we make ourselves available.

I would like to conclude our meditation by focusing on how we can participate in the Holy Spirit's movement and make ourselves available to God, thereby bringing transformation to those around us.

1) Draw closer to God. We can do this through prayer and reading His Word.

2) Confess whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to you. Do not hold onto unforgiveness or bitterness in your heart, as these can block the work of the Spirit of God.

3) Study the Word of God, especially the words of Jesus, which will enable the Holy Spirit to use what is stored in your heart (Psalm 119:11). At the right time, He will bring to remembrance what we have hidden in our hearts.

4) Place yourself in fellowship with the body of Christ. When the Spirit moves powerfully, He comes to where His people are in unity. This doesn't have to be a large gathering, as many revivals have begun with just a small group of people. Don't let yourself think you can experience the Christian life apart from the people of God. Be with God's family and seek unity in prayer with others.

5) Do what you know. Follow what is clear in Scripture and pray to God for guidance on the rest. Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit would be our Guide and Teacher.

These writings on revival are part of a series about the Holy Spirit's work through His people, which can be found on the All Studies page. Scroll down until you see Be Filled with the Spirit, then click on Holy Spirit Revival. Keith Thomas

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[1] http://www.revival-library.org/index.php/catalogues-menu/1857/the-ulster-revival-of-1859