The Four Things Emphasized in the Welsh Revival

We are continuing from yesterday's meditation to examine the revival in Wales from 1904-1906. God gave Evan Roberts a vision of winning 100,000 people to the Lord. He took immediate action, holding meetings across Wales within the month. There was very little preaching of the Word of God; many of his critics argued this was why the revival faded out within three years. His focus was on four key principles as he traveled throughout Wales:

1. Confess all known sins

2. Deal with and get rid of anything 'doubtful' in your life

3. Be ready to obey the Holy Spirit instantly

4. Confess Christ publicly

From the beginning, Roberts emphasized the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit. "I never prepare the words I shall speak," he noted. "I leave all that to Him. Why should I teach when the Spirit is teaching? Why should I control the meetings? The Spirit that is in them controls them."

He believed in allowing the Spirit of God to lead the meetings freely. During this time, the Welsh people had a humble, broken spirit, often praying and openly sharing what God was doing. The meetings also featured heartfelt worship from the entire congregation, with the choir comprising all attendees. Even young people aged 10 to 14 sought God and participated in prayer meetings; such was the spiritual climate in Wales at that time. Many people's lives were transformed—crime rates declined, reformed alcoholics, and pubs reported fewer sales. Cursing vanished and was rarely heard again. It was said that the pit ponies no longer understood their born-again colliers, who now spoke cleanly, without curse or blasphemy. For many, even sports like football and rugby lost their appeal in the light of the new joy and purpose the converts found. Over 100,000 people joined the churches of Wales, just as the Holy Spirit had told Evan Roberts.

Again, we see in the history of the Welsh Revival that the Holy Spirit descended when a group of people began to pray, open their hearts, and thirst for more of God. They were also willing to lay down sin and obey the Spirit’s leading in them and through them. There was a determination in Evan Roberts's heart to gain the Spirit's power while faithfully praying, waiting on God, and attending church. His faith would not let go of God until He blessed him and he received what he needed—to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

If there is a secret to being filled and controlled by the Spirit, it is in learning to obey the inner promptings of the Spirit. One way I have found to help distinguish the prompting of the Holy Spirit from my own thoughts is to evaluate a possible God thought to see if it follows a chain of successive thoughts or if the idea appears suddenly. If the thought comes like a light bulb turning on unexpectedly, it could be the Spirit's prompting. The next step is to ask yourself, what would likely be the outcome of obeying that thought? Is there a chance that God would be glorified through this act of obedience? Would it align with the Scriptures? Is there a possible blessing that could result? And what is the worst-case scenario if all you hear are your thoughts or you mistake indigestion for a Spirit prompt? If the only risk is a bit of possible embarrassment, then go for it! Keith Thomas

These revival experiences are from a series I wrote on the Holy Spirit's working through His people. It is found on the All Studies page. Scroll down until you come to On Fire with the Holy Spirit. Click on study 4: Revival Comes to the Thirsty Keith Thomas.

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