Prayer spreads revival fire
Posted by Steven Moss on Monday, June 11, 2012
Prayer Spreads Revival Fires
By Rev. Oliver W. Price
In 1904 the Atlanta newspapers reported an amazing revival of prayer sweeping
the city. On November 2, the Supreme Court of Georgia, stores,
factories, offices and even saloons closed their doors so people could
attend noon prayer meetings. Spiritual awakening was spreading all over
America. One Kentucky pastor died of overwork after receiving 1,000
new members in two months. Out of a population of 50,000 only fifty
unconverted adults remained in Atlantic City, New Jersey!
"For
two hours at midday all Denver was held in a spell...The Marts of
trade were deserted between noon and two o'clock this afternoon...", The
Denver Post reported on January 20th, 1905. The entire city on a busy
weekday was bowing before the throne of heaven seeking God's blessing.
God
was moving
on the college campuses all over America. In New York State attendance
at Bible study groups doubled at Cornell. Two thirds of the men at
Northwestern University in Illinois enrolled in Bible classes. 200 men
professed conversion at Trinity College in Durham, North Carolina
leaving no more than 25 unconverted.
God's people
were praying. A Methodist editor wrote in the Michigan Christian
Advocate, "A great revival is sweeping the United States...The Holy
Spirit is convincing the people of 'sin, of righteousness and of
judgement to come.'
"The regular prayer meetings and public services seem to be surcharged with convicting power."
The
Baptist Home Mission Monthly published a report that "There is a
quickening of spiritual impulse and life in the churches and in our own
educational institution...There is a remarkable responsiveness to the
presentation of the claims of Christ upon
the hearts and consciences of men."
In 1904 in a
far away India John Hyde and Turner Patterson prepared for a missionary
conference in Sialkot by praying for thirty days and nights. God
brought conviction and confession of sin and revival to both the
missionaries and the nationals.
God has always
used dedicated preachers and praying Christians to wake up the church.
D.L. Moody was a firebrand for revival and evangelism. After a week of
powerless preaching in one town, Moody declared, "Perhaps there's
someone cultivating an unforgiving spirit." The chairman of the
committee got right up and left the meeting to ask a man to forgive
him. That night the inquiry room was packed.
In
1872 Moody went to the British Isles. After he preached in a
Congregational church one Sunday morning a young woman rushed home to
tell her bedridden sister, Marianne Adlard, "God has heard my prayers,"
Marianne exclaimed. She had been praying that God would send Moody to
her church. Britain's greatest revival since Wesley began in that
church that night.
In 1878 a multitude of Telegu
outcasts who had long rejected the gospel turned to Christ in India.
This mass movement was traced to five people who had prayed all night.
At dawn they knew their prayers had been answered. Confident that God
had heard they waited patiently until the might work of the Spirit
began.
In 1930 God moved in a remarkable way at a
missionary boys' school in South India. 100 out of 130 boys professed
conversion. Most of the boys experienced deep conviction of sin and
much brokenness. God was answering the early morning prayers of three
boys under 12 years of age.
In 1927 civil war was
shaking China. The American consul prepared to evacuate the
missionaries. Spiritual apathy hung like a cloud over the
churches. Many churches were simply dead. Some missionaries resigned
in despair.
By 1930 missionaries in China began to
see that churches were dying because many members had been converted
to Christianity, but NOT TO CHRIST. Furthermore, there were even many
missionaries and pastors who DID KNOW CHRIST.
A
Norwegian Lutheran missionary, Maria Monsen, began praying with a great
longing to see God's river of life flood spiritually dry China. At one
point, she wondered what good her praying would do? Then she realized
that the mighty Yangtze River began with the tiny raindrops that came
together in the top of the mountains.
She prayed
for others to share her burden and they did. Their "tiny drops of
prayer" coming together were the beginning of the great spiritual
awakening which eventually flowed like a river through China.
In
November of 1930 Maria said, "A
great revival is coming soon and it will begin in the North China
Mission." She was convinced the missionaries had fulfilled the
conditions for revival in 2 Chronicles 7:14. And revival DID come.
When
God revived the dying church in North China in 1932, He filled the
hearts of the people with joy and singing. There were also times when
an entire congregation silently meditated during the worship service.
Relations between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers
and sisters were healed.
About 40 Christians in
one town in North China were meeting for prayer four times a day
beginning at 5:00 a.m. Believers were convicted of sin. Two men
repented of hating each other. Love was strong and deep. Joy abounded.
When
revival came to North China in 1932 more people were born again than
in any previous year in that area. Souls were being saved daily. One
missionary estimated that 3,000 came to Christ in their town. Pastors,
missionaries and Bible women experienced a deeper Christian life.
A
spirit of prayer was poured out on the church. People loved to pray.
Many times prayer lasted two or three hours. Prayers were short,
fervent and sometimes tearful. Children's prayers led to the salvation
of their parents and teachers.
A girls school,
touched by a spiritual awakening sweeping through North China,
enthusiastically kept a 12-hour prayer watch in an upstairs room daily
until school closed. The girls began local prayer meetings when they
returned home. They also witnessed to the women. As a result many
churches were revived