Day Thirty-One "The Revival of 1904"

God began a work in 1904 that literally impacted the whole world and true to form it was born out of several prayer meetings world-wide. God used a young man named Evan Roberts in Wales. Roberts became increasingly burdened for his land and poured out his heart in fervent intercessions.

Roberts once commented to a friend, “I have a vision of all Wales being lifted up to heaven. We are going to see the mightiest revival that Wales has ever known – and the Holy Spirit is coming soon, so we must get ready.” They did get ready. Roberts was young and was not taken seriously by those already established in the ministry. Isn’t that just like God to use some ordinary soul to do something extraordinary? “For consider your calling brethren that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” [I Cor. 1:26-29]

Roberts’ heart continued to burn so much so he asked his pastor if he could preach. Reluctantly his pastor let him preach on a weeknight to some teenagers. God moved that night among a handful of students with revival flames that would soon spread across the whole country. After that night Roberts began preaching to larger and larger crowds. Roberts became the leader of this great revival but continued to devote himself to prayer.

Soon the revival extended far beyond his ministry with churches being filled for two solid years across the nation. In that two year period God gloriously saved 100,00 people! The effects were dramatic. Police had nothing to do because the crime rate dropped. Saloons went out of business. Mules in the coalmines had to be retrained because the converted miners no longer spoke to the mules using profanity.

I am encouraged that God can use anyone he pleases to spark revival. Might He want to use you? If you feel you are ordinary then you might be a prime candidate. Will you receive God’s heart for your community and give yourself and the Lord no rest until He revives you, your church, and your city? [Is. 62:6-7]

Steps to Revival

1. Meditate on I Corinthians 1:26-29. How do these scriptures apply to your life?

2. Ask God to give you a vision like Evan Roberts received for Wales.

3. Give yourself to prayer trusting God to restore the saved and call the masses to new life in Christ.