Prayer Journal

Saturday, December 9, 2000
344/22
Read the Bible through in OneYear

Revival broke out in Wales in the early part of the twentieth century. However, Brynmor Pierce Jones, in his book called, An Instrument of Revival - the Complete Life of Evan Roberts, states that the years leading up to it were anything but spiritual. The churches were socially, culturally and educationally active, but spiritually inert and asleep.

Jones says there were scores of singing and preaching festivals, concerts and public lectures by denominations all through the country. There were even missionary conferences and temperance crusade meetings held all year round. However, few people were interested in personal holiness, personal witnessing and discipleship.

Then in last few years of the nineteenth century, a small number of revival meetings sprang up all over Europe, North America, Australia and many other places. People gained a passion for the lost and concern for those who sat idly in the church pews, hearing but never responding to God's call. As is usually the case, revival may start in heart of a single person, but God uses anyone with a willing heart to do the work of revival through the power of the Holy Spirit.

One such man with a heart for God, was twenty-six year old Evan Roberts. He was strongly encouraged by a friend to attend a prayer meeting and as a result was forever changed. Impressed by the prayer, "Bend us, Lord", Evan Roberts was moved to ask God for the same thing in his own life. And the rest is history.

After spending several hours in prayer and remaining in a spirit of prayer for almost three months afterward, Roberts asked God for one hundred thousand souls. And God answered his prayer! The revival in Wales, which has come to be known as the Welsh Revival, affected more than one hundred thousand souls for God. Such it is when God hears us; "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen" Eph 3:20

That raises an interesting question. If God multiplies what we ask for or can even imagine, exactly how many souls will he give us in answer to our prayers? How many souls do we want to see God save?

The arithmetic I remember states that one hundred times ZERO equals ZERO. If that's true, then asking God for "NO souls", multiplied one hundred fold on return equals ZERO - Nothing - Zip - Nada!  This lends a lot of credence to Scripture; "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:2b,3

Just Thinkin'.. WebServant

 

(1) An Instrument of Revival - the Complete Life of Evan Roberts,© 1995 Bridge Publishing Inc; 2500 Hamilton Blvd, South Painfield, NJ 07080 pp.xiv-xvi
(2) Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society
(2) The images used herein were obtained from the Learning Company's ClickArt Christian Graphics Deluxe product, (c)1999 The Learning Company, Inc and its subsidiaries, 88 Roland Way, Novato, CA 94945 USA. All Rights Reserved.

Prayertower