Prayer for Revival by Ian Milmine [35]

Revival prayers by Ian Milmine [35]

I want to complete this series of talks on revival by taking a brief look at the kind of things that happen as a result of revival, that is, the effects of revival. In particular, looking at the effects of the Welsh revival of 1904, which are well documented. These effects go far beyond the realm of what may be seen as exclusively “spiritual”. For instance, the huge drop in the crime rate in some areas of Wales made the police and the courts almost redundant, as the prisons emptied. A correspondent for the Liverpool Daily Post reported in December 1904 that there had been no arrests for drunkenness since the revival had started. In the South Wales ports the magistrates were through with their daily business in a fraction of the usual time, private quarrels and assaults had become practically nil.

Bitter divisions in some communities were miraculously healed. For instance one of the South Wales mining journals of the time – The Iron and Coal Trades Review – tells of the bitter feuds that had existed between unionised and non-unionised miners – often they would refuse to share the same cage to descend down to the mines, and would only speak to each other in cursing. By 1905, however, the Journal tells how the revival put an end to this fighting, as these men met together for prayer, all joining in together. The same Journal refers to the loss of their drinking habits saying, “They go home at night sober men without touching a drop of beer or spirits, and, before commencing their work in the morning many of them join together in prayer.” The employers spoke highly of improved productivity.

One N.S.P.C.C. inspector spoke of the effect the revival had on the miss-treatment of children in the mining valleys of Glamorgan. Homes that he had under observation for some time, including some where he had contemplated prosecution, had undergone a complete transformation. He no longer had them under observation, and children were not only now well treated, but better cleaned and dressed. Whereas he had been forced to prosecute in his district at the rate of two a month, since the revival there had been no prosecutions.

To these wonderful effects on society that the Welsh revival had, can be added the loss of interest in worldly pleasures, including football match attendance, dance halls, public houses and the likes, many of which were forced to close. On the other hand, the Bible Society reported a tripling of the sale of Bibles in Wales. The repayment of long-standing debts by those who had been convicted by the Holy Spirit, the fostering of fellowship among denominations by exchange of pulpits and other means, where previously there had been discord and hostility, were other effects of the revival.

Thus, what legislation and organization throughout the years could not accomplish was achieved in a matter of weeks in many of the Welsh districts. Praise God, He can affect change in men’s hearts to such an extent that it affects the life of their whole community! O that we should again see a visitation of God such as occurred in Wales in the early 1900′s!

Let us earnestly pray to that end.  God bless and revive us all!