Imagine reading the following headlines about a neighborhood near you: no crime; police officers sitting in their precincts, twiddling their thumbs; no unwed pregnancies; and bars and taverns gone bankrupt for lack of patronage. Unimaginable? Not really. Not only is it possible, it really happened — during the Welsh revival of 1904–1905.
A young man by the name of Evan Roberts spent thirteen years praying for the Holy Spirit to control his life. He was determined to read and speak often about revival. He eventually got to a place where he felt the need to spend seven hours a day in prayer and Bible study with God. He pleaded for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his locality. Finally, just as was seen on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out across the land of Wales. This revival, originating in Loughor, was considered to be the greatest global revival the church had seen in over 200 years. It is recorded that in five months, half a million people became Christians!
What must we do in order to see similar events in our day? Have we lost sight of this possibility in our day? The Bible tells us that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is very real (Joel 2:28-29). Jesus longs to give us the Holy Spirit, more than a father longs to give his hungry child a piece of bread (Luke 11:9-13). Do we want it? Why not ask for the Holy Spirit!!
If we desire for the Holy Spirit to fall on us to bring revival and reformation that transforms our lives, here are five points that help us understand what preparations we should be making now in order to receive His power:
- We need a personal love relationship with God. Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that a transformational born-again experience is absolutely necessary to conform us into the image of Christ.
- We need real faith in God that goes beyond lip service. John 3:16 is not merely a theoretical belief in what Jesus has done for us, but Truth to be brought into the heart that He might sanctify the soul.
- An attitude of continual repentance is a key element to restrain us from becoming comfortable in a sinful attitude or lifestyle. We need Jesus to draw us, strengthen our souls, and lead us to experience true godly sorrow for sin and genuine repentance that needeth not to be repented of (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Repentance is a gift of God (Acts 5:31), which the goodness of God leads us to receive (Romans 2:4).
- We must confess Christ as our Savior; such confession must be an outward expression of an inward change. If we confess Christ before men, He will confess us before God in heaven (Matthew 10:32). The Scriptures further remind us that if we confess the Lord Jesus and believe that He rose from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).
- We need a changed lifestyle. As one writer aptly stated: “Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God and cooperates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practice of the life.”1
Call to Action
We would all be well served in earnestly seeking the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit control your life. Let us yield to His transforming power in our lives, while praying for God to transform our families, our neighbors, and our communities. The Lord is longingly waiting for us to ask and seek for this most precious gift through which comes every other gift. Let us start at once to pray together for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!!
- Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times (Pacific Press Publishing Company, 1893), March 20.
