I Prayed have prayed
Lord, thank You for granting repentance during the Welsh Revival, the first Asbury Revival, and the revivals soon to follow!
Reading Time: 4 minutes

We’re tracking the importance of repentance in revival in this series, and the Welsh Revival of 1904–’05 is key to seeing how the Lord has been reviving his people up to the present.

Post a prayer for your state!

 

As with reading Hebrew, we understand how the hand of God is at work by looking backward. Tracing back through the nine revivals at Asbury College/University, it’s clear there was a redigging of the bountiful well on that campus.

What can we learn from that first time of outpouring?

It took place in February 1905. Looking first at the month, we can see that all nine revivals at Asbury broke out in either February or March. When Judy McDonough, IFA’s editor in chief, heard this, she burst out: “Lent!” It certainly is a season of repentance. As we heard students at Asbury say during the 2023 Outpouring: “It’s a time of getting low.”

Now let’s consider the year. In November 1904, Evan Roberts asked the Lord for the salvation of 100,000 souls. Scholar J. Edwin Orr, whom Billy Graham called “one of the greatest authorities on the history of religious revivals in the Protestant world,” has said that Evan Roberts’ prayer was answered within five months.

February of 1905 was three months into that meteoric growth in Wales, but America had started to catch fire as early as December 1904. In The Flaming Tongue: The Impact of 20th Century Revivals, Orr wrote: “An awakening in Wilkes-Barre began suddenly. … the Rev. J.D. Roberts having been moved by news received directly from Wales by Welsh Pennsylvanians.”

In Worship Through the Ages: How the Great Awakenings Shape Evangelical Worship, Vernon Whaley tracks a number of revivals in America that broke out during that season, including the first revival at Asbury.

Missionary E. Stanley Jones was one of a handful of students holding a prayer meeting in the room of classmate Jim Ballinger. In Song of Ascents: A Spiritual Autobiography, Jones wrote:

“I remember I was almost asleep with my head against the bedclothes where I was kneeling, when suddenly we were all swept off our feet by a visitation of the Holy Spirit. We were all filled, flooded by the Holy Spirit. … For three or four days it could be said of us, ‘They are drunk.’ I was drunk with God. … That morning there was no chapel service, in the ordinary sense; people were in prayer, some prostrate in prayer. No one led it, and yet it was led — led by the Spirit. For three days there were no college classes. Every class room was a prayer meeting where students and faculty were seeking and finding and witnessing. It spread to the countryside. People flocked in, and, before they could even get into the assembly hall, would be stricken with conviction and would fall on their knees on the campus praying for God — and pardon and release.”

The Welsh Revival

This account echoes the stories told of the Welsh Revival. Evan Roberts told the Lord he would pay Him — if he could — to let him travel and tell of what the Lord was doing. He and others went from one meeting to the next, sometimes walking on shoulders to get to the pulpit. And there are stories of revival breaking out where those “with a name” didn’t preach at all. T.C. Thomas left a meeting at which Evan Roberts spoke, and when he got back to his village of Bedlinog, he was so filled with God that he couldn’t walk home. He knelt on the cobblestones and praised the Lord so passionately that patrons in two taverns could hear him. They went out, drinks and pool cues in hand — probably to mock him — but one by one they fell to their knees and joined in the praise.

The result of such widespread revival and spiritual awakening in Wales was the utter transformation of society. Here’s my portrayal of Evan Roberts reflecting on it decades later, in our “singing play,” Songs of Revival: Hungry After God Himself:

Watch

Bend Me

What was the source of that level of transformation? Repentance. Evan Roberts heard evangelist Seth Joshua pray, “Bend us,” by which he meant the Church. But Evan Roberts, struck by the Holy Spirit (as Jones and his colleagues would soon be), bent prostrate and prayed, “Bend me!” The Welsh word for bend  — plygwch — has much deeper meanings than just to bend. Orr pointed to a phrase from the song “Spirit of the Living God," popular during the 1970 Asbury Revival: “Break me, mold me, fill me, use me.”

This was the heart of the Welsh Revival, and it is why, I believe, the transformation was so widespread.

Evan Roberts advocated his own version of John Wesley’s Great Experiment that fueled the First Great Awakening:

  1. You must confess any known sin and put any wrong done to man right again.
  2. You must put away any doubtful habit.
  3. You must obey the Spirit promptly.
  4. You must confess your faith publicly.

Rev. Timothy J. Mercaldo, who studied under Orr, said the scholar made the point that revivals are marked by desperation for God and by spiritual surrender:

Watch

Transformation at Asbury

This same desperation and surrender marked the first Asbury Revival as well. Jones wrote:

"When we took stock of what had happened, every single student had professed conversion and apparently had found it as witnessed by their changed lives, and many from the townspeople and countryside were converted and transformed."

And it was that well of revival that was redug eight times more at Asbury.

This series will continue, covering the importance of repentance in the 2023 Asbury Outpouring. Search for #ImportanceOfRepentanceInRevival to pull up all the articles and interviews.

Below, post your praise for the repentance and revivals of before, plus your prayers for the repentance and revival our world needs so desperately now!

Rich Swingle is an actor who has performed in 39 nations across six continents, mostly in his own one-man plays, five of them presented Off-Broadway. He has also appeared in roughly 45 film projects. He and his bride, Joyce Swingle, another contributing writer for IFA, have collaborated with Rev. Timothy J. Mercaldo to create a “singing play” titled Songs of Revival: Hungry After God Himself. The Swingles live in New York City. Visit www.RichDrama.com for more information. Photo Credit: The Bible College of Wales.

Comments (34) Print

Comments

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rich Swingle
December 19, 2024

I’m not sure why the videos aren’t playing, but here they are…

Evan Roberts: https://youtu.be/pWEPCQCu4DE

Rev. Timothy J. Mercaldo: https://youtu.be/fdmqBcJDU_o

Mari Williams
February 14, 2024

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
As we prepare to pray, LORD, search our hearts and see if there be any wicked way in us. As we pray and name the faults that we see in others, grant O Lord that we have pure hearts ourselves, so that we may not hear You say to us: “I see the same fault in you.” We can be so blind to the sin that so easily besets us Our Father.
Search us O GOD and know our hearts and see if there be any wicked way in us. And grant us the grace to repent.In Jesus Name, Amen.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

2
Brian lynch
January 31, 2024

Lord Jesus, pour out Holy Spirit upon me. give me a double portion of Your anointing that I would be convicted of my sinfulness. Show me what to repent of, and that over which I need to repent of my sins. Purify me, Lord, to be an effective servant to You. Thank You, Jesus.

14
NanJohnson
January 30, 2024

Ohh Heavenly Father, we long for you to bring us back to your will and your ways in this country that you began so miraculously and perfectly in 1776. How far we have now fallen from what you intended the USA to be. May we each one examine ourselves for sin that we have been unaware of and humble ourselves in humble repentance and adoration. Even if we have not participated in the terrible apostasy, we are guilty of not doing enough to stand up for you, God, and declare the ONE righteousness truth and refuse to back down to any evil pressure away from you Lord, and never tolerate unrighteousness or be complacent as we go about our own lives without concern. Forgive us each one, Lord, as we bow before you. May the prayer and repentance continue until revival from You breaks out dearest Jesus, and the majority of our country obtains victory and You reign in our land again!!!

15
Dr G Roger Gathers
January 30, 2024

I have been praying for a revival in America as our only hope.

11
Dr G Roger Gathers
January 30, 2024

I have been praying for a revival in America as the only real hope for our future. As far as I can tell, I have met all of the conditions listed.

7
Betty Lough
January 30, 2024

I’m Praying for our Children, that abortion is stopped except for Mothers life, Borders Closed & foreigners come in legally, send illegals back home, stop Sanctuary cities for they are just anti our Government! Stop LGBT literature & Gender changes by schools. Let Parents have control over their children, not schools or government, but GOD! GOD REIGNS over America & World! Amen!

7
Reply Report comment moderated
Kaye Watson
January 30, 2024

Prayed

5
Missy Dice
January 30, 2024

Father, may Your Holy Spirit be sent to convict us and may repentance sweep our nation beginning with Your children! Forgive us! Heal us! Help us surrender all to You and be desperate for You!! In Jesus Name. Amen.

22
Judith
January 30, 2024

The Lord has recently spoken to my heart about a lack of confidence in Him alone. Looking up the definition of the word Confidence in a dictionary the definition is : 1. A feeling of trust in a person; reliance; faith. 2. A relationship of trustful intimacy. So easy to place our trust in politicians, people, material goods, comfort, the list goes on & on. Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for being guilty of not trusting and surrendering all the areas of my life to You. Restore in our hearts our First Love for You Lord Jesus. “Trust in Him, at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And He saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34. Truly Lord, may revival begin with me, crying out for Your forgiveness and a broken, repentant heart. In Your Redemptive, Healing name Lord Jesus. I pray. Amen

20
Sheldon Livesay
January 30, 2024

The most quoted scriptures in American Churches is John 3:16 and II Chron 7:14. We know the verse but we don’t see it’s us that needs to repent. If only Father you would open our eyes to see ourselves the way you see us.

20
Darlene Estlow
January 30, 2024

Father, you are bringing revival to our nation! Thank you. May it continue to spread over this nation, into churches, government, schools, businesses, everywhere. May we cease to have haughty eyes because they come before a fall. May we cease to be proud for pride comes before destruction. May we hear and obey and be filled with praise, that double edged sword in battle.

16
Carolyn Anne Venable
January 30, 2024

The bar songs in the Welch Revival were turned into praise songs. This is a song from that time: “Here is Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yvv6WgpSDs This song is also on Spotify and Pandora and other outlets under Carolyn Anne Venable.

7
    Rich Swingle
    January 30, 2024

    I’ve fallen in love with that wonderful song!

    2
Janea L . Gardner
January 30, 2024

Lord Jesus as you are calling us to come down from the balcony of observing you sing, give us ,including myself, overcoming strength and courage to join you on stage. To use our voices to sing the New Song for this day and age. We honor you , love you , and want to be in peace and harmony with you. All for your glory, Amen.

12
Deborah Ryder
January 30, 2024

Yes Lord. You bend your people for repentance, with desire to yield to Your purposes.
You stir our flesh to obedience which is better than sacrifice.
Revive hearts turning toward your strength to yield today, in Jesus’ name

20
Ed Hull
January 30, 2024

Heavenly Father, our country is in deep need of revival, Your presence in our midst. We have all gone astray, each one to their own way. Raise up intercessors who will go low and cry out for mercy, grace, forgiveness for the United States. May the things of this world have no hold in our hearts and may we wholeheartedly seek You, seek Your face in all humility and desperation. We need You Lord, we need You. Millions of souls are hanging in the balance. Many are on the road to eternal destruction, eternity without You. Revive us with Your Spirit Lord. Show us the error of our ways. Grant us repentance from living for ourselves and lead us in the way of everlasting life.

26
Virginia Roberson
January 30, 2024

Praise God! Praise God! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He has promised revival and we thank Him for it! May we not fear repentance or resist the Spirit’s moving. Do it LORD. We are waiting.

15
Brian lynch
January 30, 2024

We need to pray for revival to happen in America. Our society so needs it-it has become way too secular. Lord, pour out revival in our land, as You see fit. Please, Lord, do not withhold Your glory in these End Times. Thank You, Jesus,

18
Dale Sipple
January 30, 2024

Praise the Lord praise the Lord thank you for this article thank you for this message about repentance. I want to read everything about Revival. I want you repent and repent and I pray with all my heart for Revival will spread all over our United States

15
Mari Williams
January 30, 2024

Independence: America’s greatest quality and also it’s greatest weakness.
What is sin but failing to consult GOD and acting independently of HIM?
“I’ll do it my way . . . . ”
Pride comes before a fall and arrogance before disaster . . . . .
We are already at the tipping point . . . .
Lord GOD Almighty, open our eyes to see, and our ears to hear your warnings.
Our Father, Please grant each and every one of us the grace to recognize our failings and truly repent of all sin.
In Jesus Name. Amen.

25
Mark
January 30, 2024

Father it’s your kindness that leads us to repentance. Thank you for your grace and mercy. I ask you forgiveness for and healing of our Nation. In Jesus Christ name.Amen

23
Mary Lois
January 30, 2024

Thank you!

6
Linda Kay Rice
January 30, 2024

We are not even close to repentance. Sermons still focus on the blessings of God as opposed to the glory of God and His presence.

7
barb m
January 30, 2024

B reak me, Father!
E xtend grace & Your
N ever-ending forgiveness & love.
D eepen my faith & trust, I pray.

21
sharon sochia
January 30, 2024

Dear Jesus, Hear our cry! Intercede to our Father! Hear our cry! Holy Spirit lead and guide our lips as we tremble with our hearts cry. Let us see Revival once again flood lands with the watering of your word! Let hearts repent and sing of your grace and mercy forever. Let us see Revival swell as hearts break ; realizing the love of Jesus for each of them. Young and old with no hope go forth in joy as they realize you love them. Who you are GOD! Myself, my family, my church and community be made alive with Your presence. Thank you for what we are about to see.

24
Allena Jordan
January 30, 2024

Father, we remember Your deeds of old. You have not changed. You are the same yesterday, today and forever. We praise You for all the various times and places You came down and touched people with Your mercy and the infilling of Holy Spirit. Thank You for Pentecost. Thank You for the Welsh Revival. Thank You for the Jesus Movement. Thank You for all the revivals that took place at Asbury.
Lord, please do it again through Your power and mercy and grace. As in the Welsh revival, let it spread worldwide. Bend me, Lord. Mold me; make me; use me.
Amen.

32
Sue Richter
January 30, 2024

Lord, I ask for repentance, desperation and surrender for myself, My family, my friends and my city. The birthplace of the great american evil of abortion, albany new york. Lord, I believe this is the darkest place, which by evil laws spawned the evils committed chiefly in New York City, which brought the warning judgments of 9/11, 2008, and the plague of 2019 ( see J.Cahn the harbinger I and II, the return of the gods) upon it. Please bring revival to the pastors, the elected leaders, and the people, and to me. Let them not be worthless Shepherds ( Ezekiel 34 Jer 23), but instead follow after you, the good shepherd, and cause the people to run to you and away from evil shepherds.

25
bobhuseby
January 30, 2024

Father God on bended knee I declare and decree that this true Revival of repentance will NOT miss filling my House !!! From me to my youngest grandchild your Spirit will rest. And visit our land Father. We anxiously await this Revival of Repentance for America. Cleanse our Humanness so we may take our places on that battlefield where the enemy is so aggressively trying to steal kill and destroy.
In our Saviors name and through the power of His shed blood we pray !!!

23
Mary D
January 30, 2024

AMEN!
Join in The National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance tomorrow, January31, at The Museum of the Bible via Livestream
http://www.pray.DC.org

20
    Rich Swingle
    January 30, 2024

    Amen! Dave and Kris Kubal will be there!

    FYI: The correct website is http://www.prayDC.org

    5
    Eric
    January 30, 2024

    Amen! Great to hear that Dave and Kris Kubal will be there! Jonathan Cahn will be speaking, along with Michelle Bachman and others. Jonathan sent a note to those of us on his prayer list, asking the Lord’s help as he prepares to speak. So Lord, we ask your help for Jonathan, Michelle, Jack Hibbs, and everyone who will be speaking, leading, or participating in PrayDC, that you would give them your words to speak. Lord, send your Spirit upon this gathering, in the name of Yeshua!

    7
    Rshuler
    January 31, 2024

    It took me to all Islamic sites???

Janet Morgan Phillips
January 30, 2024

O Lord, our need for repentance is so deep. We condemn others and justify ourselves. Bend us, Lord. Do in our entire nation, every home and generation the Truth revealing, bending work of Your HOLY Spirit. And Renew Your Work in Wales, Lord. Answer Evans Roberts’ prayer anew.
Re-Open the wells, send the Living Water of Your Word to Wash, Cleanse, Exchange death for LIFE, Redeem, Heal and make All things New!! There, here and around the entire world, expose and expel the evil one; let Truth Triumph. Show us Your Glory, Bend me, Lord.

39

Partner with Us

Intercessors for America is the trusted resource for millions of people across the United States committed to praying for our nation. If you have benefited from IFA's resources and community, please consider joining us as a monthly support partner. As a 501(c)3 organization, it's through your support that all this possible.

Dave Kubal
IFA President
Become a Monthly Partner

Share

Click below to share this with others

Log in to Join the Conversation

Log in to your IFA account to start a discussion, comment, pray, and interact with our community.