Fire kindles more fire. In 1904 one of the most significant
revivals of the modern Church age swept through Wales. News of the Welsh revival quickly
encircled the globe, bringing with it sparks of hope and expectation. Soon revival fires
were burning in India, China, Korea and America. Instrumental in the revival in India was
a young woman by the name of Pandita Ramabai. She established a center for young widows
and orphans called "Mukti" meaning - salvation or deliverance. Ramabai longed to
see a powerful revival among the neglected and helpless widows of India.
In December 1904, after receiving word of the Welsh revival, her hunger for an outpouring
of the Spirit intensified, "she started prayer circles of ten girls each, urging them
to pray for the salvation of all nominal Christians in India and across the world. At
first there were seventy in her prayer circles. She sent out a call for other prayer
circles to be formed among friends and supporters, giving each a list of ten unsaved girls
or women for whom to pray. Within six months there were 550 at Mukti who met twice a day
to pray for revival." On June 29, 1905 the Spirit fell upon a large group of girls,
with weeping, confession of sin and prayers for empowerment. The next day, June 30, while
Ramabai taught from John 8, the Spirit came in power. All the women and girls began to
weep and confess their sins. Many were stricken down under conviction of sin while
attending to their daily studies and household duties.
Lessons were suspended and the women gave themselves to continual prayer. During these
days of heart-searching repentance many girls had visions of the "body of sin"
within themselves. They testified that the Holy Spirit came into them with holy burning,
which they called a baptism of fire, that was almost unbearable.
Another reporter of these revival incidents stated, "the girls in India so
wonderfully wrought upon and baptized with the Spirit, began by terrifically beating
themselves, under pungent conviction of their need. Great light was given them. When
delivered they jumped up and down for joy for hours without fatigue. They cried out with
the burning that came into and upon them, while the fire of God burned the members of the
body of sin, pride, anger, love of the world, selfishness, uncleanness, etc. They neither
ate nor slept until the victory was won. Then the joy was so great that for two or three
days after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit they did not care for food." In
such times of true revival the most basic dealings of the Holy Spirit suddenly became
powerfully intensified. Both the conviction of sin and the joy of salvation are seemingly
greatly exaggerated.
G. H. Lang after spending some time at Mukti observing the revival wrote, "little
girls were lost for hours in the transport of loving Jesus and praising Him. Young
Christians were counting it a rare privilege to spend many successive hours in
intercessory prayer for strangers never seen or known . . . In one meeting we were
seventeen hours together; the following day more than fifteen hours passed before the
meeting broke up with great joy." "Dr. Nicol MacNicol, the scholarly biographer
of Pandita Ramabai reported that these who seemed to have such emotional blessings at the
time of the revival were still living steadfast, godly lives twenty years later."
The life of Pandita Ramabai is a strong encouragement for us to apply ourselves diligently
to the word of hope. This precious young woman armed only with a God given vision and the
news of Christ's fresh work in Wales took heart and set herself to pray like never before.
In light of what God has done in the past for His Church have we not reason to hope? The
Church is too often hopeless and prayerless because it has forgotten God's mighty acts.
"Seek the LORD and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous
works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth; . . ." (1
Chron. 16:11,12).
References Used:
Pandita Ramabai: The Story of Her Life by H. S. Dyer
The Flaming Tongue by J. Edwin Orr
Revival Fire by Wesley Duewel
From: A Revival Source Center