THIN SPACE
This week, Prayer Hour is all about REVIVAL
Each day, we’re going to be checking out some of the awesome revival stories of the 20th century and praying in, asking God, pleading for, a new movement of the Spirit, a new revival in our nation/world today.
Today, we’re going to be checking out the East African Revival
The revival which took place across East Africa began in 1936 and lasted about 50 years. This coincided with a time of decolonisation as nations gained independence from colonial powers.
The Church of Uganda was the centre of revival. It had experienced revival a few decades previous in the late 1800s. However, this had since dried up into ritualistic religion and many church goers were also worshipping evil spirits, involved in witchcraft, and had polygamous marriages. It was said…
‘The only difference between pagans and Christians was that pagans sin openly and Christians hide it.’
At the time, an African Christian leader engaged in a spontaneous conversation with a British missionary. They shared in their dissatisfaction with the spiritual state of the Church of Uganda and were provoked to read in the Bible about infilling of the Holy Spirit. They prayed earnestly and were markedly changed by their encounter of the Holy Spirit.
They started praying for and witnessing to those around them and revival began without any spectacular signs. Away from large crowds and famous preachers, the East African Revival began primarily in fellowships in homes and villages.
Repentance and infilling with the Holy Spirit then grew, spreading from village to village and eventually across neighbouring nations!
Results of the revival
Millions of Christians had been touched by the revival and it was influential in raising up a new generation of leaders to carry the church forward—with African leadership.
The revival, though having started with the Anglican Church of Uganda, spread to all the denominations.
The African Rwanda Mission alone had 20,000 converts by 1942. That was in 700 village congregations.
The public confession of sin was one of the pillars of the revival.
Stolen goods were returned, ranging from money, hoes, and even razor blades.
The revival went global in its influence. Beginning in 1946, and through the 1950s, revival teams began making ministry trips to various nations, sharing about what they witnessed during the East Africa Revival.
The Holy Spirit moved upon mission schools and spread to churches and to whole communities, producing deep repentance and changed lives.
Denominational barriers crumbled, seeming less significant than the unity they found in Christ. Hostility between the races also broke down. Tribal tensions were eased.
Let’s Pray
For awakening from ritualistic religion.
For hunger and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
For knowledge of the weight of sin.
Worship
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