I THE KING’S BUSINESS Prayer and Revival* The Place of Prayer in the Wonderful Blessing that Fell in Mighty Power in China J. GOFORTH, HONAN, CHINA
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' I ' H E rep o rts of rev ival in W ales cau sed us g re a t search ing of he a rt, an d w e w ere led to p ra y m o re intensely fo r China. W e believe th a t m any m issionaries in C h ina w ere m o v ed in 1905 to m o re believing p ra y e r th a n ev e r be fo re . A t T sang Chou, N o rth China, in th e closing w eeks o f 1905 , a rev ival sta rted , which g re a tly stim u lated p ray er. I saw a m a rk e d m o v em en t o f G o d ’s H o ly Spirit am o n g th e h e a th e n in F eb ru a ry , 1906. A g a in in N ov em b e r a n d D e c em b e r o f th a t y e a r u n usual p ow e r w as seen in all out-sta- tions. D u ring Ju n e o f 1907, I v is ited Korea. O n th e w ay hom e I re p o rte d w h a t I h a d seen in K orea, a t M ukden, M anchuria, a n d ag ain a t Pei T ai H o , China. A t th e latter- p lace Mr. W a lte r B. S lo an a n d R ev. F. S. W e b ste r w ere h o ld ing a K es w ick conference. M any o f th e m is sionaries w e re th e n led to resolve th a t th ey w ould p ra y daily until G o d v isited C h ina in rev ival pow er. In A ugu st of 1907 I w as a sk ed by th e m issionaries a t th e Chi Kung Sh an h e a lth re so rt to go an d tell th em a b o u t th e rev ival in K orea. 1 gave th e sto ry o f K o re a th a t S und ay nigh t an d closed w ith th e b e n ed ic tion, b u t to m y surprise th e p eo p le d id n o t stir. F o r several m inutes th e re was ab so lu te stillness; then cam e sighs a n d sobs, follow ed b y p eo p le g e tting up b e fo re all an d m ak ing up differences. A fte rw a rd s four w o n d e rfu l d ay s o f p ra y e r and con ference follow ed, an d w e ag reed th a t w e w ou ld re tu rn to ou r fields from th a t m oun ta in top , a n d p ray until revival cam e to China. D uring th e rem aining m o n th s o f 1907 we ♦Reprinted from the Life of Faith.
to o k p a rt in several con ferences in H o n an , a n d p ra y e r fo r rev ival was d e ep en ed . The Spirit’s Power in Manchuria. G o ing to L iao Y ang, M anchuria, in F eb ru a ry , 1908, w e saw m igh tier signs o f th e H o ly S p irit’s p ow e r d u r ing th e six day s th a t th e m ission la st ed th a n w e h a d e v e r b e fo re seen. W h en th e m ission w as over, Mr. D ouglas Said: “ I am h um b led to th e dust. My w e ak faith n ev e r led m e to exp e c t this. T h e se d ay s th e rev ival in S co tlan d in 1859 has b e en re p e a te d am o n g m y Chinese p e o p le ." T h e n h e show ed m e a le tte r from D r. Moffat, o f P in g Yang, K orea, which re a d as follow s: W h en y o u r special m eetings a re b e ing h e ld in L iao Y ang, ou r peop le h e re will b e p ray in g fo r you. Our chu rch in this city h as a b o u t four th o u san d believers, a n d th e ir p ray e rs a re m ighty, an d w ill p rev a il.” W e saw w o n d e rfu l signs o f th e H o ly Sp irit’s p resen ce an d p ow e r during tho se six d ay s a t L iao Y ang, b u t it w as exp la in ed b y th e fa c t th a t 4 ,0 0 0 K o rean s cou ld p rev a il w ith G od . A fte r L iao Y ang, w e w en t to M uk den. It w as , v e ry d isap p o in tin g to find th a t no p re p a ra tio n h a d b e en m ade, e ith er b y o rgan ized p ra y e r m eetings o r b y calling rep re sen ta tiv e le ad e rs in from co u n try churches. T h e re was no in d ic a tion o f p ow e r in e ith er o f th e church services th a t first S u n d ay ; n e tih e r h a d th e Irish P re s b y te rian church u n ited th a t S und ay w ith th e Scottish. T h a t even ing I w en t hom e alm o st h e a rt-b ro k e n to th ink th a t I h a d left m y u rg en t w o rk in H o n a n to h elp th e church in M uk den, a n d y e t th e y d id n o t seem to
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