Some of the many revivals that spread across India from 1904-1906

Background to this Series of India Revivals
From 1904-1906, revival swept across India, touching every mission station and church, regardless of the denomination. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Brethren, Anglicans, Christian and Missionary Alliance, London Missionary Society, and the YMCAs and YWCAs, wherever the revival was welcome, blessings came. In addition, it fostered significant unity, breaking down previous barriers between denominations.

The 1904 Sialkot, India Revival appears to have been the spark that ignited the sweeping fires. Subsequently, upon receiving reports of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival, prayer for revival intensified to such an extent that revival in India seemed unstoppable. The outcomes are documented in the following accounts:

1. 1904 Sialkot, India Revival (Over 5 locations)
2. 1905 Khasi Hills Revival (Dozens of Locations)
3. 1905 Mukti Revival (5 Locations)
4. 1905 Revival at Dohnavur (2 Locations)
5. 1905 India Revivals I (20 Locations)
6. 1905 India Revivals II (8 Locations)
7. 1905 India Revivals III (5 Locations)
8. 1906 India Revivals IV (10 Locations)
9. 1906 India Revivals V (8 Locations)
10. 1906 India Revivals VI (8 Locations)
11. 1905-1906 India Revivals VII (9 Locations)
12. 1905-1906 India Revivals VIII (14 Locations)
13. 1906 India Revivals IX (8 Locations)
14. 1906 Aurangabad, India Revival (5 Locations)
15. 1906 Mizo, India Revival (13 Locations)

The Kurku and Central India Hill Mission
Beginning in July 1904, those of the Kurku and Central India Hill Mission had monthly prayer meetings for revival. These gatherings were effective in uniting the believers closer to God. When the news of revival from other parts of the world began streaming in, as well as from locations throughout India, their longing for the same in their local area was enhanced.

Ellichpur (Achalpur) was where this mission’s headquarters was located. Some of the branches of this mission were found in these locations:
► About 300 miles to the south, in Khudawandpur, the mission had an industrial school, teaching trades to young men.
► A leper colony was close by Khudawandpur.
► In the village of Bhaisdehi (Bhainsdehi) was their orphanage for young boys.
► In the village of Chikalda was their orphanage for girls of all ages.
► In addition to those locations, there were also several other centers specifically for evangelistic work.

During the monthly day of prayer, in September of 1905, the people focused their prayers specifically on the boys’ orphanage in Khudawandpur. Three weeks later, during an assembly of the boys at the Khudawandpur orphanage, a letter was read to them, telling about the revival occurring at the Zenana Mission in Poona (Pune).

Zenana Mission House Peshawar, India (now in Pakistan)

The news of what God was doing in Poona ignited a “spirit of prayer” in the boys, and 20-30 of them began praying daily for something similar at their location.

As the boys continued in prayer, Eldad, a blind boy, received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and his testimony of what he experienced opened the door for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the rest of them as he frequently shared his experience.

Teaching boys industrial skills
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel: (S.P.G.) Kanpur, India

Satan Tried to Block the Revival
As the revival began occurring in more people, and in other locations around the area, the efforts of Satan became noticeable.

One missionary reported that after a powerful meeting, there was evidently a few of the boys that were being used by Satan to mockingly imitate the genuine work of the Holy Spirit.

One of the male missionaries explained how this was discovered, and how the Holy Spirit humbled the boys for their mocking behavior.

When this missionary was in his room, ready for bed, he was called to come observe something occurring in one of the boys’ dormitories:

We went along at the back and stood near the open window, and from there could hear several boys, who had been really under the power of the Spirit, laughing and joking about what had happened. We said nothing, but silently went back to the bungalow, where the Lord kept four of us on our faces till the morning, and when morning came, the efforts of the devil weighed like a feather on my spirit.

The Lord gave me a passage which startled me (Isaiah 28:14-22). This I read in opening the meeting next morning, and it was soon apparent that the devil had been foiled by our mighty Jesus.

After reading that Isaiah passage the boys who were mocking the work of the Holy Spirit came under conviction, and the missionary remarked about what he observed at that time:

The boys who had been trapped by his wiles were humbled in the dust, and the work in them was made doubly real. That morning more than twenty boys came up in quick succession and confessed to sins committed. None could get any comfort until every sin was confessed. Many were in agony five or six days, and could get no peace or joy until finally, driven by the Spirit, they made full confession. Some made partial confession and kept back that of which they were most ashamed, but soon would be in tears again, and would have to confess all to get comfort of soul. And after that the refining fire would go through and through their hearts, and bring to light other forgotten things which had to be put right.

Dinner time at Mukti

Missionaries under Severe Conviction of Sin
It wasn’t only the Indians that were experiencing the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Missionaries also were driven to humble themselves before their Indian brothers and sisters and confess their sins.
► After the Holy Spirit moved through the community, the believers, both Indian nationals, as well as missionaries, were not the same people as they were before.
► People’s faces would get flooded with “joy unspeakable and full of glory” after having gone through the agony of confession.
► The spiritual revival experienced put a deep longing in the believers to help others experience the same blessing.

Revival Spreads to the Boys’ Orphanage at Bhaisdehi
While the revival meetings were ongoing at Khudawandpur, Eldad, the blind boy, and a friend of his, felt a real burden for the boys at the orphanage in Bhaisdehi. Acting on what they felt the Holy Spirit leading them to do, they began trekking through the jungle all night, even though they knew there were the dangers of snakes, scorpions, and other wild animals.

After 18 hours of walking, at 7 a.m. the next morning, they arrived at Bhaisdehi. Without resting, they immediately brought the young boys from the orphanage together for their first meeting. A revival broke out immediately, and after spending a week there, and seeing many of the boys converted to Christ, they returned to Khudawandpur.

Though the missionaries were not present when Eldad and his friend were holding meetings with the boys, when the missionaries returned to Bhaisdehi, upon seeing the results, one of them, a Mr. Lewis wrote:

The effect, when a word is spoken in the name of Jesus, or a hymn sung when they are by themselves, is wonderful. The school seems to be filled with a mass of little figures intoxicated with joy, or plunged into an agony of prayer.

The agonised, beseeching cry of a child as he waits with arms outstretched to heaven for the Holy Spirit to come, is one of the loveliest sights one can witness on this side of the River or the Coming.

A Bible woman teaching children using flannelgraph

Revival at the Girls’ Orphanage at Chikalda
The girls’ orphanage at Chikalda also experienced revival, and it continued over a period of months, deepening in its effect as time when on. One of the missionaries there, a Miss Barbour, wrote in late 1906:

We are all praying that God will sweep away the hindrances and bring us all into line with His purpose. I am sure He wants to use our orphans as messengers to the heathen around. I have always worked with this end, pleading with God that He would choose out from among these girls those who will take His messages to their own people; and praise Him, some are doing so, and I know others will follow.

Revival at Mukti Spreads to Ratnigiri
There were at least two mission organizations at Ratnigiri. One was the American Presbyterian Church, and the other was the English Zenana Bible and Medical Mission. Missionaries from these two organizations had been praying for revival for several months. They had invited a ministry team from Mukti to come and share about what had been occurring in their ministry, and they were excitedly anticipating that team’s visit.

Jivubai (left), a co-worker, with Minnie Abrams (right)

On November 26, the Mukti team of 11 young ladies arrived in Ratnigiri, being led by the 46-year-old missionary,  Minnie Abrams, who originated from the American Midwest, and who was an ardent and successful promoter of revival in India.

On the evening of the day they arrived, they joined with the regular daily prayer meeting, and after a couple of the local people led in prayer, one of the Mukti girls began to pray, then another, and then another. Soon all the Mukti girls were agonizing before God for the sins of the Ratnigiri church.

This led to simultaneous prayer throughout the room, and it was accompanied with strong crying and tears.

Sunday Morning Church Service
On Sunday morning, Minnie Abrams preached (as she did in all these meetings), and at the conclusion of her sermon those assembled joined in united prayer for over 30 minutes. The congregation assembled again at 1 p.m. There was to have been a united time of prayer for India at this time, but the people were under so much conviction of sin they couldn’t pray for others while they themselves were not right with God.

The rest of that day was spent with Abrams and the Mukti team ministering to the people, as they were under deep conviction, demonstrated by agonized weeping,

beating their breasts, falling and rolling on the floor, and in other ways manifesting anguish of soul on account of their sins.

The following day, Monday morning, another intense time of prayer came, and the breakthrough took place when the people were not merely agonizing over sins committed; it was when those sins were publicly confessed:
► A female evangelist, known as a “Bible woman,” confessed her sin of robbing God, and she made restitution of 5 rupees ($0.07 USD in today’s rate).
► Another Bible woman made several confessions, with restitution.
► A former Bible woman, and supervisor of an orphanage, confessed to falsifying accounts and stealing hundreds of rupees.
► Others followed these prominent women, with some confessing “sins of the most dreadful character.”

When people obtained the release from their sins, they experienced so much peace and joy that:

They would jump up and begin to sing and dance, their faces beaming with the light and radiance of Him who had met and conquered them. But soon they would be on their knees again in agony for others.

The agonizing confession of sin went on throughout that week. Those humbled before God included missionaries, as well as those as young as 3 years old. Those who held back experienced indescribable agony and torment of soul till they yielded to the Holy Spirit and made their sins publicly known.

Demonization
One woman, having lost executive control of her physical body to demonic powers, was thrown over seats and on the floor. As the people diligently prayed, the demon left, but the same situation occurred with her on 4 subsequent days, demonstrating that the woman had multiple demons.

On the fourth day the last demon was cast out and the woman was filled with tremendous peace and joy.

Saturday at Ratnigiri
By Saturday of that week, the 110 Christians that were present during the meetings, with only a few exceptions, had risen and confessed some sin, resulting in tremendous spiritual victory for that community.

On this day a group of 17 believers from a church in Vengurla arrived, and the meetings began to focus more on seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as well as giving testimonies and praising God for what he was doing in their lives. Many rose and publicly announced resolutions they were making, like giving up their “smoking and other evil habits”.

During the final days of the Mukti team’s visit, those assembled often sang the same song over and over. One song in particular, that was sung for more than an hour with no pause, and that was accompanied by clapping of hands and dancing, was the song “Let Us with a Gladsome Mind.”

Revival locations in this account

Abrams’ Mukti Team Departs for Wadgaon
On December 18, after 23 days in Ratnigiri, the Mukti revival team left for Wadgaon (Vadgaon), where a second American Presbyterian Mission was located.

After the team’s departure from Ratnigiri, on that same evening, the prayer meeting was one that stood out in the memories of the believers there. The renewed and revived believers at that time began to experience a “storm of prayer” which “continued a long time, and broke out afresh and renewed earnestness.”

Their prayers were no longer for themselves, but for the Wadgaon church, as well as for their unconverted neighbors in Ratnigiri. In the coming days the believers at Ratnigiri began sharing Christ with people and they noticed an openness that was never seen before.

“Spirit of Burning” (Isaiah 4:4)
Many of the believers at Ratnigiri “experienced inward burning, marking the cleansing by the ‘Spirit of Burning’ (Isaiah 4:4) and His empowering for service.”

The intensity of this baptism of fire was so great that they would at times cry out for water to quench the fire. One who witnessed this firsthand was the American missionary, Rev. Abraham Lincoln Wiley. He documented these experiences with this account:

Some will say this is all imaginary; but if it has been once experienced, or witnessed even, no doubt will remain.

Simultaneous prayer is not confined to the meetings only. Wherever two or three are gathered together at all hours of the day or night, there will be a season of simultaneous prayer. It is not an unusual thing to awake in the middle of the night, to hear a roar of prayer in the orphanage or in other places.

The Fruits of the Revival at Ratnigiri
► Those who had been at odds with others, for long periods of time, had their relationships restored.
► Restitution was made for wrongs committed.
► Silver and gold ornaments were given to the church.
► Those previously afraid to testify publicly began to do so with glowing faces.
► Many who had never shared Christ with Muslims or Hindus, due to fear, now had the boldness to do so.
► Some of the people who professed faith in Christ, and had even been water baptized, had as yet never demonstrated a real change in their life. The experiences during the revival brought genuine changes in these people, with the accompanying fruit.

Many months after the Mukti team’s visit at Ratnigiri, the revival was ongoing, as was the criticism from other believers, as well as attacks from Satan. Regardless of these attacks, souls were continually being added to the Church.

Pandita Ramabai (center left, second row), Manoramabai (center, second row), Minnie Abrams (first row center), and staff at Mukti

Minnie Abrams’ Mukti Team in Kini and Kodoli
After having spent time in Wadgaon, Abrams and her team of female evangelists made visits to the American Presbyterian Missions located in Kini and Kodoli.

Revival at Kini
The revival at Kini began with the pastor of the church. This pastor was very humble and demonstrated tremendous desire for whatever God had for him. During a prayer meeting,

The Spirit came upon the pastor in great power; he suddenly thought the tent was on fire, and one of the prayer Band [Mukti team] also saw the fire.

The pastor said, “God met me,” and that resulted in him having a renewed freshness enter his prayer life and service for the Lord. At this same time the pastor’s son also confessed his sins and received that same baptism of power.

Other Results of the Kini Revival
► Backslidden members of the congregation experienced God in a new way and were transformed, having been given grace to live victoriously over sin.
► Relationships between husbands and wives were restored, with one woman testifying:

I feel God has given me a new husband. Neither my husband nor I used to listen to the other. Now, I believe, we shall live a new life and love each other.

Girls setting up type in the printing department at Mukti

The Mukti Team and Revival at Kodoli
Minnie Abram’s team had increased to 20 in number, and after their arrival in Kodoli the revival soon began. It occurred among the children at the orphanage, as well as among the believers in the area.

A female missionary wrote of what she observed about the ladies that made up that revival team:

Day and night, in the meetings and without, these priests of God are fulfilling the ministry to which we all are truly called, praying, pleading often ‘with strong crying and tears,’ for the salvation of souls, for the absolute cleansing of lives, and the outpouring of the mighty Spirit.

The observer continued her observations by writing:

In answer to these prayers, such a deep spirit of conviction, confession, and seeking after God and His richest blessings, is poured out as I have never, before this Revival, seen or heard of in this land, and seldom at home. The youngest, the most ignorant, are often the first to be signally blessed, because they are humble, and we missionaries have had to learn the truth of I Peter 5 v. 6, that we must let God search our hearts very deeply, must humble ourselves in the dust by public confession of heart and thought sins, and take our place with the lowest, if we would be sharers in this wondrous outpouring of His Spirit promised in Acts ii. 17, 18, and now being so literally fulfilled.

Pandita Ramabai (seated)
and daughter Manoramabai

Revival at Nasrapur and Shirwal
While one Mukti team was visiting other places, a second Mukti team, led by Manoramabai, the daughter of the Mukti founder, Pandita Ramabai, visited Nasrapur and Shirwal, with both locations experiencing fruit from their visit.

Sources
► A History of Missions in India by Julius Richter
► Christian Missions and Social Progress by James S. Dennis
► Revival in India by Helen S. Dyer
► Scattered Seeds by Mrs. Malcolm Ross
► The High-Caste Hindu Woman by Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati
► World Atlas of Christian Missions by James S. Dennis
► Zenana Missions by Wikipedia

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