The 1859 Revival in Ireland

This article is from Issue 6, Called to Praise

I Will Pour Out My Spirit On All Flesh

Four young men recently brought to saving faith in the Lord Jesus, came together in October of 1858 to begin a Sabbath school. Stirred by knowledge of the revival that was sweeping across America through Charles Finney and others, they arranged to met together to pray for The Lord’s favour and presence in their own communities.

They met at an old school building in a village near Conner, where they prayed for the conversion of their families, their friends and those in the communities around them, and slowly other believers joined them in their prayer meetings calling on The Lord for the salvation of others.

The first answer to this prayer was two months after the first prayer meeting, when a young man whom they knew was awakened to his sin and the need of a Saviour. The following month, another young man who attended the Sabbath school came under conviction and was brought to the knowledge of Christ as His Saviour.

News of these two converts and their sudden awareness of sin greatly encouraged others, and soon the prayer meeting had fifty saints from all over in attendance, with the meeting becoming known as the Conner prayer meeting. Hopes were raised, and the saints found a new boldness and urgency as the presence of the Holy Spirit was known among them. Soon they were in earnest about their families and were not only praying for them, but speaking to them about The Lord Jesus with a new found zeal.

God was working quietly and calmly in answer to earnest prayer given over months, preparing cold hearts and indifferent lives as the people of Conner and surrounding villages became conscious of eternity. Slowly, several people came to saving faith.

In February 1859, in a town several miles away, a special meeting was arranged for the new converts to come and testify to what The Lord had done, in the hope to stir the hearts of people in other areas. Such was the interest that they had to change the place of the meeting to accommodate the crowd wanting hear.

A few weeks later at the communion service, the presence of The Lord was made known to all present as The Holy Spirit was poured fourth, bringing many souls into the Kingdom of God. Such was the significance of that morning service, that when the evening service was to commence, three thousand people came! The building couldn’t accommodate the huge gathering so preaching was carried out outside. Despite the rain and the mud, the people stayed and listened in earnest for hours, with many unable to contain the stirring in their souls as they fell to their knees and cried out to God for mercy.

This was the beginning of the UK revival of 1859 that began in a small village in Ireland and was to spread across the UK.

My Lambs

An Account from the 1859 Revival in Ireland

In Coleraine, Co. Antrim, stands a large school; in it a young student was seen to be coming under great conviction. The teacher, seeing that the boy was unable to concentrate, advised him to go home and call upon the Lord in private. With him, he sent an older student who had entered into the peace of The Lord the day before.

On their way they saw an empty building, and went in to pray. They continued in prayer until the young lad who was weary and heavy laden was relieved and had his soul blessed with peace from God.

Rejoicing, the boy said, “I must go back to school and tell the teacher.” The boy soon entered the school with a beaming face and went to his teacher saying, “O Sir, I am so happy; I have the Lord Jesus in my heart.” The attention of the whole class was attracted, and soon boy after boy silently slipped out of the class room out into the playground.

After a while, the teacher looked out, and there he saw his students spread out, each one on his knees in earnest prayer. The scene overcame him. He turned to the older student who had accompanied the young lad and said, “Do you think you can go out and pray with these boys?”

He went, and kneeling down among them, began to implore the Lord on their behalf, for the sake of Him who had borne them all on the cross. Their silent grief soon turned into a bitter cry that soon reached the ears of other students in the school, piercing their hearts as they in one accord cast themselves upon their knees and began to cry for mercy. The girl’s class which was upstairs heard the heartfelt cries from beneath, and they too cast themselves upon their knees with weeping.

The sound of those dear children calling out to God under conviction of sin poured out onto the adjoining streets. Every ear, already prepared by the work of the Holy Spirit, at once knew that the cry was from those who were looking upon Him Who was pierced.

One by one, neighbours and residents came into the school and joined in the cry for mercy, and soon every available space in the building was filled with sinners seeking reconciliation with God.

Ministers and men of prayer were sought out and they spent the day interceding for the mourners who were heart broken over their sin. It was eleven O’clock at night before the building was emptied of souls who had found the peace that only God can give.

Taken from Life on the Altar Publication
Issue 6 Autumn 2022