BEND ME O LORD
Linda Hartley describes how one hundred years ago, this simple prayer helped Evan Roberts, to change the lives of thousands of people.
REFOCUS
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the sin around you, by the constant bad language and immoral behaviour? Instead of focusing on the sin around us, let’s focus instead on Jesus. Instead of looking at changing others, let’s look instead at changing ourselves. Let’s be overwhelmed by His love, His goodness, His sacrifice and His never-ending mercy. Let’s be so consumed by the love of Jesus that our very lives begin to shine with His life. Then we will find that as we glorify Jesus in our lives, other people will be drawn to Him through us and they will change their ways.
EVAN ROBERTS
Just over one hundred years ago in Wales, a young man named Evan Roberts, did just that. He prayed the prayer, “Bend me O Lord.” This was his way of making himself totally available to Jesus. As a result of Evan and a few other young Christians yielding their lives totally to Jesus, there was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Wales and thousands of people gave their lives to Jesus. Pubs emptied as people stopped drinking alcohol, crime was greatly reduced. It is said that often magistrates went to court and found there were no cases to try! Men who used to swear stopped using bad language. The whole society was changed and Wales became a very God-fearing nation.
OUR RESPONSE
So do we dare to be overwhelmed by the love of Jesus? Do we dare to give our lives totally to Him? Do we dare to pray the prayer, “Bend me O Lord”? If we do, then we should watch out, because we will notice other people will be drawn to Jesus through us. Let us all pray that the Lord graciously pours out His Holy Spirit on our land and on our people again.
On the mount of crucifixion fountains opened deep and wide; through the floodgates of God's mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide. Grace and love, like mighty rivers, poured incessant from above, and heaven's peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love. (From an old Welsh hymn - ‘here is love’)
