312 Azusa Revival

The life of William Seymour is unique. He sat alone by the door out of the Bible college classroom. He prayed for 5 hours daily, later he added two more hours. He was one of the few among the many who didn't speak in tongues when the new movement began. Who is he that brought the revival to 312 Azusa Street that lasted for 3 years?

Former slaves gave birth to William Joseph Seymour on May 2, 1870. He lived in a large family that possessed only "one old bedstead, one old chair and one old matress", and he was the eldest sibling. His mother only has a value of 55 cents personal possession. He grew up in different Christian traditions. He left home in Louisana early to flee the poverty. However he later joined the holiness movement and was santcified and called to preach. But he gave up after a severe near-death experience with smallpox, leaving him blinded in one eye and scarred his face. He stopped shaving to cover his scarred face with a beard. Everything went downward for him. But...

Know what?! Something happened in the lowest point of his life. Read on!

In 1905, he heard Pentecostal message for the first time, which ignited him and he began his Bible school under Parham, who was the founder of the Apostolic Faith Movement. All of Parham followers received the Holy Spirit baptism (speaking in tongues), except William. He sat outside the classroom because of the segregation laws. But he travelled with Parham, he preached to the blacks while Parham preached to the whites. Eventually the leaders were suspicious of William for preaching an experience of Holy Spirit Baptism that he had not yet received. That is what those leaders thought. But there is more to it than the inability to speak in tongues and the inexperience itself.

Listen to Seymour tell it: "Before I met Parham, such a hunger to have more of God was in my heart that I prayed for five hours a day for two and a half years. I got to Los Angeles, and there the hunger was not less but more. I prayed, 'God, what can I do?' The Spirit said, 'Pray more.' 'But Lord, I am praying five hours a day now.' I increased my hours of prayer to seven, and prayed in for a year and half more. I prayed to God to give what Parham preached, the real Holy Ghost and fire with tongues with love and power of God like the apostles had."

So while he was in Los Angeles, he moved a church into a home where a breakthough later finally came. When the outpouring came, he preached continuously for three days at the porch toward the people filled into the street. After that he finally received the baptism of power.

They quickly moved into 312 Azusa Street building when they outgrow the home. There the "services at the mission were conducted three times each day at 10AM, noon and 7PM. They often ran together until the entire day became one worship service. This schedule was continued seven days a week for more than three years."

Listen to this: his Holy hunger ignites him to his knees!

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