April 9. William Seymour. All his life, Seymour never let a locked door stop him from seeking God’s will. Born to freed slaves, Seymour fled the deep south to escape poverty, oppression, and prejudice. But while he was working in Ohio, he contracted smallpox, which left him partially blind. But it also confirmed in him God’s call to preach.
In 1905, Seymour attended Bible school, where segregation laws forced him to sit in the hallway, outside the classroom. This locked door, couldn’t stop him, though. He soaked up the lessons and was soon teaching them to others.
In 1906, he accepted an invitation to preach in Los Angeles. This time, the content of his Pentecostal message got him locked out. But he preserved, and on this date in 1906, God poured out his Spirit on William and his small band of like-minded seekers. In time, the Pentecostal message spread across the globe.
In 1988, long after Seymour’s death, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary dedicated its chapel to William’s memory, and at the close of the 20th century, Christian History Magazine named William one of the top ten most influential Christians of the 20th century.
Rejection can derail us, but prayer keeps us on track.
The first Sunday-morning message William Seymour preached for his small Holiness congregation, was his fifth message in five days. An eager congregation filled the hall.
Seymour was “a man alive and on fire” as he preached, passionate about his vision for the church. Full of excitement, he took the crowd through Acts 2 and described the power of the Holy Spirit poured out on Pentecost. He told the people this same Holy Spirit could be poured out on them, too.
But many congregants were put off by this message. Even J. M. Roberts, President of the Southern California Holiness Association, approached Seymour and advised him—in the future—to tone it down and play it safe. But Seymour didn’t care about being safe. He wanted to see Pentecostal power poured out on the 20th century church.
Unfortunately, his congregation was against this radical new idea.
Sorely disappointed, Seymour had his sights set on God, and he purposed that he would keep himself optimistic and keep obeying God. Out of courtesy, his congregation members Edward and Mary Lee invited their new preacher home for lunch, and Seymour made a few friends. Though they didn’t embrace his weird ideas.
Just a few hours later, it was time to head back for the evening meeting. Seymour and his two hosts walked through the streets toward the meeting hall. A crowd stood around the doors of the mission, and the doors were padlocked shut.
They were locked out. The message was plain: Seymour had lost his job. Fired! On the first Sunday. How was he to deliver the message God had given him, if they wouldn’t let him preach?
More reality crashed in on him. Seymour had also lost his only place to sleep.
Edward and Mary Lee did the only humane thing to do and invited the homeless pastor back to their home.
Seymour gratefully accepted, and for the next few days, he went to God in prayer and fasted. He refused to let his discouragement show. He was following wherever the Lord led. For today, the Lord had led him on the outside of the church, shut away from the general congregation. He kept on asking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and if anyone else wanted to come along with him, he would be delighted to bring him along.
Edward and Mary Lee watched Seymour closely for a few days. He refused to give up. He refused to believe that the Holy Spirit was not to be poured out on these people. He refused to look glum. Lee and his more skeptical wife knelt beside their pastor and joined him in prayer.
Then Edward Lee received the gift of the Holy Spirit. He spoke in tongues and a new fire burned in him. Faster than Seymour could imagine, word spread among other members of the congregation, and many more men and women joined this collection of souls thirsting for more of the Spirit.
God blessed Seymour’s steadfastness, and a revival was born. Seymour and his new gathering soon received exactly what they had prayed for: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the gift of tongues, and a renewed fervor for the Lord’s work and power. Thousands more were filled with the Spirit in the next year.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4: 5–7, NIV).
Today what situation can you submit to God through prayer? Rejection can derail us, but prayer keeps us on track.
Borlase, Craig. William Seymour: A Biography. Lake Mary, Charisma House, 2006.
Story read by Daniel Carpenter