He had an intense hunger for more of God. Seymour drew upon hours of prayer daily and later became filled with the Holy Ghost and the evidence of speaking in tongues. Seymour led an interracial worship service in Los Angeles, California; when in 1906 there were more lynchings of blacks than in any other year of America’s history. Racial lines were crossed and the Lord lit the world with His Word, and His Spirit.
The Holy Spirit just flowed in Seymour’s services. Everyone was on the same level. They all were free to testify and exhort. Native Americans, Hispanics, Blacks and Whites all worshipped, prayed, and received God’s gift of “tongues.” The poor to the wealthy worshiped together. Men, women and children received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Singing, shouting, speaking in tongues, healings, deliverances and the expectancy of Christ’s return characterized the services, later known termed revival. The building was never empty of people praying in the Spirit. The revival began in the mid-morning and ran to 3:00-4:00 am in the morning. Some also claimed that the glory of God was seen over the building by night.
The revival drew crowds from across the US and Canada. Missionaries on foreign soil also came. Visitors who came felt the supernatural atmosphere within blocks of the 312 Azusa Street. Reports of divine healing drew crowds to Azusa Street faster than any recruitment strategy. People were healed of their disease; they were delivered from their strongholds and filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Many believers from traditional churches made the trip to Los Angeles to know and see firsthand the “explosion of the Spirit.” They left the revival with new zeal, fresh vision and a new message of the
Spirit-empowerment for world evangelism. The Azusa Street meetings quickly became known throughout the world as the focal point of the outpourings of God’s Spirit that began to sweep multitudes into the experience of the Holy Ghost.2 The Azusa Street Revival included a firm belief in salvation, healing, sanctification and the Baptism with the “Holy Ghost and with
fire.”
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
— Matthew 3:11, NKJV
Many left under the anointing of the Holy Spirit went and preached the Pentecostal teaching with fire and the desire to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Missionaries from Azusa were sent out almost immediately to West Africa, East Asia, South America, and Africa on faith without pledge or support.
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
— Acts 1:7-8, NKJV
The power of God has overtaken the city of Los Angeles. Pentecost had arrived with Bible evidences following. Many were converted, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost; speaking in tongues as they did on Pentecost. The spiritual revitalization among existing believers was a necessary step toward empowering them for mission, the ultimate reason and goal for the Pentecostal gifting was world evangelization among the unreached.3