In October 1821, a 29-year-old lawyer named Charles Finney walked into the woods outside Adams, New York, with one intention: to settle the matter of his soul. He had been studying the Bible in secret, ashamed to let his colleagues know. That morning, he decided he would not leave the forest until he had found what he was looking for.
Into the Trees
Finney found a secluded spot where fallen trees had created a natural enclosure. He knelt and began to pray, but his prayers kept stalling. He was self-conscious, afraid that someone might find him. Eventually, he pressed through the shame and began to pour out his heart with complete honesty.
Then something happened that he described as a wave of worship rising up from inside him, unbidden. He was not singing a hymn or following a liturgy. He was alone in the woods, and the worship came involuntarily — a response to a presence that he could suddenly feel all around him.
Fire in the Law Office
Finney returned to his law office that evening. Alone in the dark, he described an encounter so vivid and overwhelming that he felt waves of what he called "liquid love" washing through him. He wept openly, unable to stop. He worshipped through the night.
By morning, Finney was a different man. He walked into his office, and when a client came to discuss a case, Finney told him, "I have a retainer from the Lord Jesus Christ to plead his cause, and I cannot plead yours." He abandoned law entirely and became one of the most significant revivalists of the 19th century.
A Legacy Born in Solitary Worship
Finney's revivals led to an estimated 500,000 conversions. He championed the abolition of slavery, women's education, and social reform. All of it traces back to that October morning in the woods — a moment of spontaneous, unscripted worship that rewrote his entire life.
What This Means for You
Worship does not require a band, a building, or even another person. Some of the most transformative encounters happen when you are alone, honest, and willing to stop performing. Finney was not trying to have a spiritual experience. He was trying to be honest. The worship followed.