Healing and Revival

"Come To Beulah"

Sabrina Eudora (Dora) Griswold Griffin Dudley was born in Niagara, New York on October 29, 1843 Aruna Wheeler Griswold and Martha Sabrina (Plumley) Griswold. Her mother died of tuberculosis on November 6, 1844 and her father died May 20, 1845. She was an orphan at 1 and 1/2 years old. Dora was taken in by her aunt Mary Plumley and Mary's mother. Dora was constantly sick as a child. She struggled with asthma attacks, migraine headaches, and poor eyesight.

Dora married Charles H. Griffin September 12, 1865. By 1875 she was a widow, again living with her aunt in Albion, New York. To make ends meet they were both hairdressers. Dora Griffin was a creative person and she developed a hair steaming invention called "Por Siempre." It was patented May 22, 1883 and she sold it for several years to support herself and her aunt.

Dora became so sensitive to light that she could not go out without dark glasses and a veil. Someone gave her a copy of Carrie Judd's "Prayer of Faith." She'd also heard of Dr. Charles Cullis' work in Boston. She was not able to travel initially but did write to Cullis and R. Kelso Carter, a close friend of Cullis' who wrote books on Divine Healing. She began memorizing scripture and committing her body to the Lord. One day she felt the Lord asking her to not wear her sunglasses. She went out without them but struggled with the sensitivity. Over time she could go out into full sunlight without any problems. One day as she was lying down she was overcome with the presence of the Lord. She believed herself to be healed but still struggled for the next year. She started to give her testimony and people began to come to her for prayer. She decided to buy a small house in Grand Rapids, Michigan and open it to pray for healing. It opened in January 1887, and Carrie Judd came to help dedicate it in February of that year. It was called Beulah Home.

The first healing that Dudley saw was of a woman with a broken wrist. She was called to the woman's home to pray for her. It had been damaged by the doctor who set it causing the flesh to rot around where the cast had been placed. The woman was healed immediately and returned to her housework. Dudley published her testimonies in a book called "Two and One Half Years of a Consecrated Life" in 1888. Dora traveled thousands of miles to various meetings and to pray for the sick. She was involved with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) and was President of the Grand Rapids Chapter. She regularly spoke at C&MA Conventions and meetings.

One visitor to the Beulah Home in 1887 was a John H. Dudley. He ended up helping at the home and then asked Dora to marry him. Dora was a widow and he was a widower. She had not considered remarriage but felt that it would be a good thing. Although she did not have any children, her household included her aunt and others that had come for prayer. They prayed for the sick together and saw hundreds of healings. The couple married on May 1, 1888 but John had some emotional troubles and was prone to depression. Eventually he went to the quiet of the Lake Michigan shores and Dora would commute between the two homes. After some time he returned to Grand Rapids to help his wife. He died at Beulah Home in January 1894. Dudley continued her work.

Dudley was a very active member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, even serving as the Vice-President of the Michigan chapter. She traveled extensively praying for the sick. She often spoke at Alliance meetings and conventions. She was extremely well thought of, and articles and reports from her Beulah Rest Home were often included in the national Alliance magazine. There are several articles by Dudley found in the following reference and article section. People she prayed for often had a strong and identifiable experience of the healing presence of God. Many remarkable healings occurred under her ministry.

Dudley published an updated version of her book, now retitled "Beulah: or Some of the Fruits of a Consecrated Life" in 1896. She also published several tracts including "Gathered Treasures", "Bible Readings on the Second Coming of the Lord", "Divine Healing", "Christian Science, Counterfeit of Divine Healing", "From Whom is Our Expectation", "Salvation Made Easy", "Rest in Labor", and "My Invitation and Prayer." She continued her ministry until her death on August 31, 1904.

Want to read a testimony of healings from Beulah? Read some articles by Dudley?

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