Psalm 85:6
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
This prayer is teeming with confidence in the power of God that He can “revive” His people “again”. It recollects the LORD’s prior act of reviving His people, and desires earnestly that He would work the same yet again for His people. Right at the beginning of this psalm, certain previous acts of God are mentioned. “LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah” (vv. 1, 2). This prayer for revival is based on the LORD’s past acts of restoration of His people back to their land from their enforced exile, and also of His gracious forgiving of the people’s iniquities.
This prayer also recognises the need for God’s work of revival in them. The people’s souls are in a poor, weak and almost dying condition. It is a dire situation that can only be rectified by the mercy of the LORD. Unless the LORD acts to revive, there would be no cause for hope or joy. No human effort is capable of reviving the people.
Like the psalmist, we also need to depend upon our Lord to revive us from our spiritual apathy and backsliding. However, do we acknowledge our dying spiritual condition and so recognise our need for revival? Our preachers, church leaders and members all need to realise that worldliness, doctrinal compromise, lack of interest in prayer, lack of zeal in soulwinning, increasing immoral conduct of churchgoers, family feuds and disintegration, all point to deep spiritual problems that exist today in our churches. Preachers growing dull and sleepy is a tragedy in the making. Greedy and worldly men, by pretending to be God-sent, are misleading the people with carnal and ungodly doctrines. Christian men and women lack spiritual devoutness and dedication when they become too obsessed with money, luxury and prestige. When youths in the church are worldly and sensual, shocking moral decay among them will result!
Should we not desire the LORD to act to renew our love and zeal for God, His truth and holiness? There is a great need in these days for God’s people to watch and pray for times of revival and refreshing from Him. We must pray for our personal revival. We must pray for the revival of family devotion and godliness in our homes. We must pray for the revival of our churches.