A Passionate Prayer for Revival

Charles Haddon Spurgeon called the 85th Psalm “the prayer of a patriot for his afflicted country.” He expressed his belief that David penned this national hymn when the land was oppressed by the Philistines. When we come to the 85th Psalm, we are reading a passionate prayer for revival. In fact, if you will notice, the first seven verses are a prayer that God has inspired, recorded, and kept for us that we might gain a better understanding of how revival comes to an individual and to a nation. You cannot lose your salvation, but you can lose the joy of your salvation. You can lose the thrill of what it means to belong to Christ and to live for Him and love Him. That is the reality of life…and that is when we need a revival.

David begins his prayer with a look back at history and a remembrance of how God favored Israel with revival in times past. Notice verse one, “Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.” The word revive means “to make alive again.” It is bringing life back to that which is dead or dying. When the Psalmist looked back on the days of revival, he saw a time of blessing, prosperity, and the favor of God. When the children of Israel were in captivity because of sin, God brought them to a renewed freedom.

In verses two and three, we see how revival restores our relationship with God. “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.” I have no doubt that God is angry with us as a nation today. And, it is not “them” out there that is the problem; we are. I am talking about God’s people. There is no question that we are in desperate need of an old-fashioned, Holy Ghost, God-sent revival. It is not the iniquity of the world that kindles God’s wrath, but the iniquity tolerated, overlooked, and even enjoyed by His own people. When revival occurs, there will be remarkable forgiveness of sin and a turning away of God’s wrath. Oh, how we need that today!

Look at the plea for revival David voices in verse 4, “Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.” We do not hear much praying like this today. Most of our prayers are short and simple (and not very sweet). This is an earnest, fervent, passionate prayer from a man who means business with God. Prayers that do not bring tears to our eyes or a quivering to our lips or an emotion that torments the spirit do not produce revival. Until we are serious about our need for revival, it is unlikely that we will ever experience revival. We cannot expect revival until we reach the end of ourselves and recognize that is only through God that we can have life again.

What happens when a real revival comes? The answer is found in verse six. “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” Revival always brings a renewed joy to our relationship with God. A person who experiences revival will rejoice in the Lord regardless of what else is going on in his life. You may be in times of great stress, difficulty, and challenge. But, when revival takes place, God’s people rejoice; not necessarily in what is happening in their lives, but in what is happening in their relationship with God Himself. It is a rejoicing that is not born out of an appreciation for what God is doing for us, but of an appreciation for Who God is!

David concludes his prayer for revival in verse seven and then transitions to focus on what happens in the heart and life of a person who is looking for revival. Psalm 85:7&8 says, “Show us thy mercy O Lord and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.” What signs can we look for to indicate revival is coming? The first thing David mentions is that God’s people will be in tune with God’s voice. God can speak to you, and when He does, you do not want to miss it. I have noticed in my own life, that when God is about to do something significant, His voice will become a priority to me. My friend, our country needs revival. Our churches need revival. Individually, we need revival!! Did you hear His voice today?