Psalms 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Revival has to do with the spiritual refreshing of those who have already been born again. It does not refer to the salvation of sinners who first come to Christ. Not to say that God may use the saving of sinners to bring revival to God's people, as we would rejoice with Christ and the angels in heaven, but revival really doesn't mean people being born again.
According to our text, revival is an answer to prayer in which God is the Sovereign Ruler over. To announce "revival" services is really quite presumptuous, like unto the name it, claim it forecasters. As to the power of positive thinking, it must bow to the power of biblical thinking.
To begin with, seeking for revival is a great desire to have. It is an evident token of our salvation, that is, if we speak of revival in scriptural terms. Revival is not based upon jazzed up music and songs that excite the flesh, nor is it getting worked up into an emotional frenzy, but rather it is a deep and strong desire wrought by the Holy Spirit to live more closely to the principles of the Word of God to the glory of God.
Emotions come and go, and are unreliable when it comes to fulfilling the biblical mandate towards revival. Some may wonder if we would believe that revival brings joy or not. In the end it most definitely will, but if there is unconfessed sin and we are unrepentant, there must come godly sorrow first, and that night of weeping brings joy in the morning.
As we would anticipate our Spring Meeting, as we call it, we pray in earnest that God would revive us, grow us in leaps and bounds, grow us steadfast, and bring salvation to sinners. We would echo with the psalmist, Psalms 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? There we have revival and rejoicing intimately bound together, O let it be dear Lord according to your sovereign mercy and love, in spite of our weakness and sin, forgive us our sins as we repent of our sins, thankful for our so great salvaiton we have in Christ, that You would be honored and praised and glorified in the highest, for I ask this in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Who we long to return to establish His Kingdom upon the earth. Amen.
