Psa 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
The word revive means to bring back to life or rejuvenate. You cannot bring back to life that which never lived. This is especially significant to the christian. When a person is born again they are given eternal life. The only one who possesses eternal life is God. He is the only one who has a life that has always been. Eternity means more than a life without end, but also means a life that had no beginning. It is such a life that is given to us, which miraculously converts us from a descendant of Adam to a new creature in Christ. Since this life we receive is eternal, why would a christian ever need revival? It is because our body has not been redeemed. We must remain in these corrupted bodies in order to stay in this world and be ambassadors for Christ. In Romans chapter seven the apostle Paul uses his own testimony to demonstrate the battle between the spirit and the flesh. The spirit desires to do the works of God, while the flesh hungers for carnal pleasures. The body becomes fatigued mentally and emotionally while being subdued by the spirit. It is the sensation of weariness of body and mind that can be overwhelming to the christian. We can lose sight of spiritual matters and responsibilities. This is a life long struggle.
There is a need to have something turn our focus back to the spiritual victories we have experienced in Christ. We need to enter into the rest that Christ gives us. Our spiritual mind has to be challenged and reminded that the most pleasant moments in life are those when we are doing the will of God and reaping the benefits. The event that can bring this about is called a revival. There are many ways to have a revival. Typically, it takes place in special services where an evangelist or other teacher has opportunity to remind us of who we are in Christ. We had such an event recently in a tent meeting with evangelist David Frazie. Christians were revived and renewed in their commitment. We confessed sin and rededicated our lives, but something even more special happened. There were fourteen souls saved during the meeting! When God’s children seek revival the lost will take note. They see God working in lives and feel the drawing of the Holy Spirit in their own heart. The salvation of lost souls depends heavily upon the seeking of God by believers. When others see our humility and faith, they know something spiritual is happening. Our prayer should always be “revive us again”!
