May the Lord Revive Us Again
Psalm 85:6–7: “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.”
Upon returning from their captivity in Babylon, the people of Israel faced a desolate reality and economic destitution; the reconstruction of the Temple had stalled due to the persistent interference of neighboring nations.
Thus, while giving thanks for the grace God had already bestowed, they prayed for “complete revival and restoration” amidst their harsh and arduous circumstances: “Revive us again, that we may rejoice in You.”
This was a prayer bridging the “already” and the “not yet.” Such a prayer requires one to first recall God’s faithful grace and past acts of salvation, rather than focusing on discouraging present problems.
This is because past grace serves as a powerful foundation for confidence in future answers. Faced with the daunting reality upon their return from Babylon to Jerusalem, they prayed by first remembering God’s faithfulness.
“You showed favor to Your land and restored the fortunes of Jacob… You covered all their sins.” Now, they cry out, “Revive us again,” seeking both spiritual and circumstantial restoration.
Then, employing the most beautiful literary expressions found in all of Psalm 150, they proclaim their vision of the beautiful fruit God will bring to pass. Theologically, this is known as a “prophetic confession.” “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase” (verses 10–12).
This is a proclamation made in anticipation of the future—a time when God’s reign would be restored. True to this promise, “good fruit” is borne. Here is the testimony of a deaconess whose family experienced such restoration.
Her family had been in turmoil due to her husband’s business failure, his subsequent aimless wandering, and deep-seated conflict; the wife was filled with anger and a sense of grievance toward her husband, while he had completely shut himself off, consumed by guilt and resentment.
The atmosphere at home was so stifling that one could hardly breathe; their very foundation of life was crumbling. Then, one day, while praying tearfully, the deaconess read Psalm 85:10.
“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” Encountering these words, she examined her own heart. She realized that she had lacked mercy and peace, having always wielded a self-righteousness that cut like a knife—insisting, “I am right, and you are wrong.”
She looked to Jesus, who had perfectly fulfilled both justice and love on the Cross. She could not help but beat her chest in repentance. That evening, she prepared a warm meal—something she hadn’t done in a long time—and approached her husband first.
“You must have had such a hard time as the head of the family,” she said, taking his hand. Her husband looked completely bewildered. As “condemnation” vanished from his wife’s lips and “loving-kindness and peace” flowed forth, the husband sank to the ground, weeping bitterly, and unlocked the barriers of his heart.
He laid down all the emotional burdens and the guilt he had carried for so long. When God’s righteousness and peace kissed within that home, their fractured relationship was miraculously mended. Subsequently, they experienced restoration in other areas of life—such as the husband’s employment and finances—as things began to resolve “as the earth yields its produce” (verse 12).
Even if we are part of a church, our recovery is incomplete if our souls remain parched. We must not settle for this or give up; instead, we must pray with a longing for the true joy and revival that God provides.
Psalm 85 serves as a “master key” of prayer, seeking God’s mercy and revival amidst a barren reality that our own strength cannot transform. It offers us guidance for navigating the space between “grace already received” and a “reality not yet fully restored.”
Throughout Christian history, this passage has been a cornerstone for those seeking “spiritual awakening” and “restoration of circumstances.” In fact, the English term “revival” originated from and gained prominence through this very context.
In 1904, Wales was like a “spiritual Babylon,” utterly devastated by the harsh lives of miners, alcoholism, gambling, and spiritual apathy. In response, God raised up Evan Roberts—an ordinary twenty-six-year-old young man—to become a man of prayer.
Day after day, he would kneel and pray with tears, crying out the words of Psalm 85:6. “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”
As he clung to these words and cried out in anguish, the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit swept across Wales. With the arrival of revival, people voluntarily confessed their sins and returned stolen goods.
Pubs closed their doors, and courts were left with no criminals to try, leaving judges with nothing to do. As miners stopped swearing and began using gentle language, the pit ponies—accustomed only to commands laced with harsh profanity—could no longer understand their masters’ instructions.
The transformation was so profound that there is even an amusing anecdote about mine carts grinding to a halt because of this change. These are the words that ignited the “Great Welsh Revival,” one of the most powerful spiritual awakenings of the 20th century.
Revive us (me) again;
Grant us (me) complete restoration.
In our (my) homes, churches, workplaces, and across this land,
Let us (me) become the spark of restoration and revival;
Let the Great Welsh Revival rise once more.
