Dear BAGBR Church,  

Psalm 85: 6 "Will you not yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?"

How and when does revival occur among God's people?  First of all, there must be the recognition that only God Himself can bring about true revival.  Revival is not rededication to being more faithful or being better, because often this kind of revival continues only as long as someone's resolve and emotions can sustain it.  Revival is not increased church activity with more programs, bigger worship celebrations, and events!  Revival begins with the deep desire by God's people to do what He desires among His people.  The above examples have a common theme, it is man-initiated and thus man-controlled.  Notice the words: Will You not Yourself revive us again?  It is the total abandoning of control and surrender to God for Him to do what He desires, in order to bring about an authentic reviving of His people.  We do not stipulate how, what, or how long? 

The second part of the statement is confessional: "that Your people may rejoice in You!" It is also an admittance that whatever the people of God are currently doing or experiencing is not genuine revival or rejoicing in the Lord. Why does revival tarry?  It tarries when we refuse to honestly examine our current worship, privately and corporately, and there is no willingness for God to change us or change it.  We want to be able to control and even contain God, so that, we can continue to maintain and enjoy our current "religious practices."  And maybe, we truly "do not" want this kind of revival because we know there would be changes that we are not willing to make. There are sins that we are NOT willing to confess, and there are ways that we are not willing to forsake?

We may say, sing, and even preach that we want revival, but do we want revival--God's way?