Revival Brings Rejoicing

Psalm 85:6, “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”


God brings Revival! Revival brings rejoicing! The kind of rejoicing it brings is rejoicing in the blessed Saviour. The Lord’s people ought to rejoice in Him. A lack of joy or a failure to rejoice in the Lord is a sure sign of declension and an indication of our need of revival. Even where joy is present, revival marvellously intensifies it. The more we have of the Spirit, then the more we have of joy.


Sadly, we have to confess we greatly lack this quality, and yet we need it, for “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). When that joy goes it is inevitably replaced with other things. Things that are powerless and even harmful. Most often it is replaced with a moaning critical spirit. Evangelical Christianity seems infected with a spirit of hyper-criticism. Grumbling, complaining and fault finding saps our spiritual strength. A spirit of negativity floods in when humble, appreciative rejoicing in a great Saviour of sinners departs. It is why Christians lack power today. We need to confess our joylessness and pray this prayer.


“Revival brings rejoicing because in revival, people stop looking at the faults of others and, instead, focus on the Saviour.”


“If you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere” (Billy Sunday 1862-1935).


“Revivals begin with God's own people; the Holy Spirit touches their heart anew, and gives them new fervour and compassion, and zeal, new light and life, and when He has thus come to you, He next goes forth to the valley of dry bones... Oh, what responsibility this lays on the Church of God! If you grieve Him away from yourselves, or hinder His visit, then the poor perishing world suffers sorely!" (Andrew Bonar 1810-1892).