Introduction:   There are people who would like to rewrite our history and there are people that would like to keep us in some sort of a vacuum. There are people who want to move us more and more away from the Christian background upon which we have been founded. America needs a miracle. America needs a revival. And what we have here in this text is the prayer of a patriot. It's a prayer given long ago, but it is a prayer that is as rich and pertinent as ever in history. And it's time that some of us prayed the prayer of a patriot. Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee. I want to preach just a few moments about a miracle for America; about true revival.

I.          THE POSSIBILITY AND THE POWER OF REVIVAL

"Wilt thou not revive us again?" Preacher, do you have hope? Of course I have hope. Why? Because there's a God in heaven! God has sent revival before in dark times and God can send revival in these dark and desperate days in which we live. As long as there's a God in heaven, there's a possibility of revival

A.        God Is Our Hope

·         Where our hope is?

It's not in Washington, the Pentagon, not Wall Street. Not with the Democrats or the Republicans. Our hope is in God. There was a time when we believed God had power to change institutions, but somehow we think that God today doesn't have the power that He used to. (Isa 59:1-2) "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: {2} But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."

·         I believe God wants to bless America.

But preacher, it's different now. We have this now and we have that now, but my dear friend, we still have God and God is greater than all of those things. The Bible tells us that where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. Don't talk to me about demons and demonism. May I tell that a third of the angels fell, that means that two thirds didn't fall and we've got two angels for every demon. Don't talk to me about the power of the devil, for Jesus says "greater is He that's in you than he that's in the world." Don't talk to me about living in the last days, for Jesus said, "Lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age." His power has not diminished. God is our hope, God is our only hope. But not only is God our only hope,

B.        God Is Our Biggest Hazard (v.4)

I'm not afraid of what the Russians, or the Iraqis will do to us, I'm afraid of what God is going to do to us if we don’t repent. God is our only hope, and God is our biggest threat.

II.        THE PEOPLE OF REVIVAL

"Wilt thou," that's the possibility and power, “not revive us,” that's the people. It's not the secular humanist that needs a revival, he needs life. To revive is to bring something almost dead back to health. They don't need a revival, they need a vival. We're not talking about Hollywood or pornographers when we're talking about revival. We are talking about the people of God. The problem in America and the cure for America is sitting in congregations like this across America. "Wilt thou not revive us again?" (II Chron.7:14) "If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." First of all notice

A.        The People That God Has

He's talking about us. The hope of America is not in the Pentagon or in the White House, it is in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. “My people” - the people that God has. I want you to notice

B.        The Pride That God Hates

God says "if my people…shall humble themselves." Real revival begins with God's people on their face. The Bible says "God resists the proud, and He gives grace to the humble."

C.        The Prayer God Hears

The need in America today is not eloquence, it's not energy, it's not enthusiasm, it's not influence, it’s not intellect. It is intercession. Satan mocks at our schemes. He fears our prayers, but notice that this is a prayer that turns from sin and seeks the face of God. Most of us are not seeking the face of God. We're seeking the hand of God. It's not just fellowship with God that we want it's the power of God to deliver us. But God says, don't seek my hand, seek my face. If you find my face, then you will have my hand.

D.        The Promise That God Honors

God says "then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land." What God says is that when we are humble and when we are holy we will be heard and we will be healed.

III.       THE PRODUCT OF REVIVAL

What is revival? Bigger churches? A better economy? Oil for our great big automobiles? No, my dear friend, when we seek God's face, what do God's people rejoice in? The product of real revival is a rejoicing in God himself, because we've been seeking the face of God. Actually there are three steps in revival. First of all there's

A.        A Time Of Weeping

A time of brokenness - God knows we have enough to weep about. God knows the sin in our churches, the coldness in our churches, the sinfulness of our people, the lostness of our neighbors. Oh, we ought to be on our face before God. It's a time of weeping. And then real revival is

B.        A Time Of Reaping

When God's people get right, the lost get saved. It culminates in a harvest of souls. After that weeping and reaping, there comes

C.        That Time Of Rejoicing

We don't need to be afraid of emotion. What the church of the Lord Jesus Christ needs is a burning, blazing, passionate, emotional love for the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean to get excited about the things of God. Revival is a blazing, shouting, passion for God. We're God's people. Rejoice in Him.

Conclusion:     America needs revival. America is sick ladies and gentlemen. But there is a God in Heaven and as long as there is a God in heaven I refuse to give up hope. If the world will not have revival, then let’s have revival in America. And if America will not have revival then let's have revival in Florida. And if Florida will not have revival, let's have revival in Palatka. And if Palatka won't have a revival, let's have revival at Southside. And if Southside won't have revival, then let's have a revival in our family. And if your family won't have a revival, then how about you? Just how about you? Why don't you say, Oh, God revive me. If my pastor is wrong, if my music director is wrong, if my Sunday school teacher is wrong, if my husband, my wife, my father, my mother, my brother, my sister, Oh, God let me get right with you. I'm only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do. And what I can do and ought to do, that by the grace of God I will do. Revival in your heart, in his heart, in her heart, and before long the revival fire is burning in America. Oh, God wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in Thee? I'm not talking about wild eyed fanaticism, I'm just talking about obeying Jesus and letting Him bless. Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. Would you pray and ask yourself, is the fire of revival burning in my heart. Ask yourself, beloved member of this church. Is my heart right with God? Am I rejoicing in Him? Is there burning passionate love for the dear Lord Jesus in my heart? Do I love what He loves? Do I love His Word? Do I love His church? Do I love a lost world? Do I love as He loves? Pray it…say it…mean it. Lord start a revival and let it begin in me.