This song began with just a few lines that I jotted down in a sermon notebook.
“Revive me, Lord. Stir my heart anew.
Revive me, Lord. Make me more like You.
Reveal my sin. Restore my joy. Refine me with your fire.
And revive me, Lord, this is my desire.”
I worked on it for a little while, but then set it aside. I came across it a couple years later while going back through old journals. I got it back out and began to work on the verses again. This time, both the words and the melody seemed to come more easily.
The first verse is taken from Psalm 51:
“I come before You now to make confession,
Imploring that Your mercy You’ll extend.
For humbly I acknowledge my transgression.
Against Thee, and Thee only, have I sinned.”
The second verse deals with the danger of being busy in “spiritual” activities but neglecting our time with the Lord. The story of Mary and Martha was in my mind as I was writing:
“It’s easy to get busy in Your service,
And neglect to sit and worship at Your feet.
Remind me that Your glory is my purpose.
Draw night to me as I draw nigh to Thee.”
There are many times in my life when I need reviving, and I am certain these are true for others as well. Sometimes, we need revival because we have allowed sin to creep into our lives. Other times, it’s because we have become so “busy” that we have allowed coldness and apathy to settle in. Sometimes, we need reviving because we are weary or fainthearted from spiritual battle.
Whatever the cause, I am thankful that we serve the Lord of life who wants us to have life more abundantly. Can you pray this prayer with me?
“Revive me, Lord. Stir my heart anew.
Revive me, Lord. Make me more like You.
Reveal my sin. Restore my joy. Refine me with Your fire.
And revive me, Lord, this is my desire.”
©Copyright 2004 Niki Lott.
This song is found on the How Can I Sing? CD and in the companion book, available separately or as a package. The sheet music can also be purchased individually in printed or PDF download formats.
How do I get permission to use your PowerPoint slide for the song Revive Me, Lord? We use pro-presenter. Does it work with that platform? If I purchase the sheet music, what rights do I have? What is the licensing procedure?
Hi! You may use the pictures if they are for your church use. I am not sure if they will work with the program you mentioned as they are just photos, not slides. If you save them, you should be able to insert them into a slide show. I believe they are in .png format, but they might be .jpg.
If you purchase the sheet music, you are purchasing the rights to one copy. Please feel free to email me at nikisnotes2@msn.com if you are seeking broader permissions. Thank you!