Longing for Revival | Week 1

We can be surrounded by abundance and still feel empty inside. We see it all around us. Even with full calendars, constant connection, and endless entertainment, something in us still aches for more. Beneath the surface of our striving lies a deeper hunger—the desire to encounter the living God, to experience his presence in a way that deeply satisfies our longings. That longing is a sign that we were made for more than the noise and distractions that fill our days.

Because God’s steadfast love is better than life, we are invited to seek him earnestly, be satisfied in his presence, and cling to him with trust even in dry or difficult places. Psalm 63 gives voice to this kind of holy desire. Written by David while he was in the wilderness of Judah—far from comfort, stability, and safety—this psalm is a cry from a thirsty soul who has tasted God’s goodness and cannot live without it. The book of Psalms as a whole teaches us how to bring our full selves to God in every circumstance—joy, sorrow, fear, or hope. Psalm 63 stands out as a song of longing and satisfaction, a reminder that true revival begins when our thirst drives us back to the One who alone can quench it.

Have someone read out loud. 

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
    your right hand upholds me.

9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
    they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
    and become food for jackals.

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
    all who swear by God will glory in him,
    while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Leader’s Note on questions: You likely won’t get to every question. Choose the ones that seem like the best fit for your group. 

1. When in your life have you felt spiritually dry, restless, or disconnected? What did that season teach you about your hunger for God?

Leader’s Note: Normalize dryness as part of the faith journey. Encourage honesty without pressure to give “spiritual” answers. David wrote this psalm while physically in the wilderness, a fitting picture for spiritual thirst.

2. Read verse 1 again. What words or images stand out most to you? How would you describe what David is longing for?

Leader’s Note: “Earnestly I seek you” evokes pursuit and desire, not duty. The Hebrew phrase for “my whole being longs for you” literally means “my soul thirsts, my flesh faints”—a picture of total-person yearning.

3. David says, “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory” (v. 2). How do past encounters with God shape your present hunger for him?

Leader’s Note: Encourage participants to remember real moments of worship or awareness of God’s presence. Revival often springs from remembering that we have tasted his goodness before.

4. Verse 3 declares, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” What do you think David means by “better than life”?

Leader’s Note: “Love” here is ḥesed—God’s covenantal, faithful, merciful love. The psalmist claims God’s steadfast love is more satisfying than any earthly good. True revival begins when God’s presence becomes our highest joy.

5. How does David move from longing (v. 1) to satisfaction (v. 5)? What do you notice about that progression?

Leader’s Note: Verses 1–5 show a pattern: thirst → remembrance → praise → satisfaction. The language “as with the richest of foods” reflects sensory abundance; David’s worship becomes the feast. Sometimes praise precedes the feeling of satisfaction. It leads us there.

6. In verses 6–8, David remembers God “on his bed” and “through the watches of the night.” What practices help you stay aware of God when life feels quiet, lonely, or uncertain?

Leader’s Note: These verses depict a rhythm of continual remembrance. Some concrete habits—nighttime prayer, journaling, silence, gratitude. These can keep attention on God even in anxiety or insomnia.

7. David says, “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” What does it mean to “cling” to God, and how have you experienced his upholding in your life?

Leader’s Note: The Hebrew for “clings” implies attachment or union. Both human pursuit (“I cling”) and divine initiative (“You uphold”) appear here. Revival is mutual abiding.

8. Verses 9–11 speak of enemies destroyed and the king rejoicing in God. How does that ending strike you? Does it feel out of place after the earlier tone of intimacy? Why or why not?

Leader’s Note: Some might find the shift jarring; others see it as an expression of trust that God’s justice will prevail. Lament and praise, longing and confidence, often coexist in the psalms. This models wholeness in prayer as opposed to sanitizing our emotions before God.

9. Throughout the psalm, David’s physical hunger and thirst become metaphors for spiritual life. How might this reshape the way we think about “revival” today?

Leader’s Note: Revival begins with awareness of need, not abundance. Spiritual hunger is not a lack of faith but a sign of life. Satisfaction in God leads to mission and joy.

10. If God’s steadfast love is truly “better than life,” what is one concrete way you could seek him this week—with your time, attention, or affection?

Leader’s Note: Encourage realistic, grace-filled responses: setting aside a few quiet minutes, praying on a walk, or fasting one meal. Emphasize that small acts of devotion feed spiritual hunger and can become sparks of personal renewal.

Psalm 63 reminds us that revival begins not with striving but with longing. David’s words come from the wilderness. And they are full of desire, remembrance, and confidence in God’s love. He shows us that thirst is a sign of life. Because God’s steadfast love is better than life, we are invited to seek him earnestly, to be satisfied in his presence, and to cling to him with trust even in dry or difficult places.

Each of us carries places of hunger and emptiness where only God can meet us. The invitation is not to hide those places but to bring them honestly before him. As we do, worship turns our longing into communion, and our thirst becomes the doorway to renewal. Every moment is an opportunity to entrust ourselves again to the One whose love never runs dry.

Leader’s Note: Have people choose the practice that feels most comfortable to them. Encourage grace and curiosity rather than pressure or performance.

Shallow end: One day this week, take five minutes in a quiet space, invite the Holy Spirit, and slowly read Psalm 63 out loud. As you read, notice one phrase or image that stirs something in you. Sit with that line in silence before the Lord for a minute or two. Then turn that into a simple prayer to God.

Medium depth: Set aside one meal this week to fast as a way of awakening hunger for God. During that time, read Psalm 63 slowly, pausing at verses 5–8 to picture what it means to be satisfied and upheld by God’s presence. Write in a journal or notes app one sentence that completes this phrase: “Because your love is better than life, I will…” End the fast at your next mealtime by eating mindfully and thanking God for his faithful love that sustains body and soul.

Optional: You could also do this practice with a friend or small group member, fasting separately but texting each other a brief reflection afterward to share what you noticed.

As you end, take time for prayer ministry using the 5-step model: invite the Spirit, wait, listen, pray, and respond.

Begin by inviting the Holy Spirit to come and awaken fresh hunger for God’s presence. Wait quietly together. Encourage everyone to pay attention to what they sense in their hearts or bodies — words, pictures, physical sensation, peace, emotions, warmth, or simple awareness. These can all be ways the Spirit meets us. Check in with people to see what the Spirit is doing and speaking.

Pray for those who feel spiritually dry or distant, that they would know God’s steadfast love as better than life itself. Pray for satisfaction and renewal in his presence.

If you sense the Spirit highlighting a person, with permission, pray gently for what God seems to be doing.