“I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.
Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”
Ezekiel 37:14 (NIV)
Welcome back to this mini-series that I’m calling Awaken – where we explore how God stirs hearts and moves in our world today. I want to ask you something upfront: when revival happens—when God breathes new life into His people—what does it look like? What should we do?
Well, let me tell you this: revival isn’t a strategy. It’s not a new church program or a louder worship set. Revival is when God shows up and does what only He can do.
Think back with me. Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? Most of us do. But here’s a better question: who were you with? You see, moments like that aren’t just historical—they’re communal. In the aftermath, people turned to church. Prayer vigils filled sanctuaries. Some called it revival. But it didn’t last. Why?
Because fear-based revival fades. What we need is a Spirit-based awakening—a move of God that begins not in fear but in faith. And that starts not with what we do… but with what only God can do.
Ezekiel 37 gives us a powerful image: a valley full of dry bones. Lifeless. Hopeless. And then God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” And Ezekiel answers, “Lord, only you know.” What a powerful confession.
God doesn’t respond with a lecture. He responds with a demonstration. He tells Ezekiel to prophesy. The bones rattle. Sinews form. Flesh appears. And then—God breathes His Spirit into them. And they live. A vast army rises from what was once a graveyard. That’s revival. That’s what God wants to do again.
In verse 14, God says, “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live.” Sound familiar? The apostle Paul echoes this in Romans 8:11: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies…” It’s not just a promise for someday. It’s for right now. God wants to bring life where there’s death. Hope where there’s despair. Unity where there’s division.
Samuel Wakefield, a 19th-century Wesleyan theologian, once said, “When the Spirit of God revives the soul, it is not a mere glow of emotion, but the rekindling of divine purpose.” That’s the revival we’re asking for.
So how do we prepare? We start with humility. We confess that we’re the dry bones. That the church, as it stands today, often feels scattered and cut off. But our God specializes in resurrection.
Then we listen. We let His Word speak again. We say, “Do it again, God.”
And finally, we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us—to breathe life into our churches, our families, our communities.
Because when the Word and the Spirit meet…that’s when revival happens.
Friends, this isn’t just for somewhere else or someone else. It’s for here. For now. For us.
Let me leave you with this challenge: Every morning this week, pray this simple prayer—“Do it again, God.” Say it with boldness. Say it with belief. Because revival starts when we believe that what God has done before… He can do again.
Thanks for joining me on this Awaken journey. Be sure to come back next time, when we’ll talk about what revival actually looks like when it takes root in the Church. Until then—stay awake, stay expectant, and stay filled.
God loves you and so do I!
Blessings,
Steve
