A Spiritual Revival
Awakened by the Word, Transformed by Truth.
Hi friends! Welcome to the third post in the series, ‘From Ruins to Restoration’. I hope Jesus is guiding you and filling your hearts with love every day. I am continuing this series with the ‘A Spiritual Revival’.
Revival Through God’s Word
We can find revival in many things—food, sleep, a good walk, socialising with friends, and working. These things are important; they revive us in ways essential to our well-being, our tangible well-being. But God’s Word does something different. It offers a transformative, spiritual revival that works from the inside out.
When the heart is revived, the body awakens, and true life begins. God’s Word doesn’t just comfort, but it also convicts, restores, and renews. Through the ministries of Ezra and Nehemiah, we witness this spiritual reawakening. Their leadership sparked a:
Return to the Word
Renewed covenant
Restored relationship between God and His people
There is no power like the power of the Lord.
Ezra’s Return: Restoring God’s Law (Ezra 7-10)
Chapters 7 to the end of the book focus on the 2nd return to Jerusalem. Sixty years after chapters 1-6, the tangible restoration of the Temple evolves into a spiritual restoration.
This time gap reminds us:
God’s work takes time. His plans are vast, His timing perfect, even when we don’t understand it. The whole book of Ezra is at least the span of a person’s life today. Why mention this? Because God’s work takes time. His plans are mighty, and His timing is often mysterious to us, but we can trust that His plans WILL come to pass.
Ezra, a priest and scribe, returns not to build walls or cities but to rebuild hearts. His mission: to teach, model, and revive God’s Law among the people.
“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” - Ezra 7:10 (NKJV)
How does a spiritual revival start?
By SEEKING the Lord and DOING it.
By being ACTIVE in His callings and DEVOTING yourself to the STUDY and OBSERVANCE of the Word.
Living and teaching in TRUTH.
Remarkably, the remnant who returned had never seen Jerusalem. They were born in Babylon, shaped by a different culture. As Ezra rises, God stirs in their hearts. One life fully committed can inspire an entire generation. Ezra’s journey took four months, a significant sacrifice. His obedience paved the way for the people’s awareness of their drift from God.
We see people encouraging one another to join the return, to be proactive and organised to restore God’s Law. We journey with Ezra through the despair and shame of seeing Israel’s sins and the heavy conviction that fell upon them.
“And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” - Ezra 9:6 (NKJV)
A righteous leader makes significant changes for the greater good. Ezra makes a rallying point.
It is a great privilege to have God’s Word available to us, so when we see such a precious thing disregarded, if we truly have a heart for God, we feel that pain.
True revival humbles us. It awakens us to sin and breaks our hearts over what breaks God’s.
The Power of God’s Word: A Nation Humbled (Nehemiah 8-9)
In Nehemiah 8, Ezra reads the Book of the Law before the assembly. The people’s response is powerful: they listen, weep, and desire understanding. This is not just emotionalism—it’s the deep soul conviction that God’s Word brings. The Levites explain the Scriptures clearly, helping the people understand. True revival is:
Hearing the Word - and understanding it.
Being moved by the Word—and being changed.
In this chapter, we are reminded of the importance of respecting God’s Word. We should give the Word our attention and time, just as the Israelites remained undistracted in awe of God.
‘as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow’ - 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV)
‘²⁰ My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹ Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; ²² For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.’ - Proverbs 4:20-22 (NKJV)
Sometimes, to give God our undivided attention, we must be willing to sacrifice convenience. Whether that means cancelling plans or travelling far, when we show God our reverence, He works in us deeply.
The physical wall in Jerusalem was a symbol, but the true revival was internal.
Nehemiah reminds them that repentance should lead to joy and renewal, saying, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Conviction is necessary, but it does not leave us in sorrow. We rise into joy, knowing that our repentance has brought us nearer to God. It should be the catalyst that encourages a life change.
Chapter 9 reveals the fruit of conviction:
Now the people publicly confess their sins, recounting God’s faithfulness despite their unfaithfulness. Twenty-three days after chapter 8, the Israelites act. God’s Word does not return void. It is not a dead theology. It is living, and when it is heard, we cannot help but act.
‘So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.’ - Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
Conviction is to be taken seriously, and it always ends in our desperate repentance.
Do we take time to consider our spiritual condition?
What are we unwilling to part with, even when it hinders our walk with God?
The Israelites had a significant sacrifice to make: separating from foreigners.
‘¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? …
¹⁷ Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”’ - 2 Corinthians 6: 14 & 17 (NKJV)
Not only is this a commandment to keep us Holy, but it is also to protect us from the consequences of sin.
The nation is remembering God’s faithfulness, and God is remembering His covenant. They have undergone a profound conviction and are now earnestly reviewing the Old Testament from the perspective of God’s goodness.
Mirroring Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter 1, the nation invites God to work. From simply hearing the Word, humility and restoration flooded the land.
Renewing the Covenant: A Commitment to Holiness (Nehemiah 10)
Revival is not just about emotion; it leads to action, a covenant renewal. In Chapter 10, the people commit themselves with a solemn oath to obey God’s law.
‘these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:’ - Nehemiah 10:29.
They commit to:
Honour the Sabbath
Put God first in family and business
Separate from ungodly influences
Unity was key here. Their language is clear and intentional: “We will… We won’t…”. This eliminates compromise and creates room for accountability. Sin is not to be tolerated by God’s people, and this unified commitment to keep all of God’s laws —something they hadn’t done in 1,000 years —is what allows God to work with and through His children truly.
They also restore giving, pledging their first fruits to God and forgoing profits on the Sabbath. Not working on the Sabbath was a tangible way to fix their hearts to God. For many, that day might have been the most profitable, but obedience outweighed gain.
‘we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.’ - Nehemiah 10:31 (NKJV)
We, too, must guard our hearts against materialism. Revival renews our priorities and brings us back to the simplicity of cheerful generosity—with our time, resources, and devotion.
Though we are not under the Old Covenant, we are under the New Covenant in Christ, and we are still called to be a holy people, set apart. To be God’s shining light in a dark place.
Revival Begins with God’s Word
Revival is not an event—it’s a way of life. Like in Ezra and Nehemiah’s day, we are called to:
Return to God’s truth
Respond in repentance
Remain in renewed obedience
Don’t seek revival for a feeling. Seek it for transformation.
Let the Word of God awaken, convict, and guide.
One devoted life can change generations.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
— Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)
May our lives reflect the fire of God’s Word—burning away what’s dead and reviving what’s holy.
Lord Jesus,
Thank you that Your Word is so readily available to us. We’re sorry for disobeying your instructions. When we act in a way that is not of You, may your Spirit lead us into prayer. We ask for help as we restore our hearts to You. Forgive the sinners in us, and may we feel a spiritual revival from this day on until we meet with you. We love you.
Amen🙏🏼
Bless you for the work you do dear sister in Christ!