Awakening the Spirit: A Call to Action

Summary

There is a stirring in our world—a quiet revival, a spiritual awakening that is not beginning somewhere distant, but right here, within each of us. The call is clear: “Wake up!” This is not a rebuke, but a loving, urgent invitation from the Holy Spirit to be alert, to be alive to what God is doing in our time. We live in an age of “polycrisis”—overlapping challenges and dangers that can leave us feeling overwhelmed or numb. Yet, paradoxically, these are also days of great spiritual opportunity. Across the UK, Europe, and beyond, there are signs of renewed interest in faith, especially among young people. Bible sales are soaring, church attendance is rising, and even the secular press is taking notice.

But the heart of this awakening is not found in statistics or headlines. It must begin in the secret place of our own hearts, in a personal revival of our relationship with Jesus. We are called to be a Christ-centered, mission-minded, Spirit-led community—open to the surprising, sometimes disruptive, movement of the Holy Spirit. This means being ready to respond, not just as individuals, but together as a church, to the unique moment God has given us.

Scripture repeatedly uses the imagery of sleep and wakefulness to describe our spiritual state. There are seasons when our souls drift into autopilot—through exhaustion, stress, boredom, or unresolved pain. In these times, we lose our passion, our hunger for God, and our sense of purpose. Yet, the Spirit’s call is to shake off spiritual sluggishness, to be watchful and prayerful, to refuse to miss the moment when Jesus draws near. Like Bartimaeus, we must cry out, naming our need and refusing to be silenced by the crowd or our own apathy.

This is a time for both personal and corporate awakening. As a church, it would be easy to coast, to settle for stability or comfort. But God is calling us to greater vision, to plant new churches, to birth new ministries, to be generous and sacrificial for the sake of the poor and the lost. Each of us is called not just to receive, but to lead, to disciple, to serve. The invitation is to wake up and dream—dreams that are acted upon with open eyes, dreams that change the world because they are rooted in the reality of who God is and who we are in Him.

Key Takeaways

- Spiritual awakening begins within. The quiet revival we long for does not start in the culture or even in the church at large—it starts in the secret place of our own hearts. Before we can catch the wave of what God is doing, we must allow Him to revive our personal relationship with Jesus, letting His light expose and heal the places where we have grown numb or complacent. [01:41]

- The urgency of the Spirit is loving, not condemning. When God says “wake up,” it is not out of anger but out of deep love and urgency. Like a parent alerting a child to danger, the Spirit’s call is insistent because the stakes are high—both in the challenges we face and the opportunities before us. We are invited to respond, not with fear, but with readiness and hope. [09:12]

- Spiritual sleep can be caused by exhaustion, trauma, or unhealthy coping. Life’s pressures—prolonged stress, unresolved pain, addictive behaviors, or simple boredom—can lull our souls into a kind of spiritual hibernation. While rest is necessary, we must be careful not to let these seasons become permanent, losing our hunger for God and our sense of calling. The Spirit gently but firmly calls us out of numbness into renewed passion. [30:00]

- God’s movement often offends our expectations. When revival comes, it rarely looks the way we expect. We must be willing to let go of our personal agendas and criteria, recognizing that God’s ways may challenge or even offend us. True wakefulness means being open to the surprising, sometimes uncomfortable, work of the Spirit, and being ready to move in His direction, not just our own. [18:45]

- The call is to dream and to act. God is not just awakening us for our own sake, but to release new dreams, new ministries, and new acts of generosity and leadership. Each of us is called to be more than a passive recipient; we are invited to lead, to disciple, to serve, and to give. The dreams God gives are meant to be acted upon, changing our lives and the world around us. [44:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:41] - The Weight of a Prophetic Word
[07:10] - Wake Up: The Spirit’s Invitation
[09:12] - Ephesians 5: Living as Children of Light
[11:25] - Dangerous Times and Spiritual Opportunity
[13:45] - Signs of Revival Among Young People
[15:20] - The Quiet Revival: Statistics and Trends
[18:45] - Catching the Wave: Momentum and Direction
[21:45] - Wakefulness and Prayer in Scripture
[24:40] - Jesus’ Call to Watchfulness
[26:31] - The Parable of the Bridesmaids
[30:00] - Causes of Spiritual Sleep
[32:45] - The Numbness of Coping Mechanisms
[34:44] - Bartimaeus: Seizing the Moment
[41:38] - Personal Revival and the Birth of Movements
[44:32] - Dreaming with Open Eyes
[46:12] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Wake Up! A Call to Spiritual Awakening"

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### Bible Reading

Ephesians 5:8-14 (NIV)
"You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

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### Observation Questions

1. In Ephesians 5:8-14, what contrasts does Paul make between darkness and light? What does he say is the result of living as "children of light"?
2. According to the sermon, what are some signs in our world today that point to a spiritual awakening or revival? ([13:45])
3. The sermon mentions that the Spirit’s call to "wake up" is not a rebuke but a loving, urgent invitation. What examples from the sermon illustrate this difference? ([09:12])
4. What are some causes of "spiritual sleep" mentioned in the sermon, and how do they affect our relationship with God? ([30:00])

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### Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul use the imagery of sleep and wakefulness to describe our spiritual state? What does it mean to "wake up" spiritually, according to both the passage and the sermon? ([21:45])
2. The sermon describes a "polycrisis"—many overlapping challenges in our world. How might these crises create both obstacles and opportunities for spiritual growth and revival? ([11:25])
3. The story of Bartimaeus is used as an example in the sermon. What does his response to Jesus teach us about seizing spiritual opportunities? ([34:44])
4. The sermon says that God’s movement often offends our expectations. Why is it important to be open to the surprising or disruptive work of the Holy Spirit? ([18:45])

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### Application Questions

1. The sermon says that spiritual awakening begins in the "secret place" of our own hearts. What is one area of your personal relationship with Jesus that feels numb or on autopilot? What would it look like to invite God to revive that area this week? ([41:38])
2. When you hear the Spirit’s call to "wake up," do you tend to feel condemned or invited? How can you remind yourself that God’s urgency is rooted in love, not anger? ([09:12])
3. The sermon lists exhaustion, stress, boredom, and unresolved pain as causes of spiritual sleep. Which of these do you most relate to right now? What practical step could you take to move toward renewed passion for God? ([30:00])
4. Have you ever missed a spiritual opportunity because you were distracted, tired, or spiritually "asleep"? What could help you be more alert and responsive in the future? ([26:31])
5. The sermon challenges us to be open to God moving in unexpected ways, even if it disrupts our plans or preferences. Is there an area where you need to let go of your own agenda and be more open to the Spirit’s leading? ([18:45])
6. The call is not just to receive but to lead, disciple, and serve. What is one way you could step out in leadership, generosity, or service in the coming month? ([44:32])
7. The sermon ends with the idea of "dreaming with open eyes"—acting on God-given dreams. Is there a dream or idea God has placed on your heart that you have been hesitant to pursue? What is one small step you could take toward it this week? ([44:32])

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for personal and corporate awakening, asking God to revive hearts, renew vision, and give courage to respond to His call in this unique moment.

Devotional

Day 1: Wake Up: Embracing the Light of Christ
The call to "wake up" is not a rebuke, but a loving and urgent invitation from God to step out of spiritual sleep and into the light of Christ. In a world filled with distractions, crises, and the temptation to coast through life, God desires that you live alert and engaged, allowing His light to shine on every part of your life. This is a moment to refuse spiritual autopilot, to let go of numbness or complacency, and to respond to the Spirit’s prompting with openness and expectation. Christ’s invitation is to rise from spiritual slumber so that His presence and purpose can be fully realized in you. [09:12]

Ephesians 5:8-14 (ESV)
"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

Reflection: Where in your life have you been spiritually asleep or coasting, and what would it look like today to invite the light of Christ to shine in that area?

Day 2: Be Watchful and Prayerful in Urgent Times
God calls His people to spiritual alertness, especially in times of crisis and change. Just as watchmen stay awake through the night to protect a city, you are invited to be vigilant in prayer and attentive to what God is doing. Spiritual sleepiness can creep in through exhaustion, stress, or routine, but the Spirit urges you to stay awake, to intercede, and to be ready for God’s movement. This is a season to cultivate a heart that is expectant, prayerful, and responsive, refusing to miss the opportunities God is placing before you. [21:45]

Isaiah 62:6-7 (ESV)
"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth."

Reflection: What practical step can you take today to be more spiritually alert and prayerful, even in the midst of your daily routines or stresses?

Day 3: Don’t Miss the Moment: Responding to God’s Invitation
There are moments in life when God draws especially near, inviting you to respond with faith and boldness. Like Bartimaeus, who refused to let his moment with Jesus pass by, you are encouraged to recognize when God is moving and to cry out for what you truly need. This is not a time to be passive or to let the opinions of others silence your hunger for God. Instead, seize the opportunity to articulate your needs, repent where necessary, and ask Jesus to do a new work in your life. [34:44]

Mark 10:46-52 (ESV)
"And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' And Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.' And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And the blind man said to him, 'Rabbi, let me recover my sight.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith has made you well.' And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way."

Reflection: What is one specific area where you need to cry out to Jesus today, refusing to let the moment pass by in silence or fear?

Day 4: Overcoming Spiritual Numbness and Reigniting Passion
Long-term stress, trauma, boredom, or unhealthy coping mechanisms can lead to spiritual numbness and a loss of passion for God. The Spirit’s invitation is to recognize these patterns, refuse to settle for a dull or disengaged faith, and allow God to revive your heart. You are not meant to live as an onlooker in your own life, but to be fully engaged, hungry for God, and motivated by His love. Even if you feel stuck or weary, God’s compassion is for you, and He desires to restore your zeal, soften your heart, and renew your spiritual hunger. [32:45]

Romans 12:11-12 (ESV)
"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

Reflection: Is there a coping mechanism or area of numbness in your life that you need to bring honestly before God today, asking Him to reignite your passion and restore your spiritual hunger?

Day 5: Dreaming with God: Stepping into Your Calling
God has created you with purpose, value, and the capacity to influence others for His kingdom. The Spirit is inviting you to wake up to your identity in Christ, to dream new dreams, and to step out in faith—whether that means leading, serving, giving, or starting something new. You are not just here to receive, but to be equipped and released to make a difference. As you respond to God’s call, remember that you are filled with His Spirit, able to be more forgiving, generous, and joyful than you could ever be on your own. Don’t miss the adventure of joining in what God is doing in this moment. [44:32]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: What is one dream, idea, or step of faith that you sense God is stirring in you right now, and how can you begin to act on it today?

Quotes

But whatever this quiet revival means, I can tell you for a fact, it's not starting out there somewhere. It's got to start in here, in me, in you, with a revival in our own relationships with Jesus. You want to catch the wave? Make sure the quiet revival is happening in your own heart right now.

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. And find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible. And everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said, Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. [00:08:08]

Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, Christ will shine on you. This is the joyous invitation of the Spirit. He wants the light of Christ to shine on our lives. He doesn't want us sleepwalking through our existence. [00:08:59]

When Hudson came to the room that day, he wasn't telling us off, but there was an incredible sense of urgency, fire, fire. You've got to wake up. You've got to help. Something is happening. It is urgent. I believe that is the heart behind this word that Benjamin has shared with us, wake up. [00:11:03]

It's not a time to be sleepwalking. The economist Adam Tooze has coined the term polycrisis to describe the bewildering chaos of interconnected crises, geopolitical, economic, climactic, medical and military combining to exacerbate, accentuate and accelerate our plight right now. It's not just one crisis. It's so many different crises and they're all making each other worse. It can be overwhelming and exhausting just to look at your news feed. [00:11:50]

Seriously scary, yet also surprisingly, they are also seriously exciting. There are signs of a spiritual, cultural awakening. And so the picture you can see on the screen there was yesterday's Financial Times. Has Christianity regained the underground appeal of its earliest days, asks the FT. Signs that Britain's Gen Z are turning to faith. [00:13:07]

If you are Gen Z, if you are 25 years or younger, you are now 50 % less likely to be an atheist than your parents. Atheism is what your parents did. It's no longer particularly interesting or edgy or appealing because it doesn't seem to be working. And so young people are returning to church in very significant numbers, as we shall see. [00:14:35]

This is an extraordinary time, seriously scary poly crisis and yet seriously kind of exciting and encouraging if you're a follower of Jesus what on earth are we to do well this is a time where the spirit of God says wake up don't miss this moment waiting for who knows what else what moment what enormous emotion you're waiting for what flashing lights you're requiring this is the moment to be engaged alert in prayer and doing the stuff. [00:18:21]

Sadly, churches in this country that will miss this wave, will miss this opportunity for one of two reasons. Some, it's because they are not paddling. It's like they're facing the right direction. Yeah, yeah, we're into all of this. But they're just like, you know, we just believe in, you know, just trusting the Lord and, you know, it's all grace and, you know, we just want to have a really well -boundary Sabbath lifestyle. It's going to be all that stuff and they're going to miss it because they don't have sufficient speed to catch the wave when it comes. [00:19:51]

And then there's another type of church that I think will be at risk of missing it. These ones, boy, they have the speed. I mean, they are frenetic. They're doing everything you can possibly think of doing. They're so busy, but they're pointing in the wrong direction. I'm already getting people getting in touch with me going, well, I don't believe it's revival unless, and then they add their own personal criteria unless it results in this result for Gaza or unless it results in this particular thing in terms of human trafficking or their political preferences, whether it's the left or the right or, you know, whatever their agenda is. And I think you've got to wake up and understand God is God and you're not and your opinions are not absolute truth and God will do what God wants to do and some of it will be the things you want him to do and some of it will be an offense to you. [00:20:27]

It's interesting. You know, I've done a little bit of a Bible study on this since Benjamin had that word and I've never really understood before how often scripture compares sleeping to spiritual sluggishness and wakefulness to prayerfulness. [00:21:45]

There are seasons of winter. There are seasons of fallow, but there are seasons of spring. You look around you now in our world, everything is coming into blossom. Everything, all the fruit is dropping. There's an acceleration in the world and I believe in the spirit. Awake my soul, we sometimes have to say to ourselves. [00:23:09]

There's an alertness and expectancy of Jesus, where are you? Where are you coming? You're going to turn up when I'm least expecting it. In the garden of Gethsemane, very movingly, Jesus in the beginning of his very darkest hour, gathers his three best friends and with incredible vulnerability. He says, please, will you stay awake and pray for me? I've never needed prayer and a sense of fellowship more than I need it right now. [00:23:54]

I wonder whether this challenge from the holy spirit this loving invitation to wake up is an invitation for you here now i know that in my own life there have been seasons when i've moved into autopilot it's been kind of a coping mechanism sometimes you just kind of dumb down you go a bit numb you kind of outwardly go through the motions people wouldn't necessarily know that you're kind of hibernating inside and there's many things that can move you into that sort of sleepwalking state one of them is exhaustion and extreme protracted stress. [00:28:07]

Whatever it is that sometimes sends our souls to sleep, the result is the same. We lose our passion. We lose our ambition and our motivation. We lose our spiritual hunger. We used to long for God, and now we just pretend to long for God. We lose our heart. We lose our fire and our zeal. Our heart gets a little hardened. Our prayers, let's be honest, get dull. Our consciences get sloppy. Don't get stuck in that place. [00:31:47]

And so into all of this, I believe the Holy Spirit is looking with great compassion and love at each one of us and going, Wake up! The room's on fire. Wake up! Exciting things are happening. Wake up! I want the light of Christ to shine on your life. Don't miss the moment. Seize the day. [00:33:09]

And there are times in our life where it is like Jesus comes close. And I think we are entering one of those moments when the prayers that we pray carry disproportionate effect. And so Bartimaeus cries out, we're told, to Jesus. And the crowd say, shut up. Just shut up. Don't hassle him. You're a nobody. He's a somebody. Shut up. And Bartimaeus refuses to shut up. He is awake to the moment. He won't just sleep through it to keep people happy. [00:33:55]

You are not here to receive you are here to be trained to lead because if this wave is coming and we're going to go to a place where we've got people getting saved every single week baptisms and all the rest of it you had better know how to lead someone to Jesus you better know how to disciple someone you better know how to help someone as they process their own pain and you're saying but I'm still processing my own pain yes and you'll never be perfect but you only have to be a day ahead of someone else to help them through that day and and so you know you're not here just to sort of survive as a Christian the call of the Lord is on you to lead every one of you has got what it takes to be influencing the lives of others in an incredible way. [00:39:23]

Don't say you've got a heart for the poor if you're not giving generously out of what you can afford because it's just it's just hot air otherwise it, it's just sentiment. I'm tired of people who just virtue signal on social media. How are you spending your life for the sake of the poor? How are you spending your money for the sake of others? [00:40:30]

It began because God did a quiet revival in me and here's the funny thing that didn't feel nice it felt nasty I just got thirsty for God hungry for God fed up with my spiritual mediocrity and so I was awake in the night saying God I want to know you I want to know you I want to hear you I want to see miracles I don't want to just go through religious games but it was the spirit of the Lord saying to my soul wake up wake up wake up maybe I was beginning to say to my own soul like David wake up my soul and as my soul woke up something began to spread and others felt the same and momentum gathered and we found that we were at the heart the epicenter the beginning of a movement that has now influenced hundreds of thousands of lives but you know we weren't trying to do that it's just getting revived I was just responding to the spirit of the Lord saying to me wake up and something in me was waking up. [00:42:18]

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, they wake up in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous, for they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible. I think the Spirit of the Lord is saying, wake up and dream. He wants to release new dreams and new visions. Not just kind of dreams of the night that just come and go, but the kind of dreams that change the world. But it begins with each one of us waking up to the potential of this moment. [00:44:36]

The fact that you are made by God, loved by God. He thought you were worth dying for. That's the value he puts on your life. If you are not an accident, there are good works prepared in advance for you to do. You are a gift to your friends. You are a gift to your family. You are a gift to the place where he's put you. You're not just an ordinary person because you're filled with the Spirit of the Creator, God. [00:45:20]

This isn't about just trying hard to change the world it is about waking up to who you are who God is and what he's doing in this present moment and so that's all I want to say I believe this is a moment where the spirit of the Lord is saying to us wake up and is a loving but urgent invitation don't miss this moment our world is in a mess wake up wake up the spirit of the Lord seems to be doing something that we've been praying for for decades don't miss the moment wake up respond to him it's a new day new songs are being released. [00:46:16]

Chatbot

What does waking up spiritually involve in times of crisis?

How can individuals and churches respond to divine urgency?

What signs indicate a genuine spiritual revival today?