Wake Up! Stand Up! Speak Up!

Devotional

Day 1: Wake from spiritual sleep; salvation is near.

When you wake up spiritually you stop living complacently and begin to move in the purpose God designed for you; wakefulness means casting off works of darkness, putting on the light, and living with urgency because salvation is nearer now than when you first believed — choose to stop the status quo and step into expectant obedience today. [25:00]

Romans 13:11–12 (ESV)
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Reflection: What one habit keeps you spiritually asleep, and what specific 15‑minute time today will you commit to replace it with Scripture and prayer?

Day 2: Arise from the dead; let Christ shine.

Awakening brings sight: as Christ’s light shines on you your spiritual eyes open and you begin to see God's positioning, protection, and purpose around you; refuse the blindness of comfort, look for the “God‑dots” in your life, and ask God to clear your vision so you’ll recognize heaven at work on your behalf. [27:56]

Ephesians 5:14 (ESV)
Therefore he says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Reflection: Name one person who needs Christ’s light through you; what specific step will you take today (invite, call, share a testimony) to reflect that light to them?

Day 3: Take up the whole armor and stand firm.

Standing is active — put on the full armor of God so you can withstand the evil day: know God’s promises, speak them, and refuse to be spiritually naked or passive; when you stand in faith and God's authority you will not be moved, just like Daniel who worshiped openly and saw God shut the mouths of lions. [44:18]

Ephesians 6:13 (ESV)
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Reflection: Which piece of God’s armor are you neglecting? Choose one, write a supporting Scripture promise, and speak that promise aloud twice today before bed.

Day 4: The tongue holds life-and-death power.

Words carry kingdom authority — declarations shape atmosphere and unlock breakthroughs; stop speaking defeat and begin declaring God’s promises over your health, family, and finances; speak life like the deacon who corrected “love her to death” into “love her to life,” and watch how declaration shifts what follows. [01:00:17]

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Reflection: What negative statement do you regularly speak about your life, and what specific scriptural declaration will you speak aloud ten times today instead?

Day 5: Speak by faith; the miracle will obey.

Jesus spoke and the dead obeyed — your voice carries the same authority in Christ to command change; do not be silent or timid, but declare God’s word aloud over the situations that look impossible, trusting that creation, sickness, and even death respond when faith speaks. [01:15:06]

John 11:43 (ESV)
When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”

Reflection: Identify one “dead” situation (relationship, health, hope). What bold scriptural phrase will you declare in faith aloud today, and when will you speak it?

Sermon Summary

I called us to wake up, stand up, and speak up. Not physically, but spiritually. Scripture says the time is now—nearer than when we first believed—to shake off spiritual sleep, fling away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. When we wake up, three things happen. First, vision clears. Like Elisha’s servant, our eyes open to the unseen help of God and the “God dots” He orchestrates. We stop reading our lives only by what’s in the natural and start recognizing grace at work where we assumed silence. Second, passion returns. Like the disciples on the Emmaus road, our hearts burn again, worship becomes alive, and the Word becomes fresh. Third, urgency increases. We stop drifting and start running with active persistence, redeeming the time because the days are evil.

Waking leads to standing. Revelation should always lead to activation. Standing isn’t passive; it’s an active stance. We stand clothed in the full armor of God—every piece—so the enemy cannot exploit the gaps. We stand on His promises, not our perceptions, and we stand in the authority Jesus delegated to us. Hearing leads to faith, faith to obedience, and obedience to power. Like Daniel, we don’t hide our devotion; we keep the windows open and trust God to shut the mouths of lions.

Standing positions us to speak. Our words carry kingdom weight. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, so we refuse to partner with defeat. We declare God’s Word over our lives, and we speak truth with grace in a world of noise—light that reveals, exposes, and guides. We share our testimony because it’s not optional; it’s our mandate and our weapon. And when we speak by faith, creation responds: storms still, bones rattle, tombs open. The same Jesus whose word commanded wind and waves has placed His word in our mouths. So we declare: I am awake, standing, and speaking. I will not fear, bow, or be silent. I will fulfill God’s assignment on my life.

Key Takeaways

1. Wake up from spiritual complacency Spiritual sleep numbs discernment and dilutes desire. When we awaken, we recognize that proximity to Jesus demands participation, not passivity. God is summoning us to shed comfort and move into calling, because delay strengthens the opposition and weakens our resolve. The hour is now to walk in the light of Christ. [25:00]
2. When eyes open, vision clarifies Awakened eyes see protection where we assumed abandonment and purpose where we only felt pain. God is already arranging people, places, and moments—what we call “God dots”—to advance His work in us. Clarity doesn’t always change the circumstance first; it changes us so we can walk wisely within it. What once looked random begins to read like providence. [27:56]
3. Rekindled passion creates holy urgency A burning heart propels obedient feet. When the Word ignites us, we stop postponing obedience and start redeeming opportunity—moving from wandering to running. Holy urgency isn’t frantic; it’s focused, like Noah building what seemed unnecessary until the rain arrived. Passion fuels pace in the will of God. [37:34]
4. Stand fully armored and authorized Standing isn’t stiffness; it’s a braced, ready posture in the full armor, not selective pieces. The enemy aims at whatever we set down, so we stay fully clothed and anchored by God’s promises. Authority grows as hearing becomes doing; obedience is the runway for power. Hold the ground grace has given. [44:18]
5. Speak life; watch miracles respond Faith isn’t silent—belief speaks. We stop reinforcing bondage with careless words and start partnering with God’s promises, declaring what He says until reality aligns. In Scripture, bones, storms, and tombs all yielded to faith-filled speech; the same word of Jesus is in our mouths today. Your miracle often waits on your proclamation. [75:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:00] - Wake Up from Spiritual Sleep
[27:56] - Eyes Open: Vision Clears
[34:26] - Passion Returns: Emmaus Road
[37:34] - Live with Holy Urgency
[44:18] - Stand Firm: Full Armor
[47:23] - Daniel: Fearless Fidelity
[50:42] - Promises that Anchor Faith
[53:34] - Authority: Hear, Do, Overcome
[57:03] - Speak Life, Not Death
[63:38] - Words that Wake Dry Bones
[66:13] - Truth with Light and Love
[72:04] - Testimony: Your Mandate
[75:06] - Miracles Answer Faith-Filled Voice
[78:04] - Closing Prayer and Declaration

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 13:11–12 — Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone; the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Observation Questions

Read Romans 13:11–12. What two commands and two images does Paul use to call believers out of complacency? How do those images shape the tone of the passage? [25:00]
In the sermon the pastor told the Elisha story (the servant’s eyes opening to chariots of fire). What changed for the servant once his eyes were opened and why did that matter for how he understood the situation? [27:56]
The pastor quoted Luke 24 about the Emmaus road (hearts burning). After their eyes were opened, what immediate actions did the disciples take? What does that suggest about the link between revelation and response? [34:26]
The speaker described a “sleeping Christian” as an easier target for the enemy. What specific behaviors did he list that show spiritual sleep? Which of those appear in your life or your circle right now? [25:00]

Interpretation Questions

How does the phrase “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” function as an argument for urgency rather than mere comfort? Consider what “nearer” implies for daily choices and rhythms. [25:00]
The sermon emphasized putting on “the whole armor” rather than selective pieces. How does that fuller image change the way one should think about spiritual preparedness (mind, will, speech, prayer, etc.)? [44:18]
The preacher said “the same Jesus whose word commanded wind and waves has placed His word in our mouths.” Theologically, what must be true about prayer, faith, and authority for that statement to hold? [01:15:06]
The sermon links revelation → faith → obedience → power. How should that chain affect a believer’s approach to Scripture and to small, practical acts of obedience? [53:34]

Application Questions

Identify one clear sign of spiritual sleep in your own life (examples given: prayer, Bible reading, worship, witness). What concrete, measurable next step will you take this week to “wake up” in that area? Who will hold you accountable? [25:00]
Think of two “God dots” (unexpected people or small coincidences that felt like God’s hand) from the last three months. How will you respond to those signs this week—thanksgiving, outreach, a conversation, or a decision to follow what they point to? [27:56]
What practice will you restart or introduce to rekindle passion—worship time, daily Scripture, a short fast, or a weekly prayer partner? Schedule a specific day/time this week and tell the group how you will keep it. [34:26]
Which piece of the armor are you most likely to “set down” (helmet of salvation, belt of truth, shield of faith, sword of the Spirit, feet prepared with gospel, breastplate, prayer)? Name one practical step to “put that piece on” every morning for the next seven days. [44:18]
The sermon stressed that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Write a short, specific declaration (6–12 words) you will speak aloud each morning over a present need (health, finances, relationships, job). Share it with the group and use it daily. [57:03]
Choose one person you will intentionally share your testimony with this week (text, coffee, invitation, or short conversation). Plan exactly what you will say in two sentences and when you will do it. Report back next meeting. [01:12:04]
“Redeem the time” was a repeated theme. What will you stop doing (screen time, extra TV, idle browsing) to create a weekly 30–60 minute block for focused prayer and Scripture? Be specific about what you’ll stop, when, and for how long. [37:34]

Sermon Clips

When you stand on God's word, when you stand on His promises, anything that's meant to harm you or kill you has no power in your life. It has no power over you and it cannot touch you when you stand on God's word, when you stand on all that He has called you to do and you fully have that full armor of God. [00:47:56] (18 seconds) #StandOnGodsWord

You have to know that in order to stand on the promises of God, you have to know the promises of God. What are those promises? That I'm the head and not the tail, I'm above only and not beneath, I'm blessed coming in, I'm blessed going out, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. You have to know the promises of God. By His stripes I am healed. [00:48:19] (20 seconds) #KnowGodsPromises

When you stand on God's promise, your faith is going to anchor you when everything else shakes. When everything else around you seems like it's crumbling and it's falling, your faith is going to anchor you when you stand on God's promises. You're going to be able to get through what you're going through. [00:51:03] (18 seconds) #AnchoredByFaith

The enemy wants believers to remain silent. He wants us to be quiet because he knows that our words carry that authority, it carries that kingdom authority. So he wants somebody who's quiet, who's timid, who doesn't want to speak up, but it's time for us to rise up and say, "Not anymore. I'm speaking up, I'm declaring God's word over my life." And that's what you have to do—speaking up looks like this: the first thing is declaring God's word over your life. [00:58:30] (28 seconds) #RiseUpSpeakUp

You can't expect change when you're speaking defeat. You can't expect healing if you're going around saying, "Man, my allergies are killing me, man, my arthritis, man, my high blood pressure," whatever the case be. Now you're speaking death in your life, now you're declaring and you're claiming those things on your life instead of walking in the promise of being fully healed by the name of Jesus. We are fully healed. He said, "By my stripes you are healed." I walk in healing. [01:01:20] (28 seconds) #DeclareYourHealing

You can't rise while speaking death either. "Man, my back is killing me." What are you doing? You're putting your foot in the grave now, you're sending yourself to the grave early, right? Stop saying that mess. Grab hold of this word, stand, declare it over your life that, "Hey, I am healed, I am wonderfully made, I am blessed coming in, I'm blessed going out, I prosper even as my soul prospers." Declare that word over your life because your breakthrough is often waiting on your declaration. [01:02:19] (29 seconds) #SpeakLifeNotDeath

Faith isn't silent. Faith speaks. I believed and therefore I spoke. God teaches us what to say even when it contradicts what we're going through. Even when everything around you seems like it's falling to pieces, stand on His word, speak His word. "I am strong." Don't declare you're weak. "I am strong in Him." I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He strengthens us. Speak that over your life. He teaches you what to say. [01:03:16] (28 seconds) #FaithSpeaks

``Here's the key, here's the part I want you to understand: the same Jesus who spoke to the wind, who spoke to the seas, the same Jesus who told Peter to come, his voice, that same word, the same Jesus who spoke to dead, his word is in our mouth. We carry that same power, that same authority when we speak by faith. So when you speak to a mountain and say, "Be moved and cast into the sea," that mountain will be cast into the sea. All creation has to bow to the command when you speak in faith. [01:15:21] (35 seconds) #MoveMountainsByFaith

When you wake up and you stand up and you speak up, something shifts. Heaven begins to back you and hell fears you, and God's purpose begins to flow through you. This isn't a time for us to be spiritually asleep any longer. God's calling us to be awake, He's calling us to stand up, and He's calling us to speak up. The enemy wants us to be quiet, but today we're declaring, we're saying, "No more. No more am I going to sit down and be quiet. I'm going to wake up, I'm going to stand up, and I'm going to speak up. [01:17:12] (39 seconds) #WakeStandSpeakUp

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