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John 11:43–44
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth…”

The raising of Lazarus stands as one of the most astonishing scenes in all Scripture. A man four days dead responds to the voice of the Son of God. Death is no match for a word from Christ. This miracle reveals something profound about spiritual awakening: only Jesus can resurrect what has died inside you.

We can counsel ourselves, motivate ourselves, guilt ourselves, and attempt to reform ourselves, but none of those efforts breathe life into dead places. Only Christ’s voice can do that. His Word awakens what despair has strangled, what sin has suffocated, what disappointment has buried.

When Jesus cried, “Lazarus, come forth,” He spoke personally. Lazarus did not mistake that voice for any other. There is a moment in every believer’s life when God speaks directly, unmistakably—calling us out of spiritual slumber, out of compromise, out of hopelessness, out of resignation. Awakening begins with hearing His voice again.

But notice something else: Lazarus came forth still bound. The miracle gave life, but others had to help loose him. Spiritual awakening is not solitary; it is communal. Christ calls us to life, but the church helps unwrap what death left behind. This is why you cannot grow in isolation. God’s people play a vital role in your freedom.

Many believers feel like parts of their spiritual life have died—joy, passion, boldness, purity, prayer. But resurrection is not beyond reach. Christ still speaks. His Word still commands the dead to rise. His truth still calls the weary back into strength. His voice still awakens the sleeping heart.

Today, ask the Lord to speak into the dead places of your soul. Invite Him to call you forth again. When Christ speaks, death loses its grip, darkness loses its claim, and the believer walks out wrapped in new life.