Ezra 9 - When Leaders Weep: Ezra’s Prayer, Conviction, and Mercy

When Ezra learned that the returned exiles had fallen into spiritual compromise through intermarriage with pagan nations, he didn’t start with blame—he fell to his knees in grief. Ezra Chapter 9 records his raw and reverent prayer of confession, where he acknowledges both the weight of past sins and the miracle of God’s mercy.

In this episode of Practical Advice from the Scriptures, we unpack the depth of Ezra’s response and explore what it means to take sin seriously in a culture of excuses. What does spiritual leadership look like when conviction leads not to control, but to humility, prayer, and repentance? And how can we apply Ezra’s wisdom to our own moments of moral crisis?