In Ezekiel 37:1-14, we read about God telling the prophet Ezekiel to speak to the dry bones, so they would come back alive. Let’s read it together:
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause [breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14 I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”
God took Ezekiel, in the Spirit, out to a valley that was full of dry bones. Yesterday, in church buildings all throughout the United States, the chairs were full of dry bones. People who attend a service once per week, throw a few bucks into the offering and call it good. Yet, they are struggling at work, in their marriage, deeply in debt, their kids are a mess, and they’ve got lives full of sin – pornography, gossip, lying, cheating, stealing, visual or thought adultery, envy, coveting, and so on. All week they struggle and then come to the church service with their church mask, so that no one will ever know about their struggles.
Jesus told His true disciples to go into the world and preach the gospel, make disciples, and baptize them. How many of those sitting in chairs on Sunday (or Saturday) are doing that? Jesus said to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, house the homeless, visit the prisoners, and take care of the widows and orphans. How many are doing any of those?
The church is filled with dry bones and God is calling His true disciples to prophesy over your own dry bones, if necessary and then over the dry bones in the rest of the church. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and will change the atmosphere.
Ask the Holy Spirit to breathe life into all the dry bones, so that they (and you) will get outside the comfort of the church building walls and go fulfill the great commission. From dry bones to world changers in one breath.
Holy Spirit, breathe life into the person reading this message. Bring the dry bones to life, fill them with a new infilling of You and the power to go change the world!
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