the calling forth of Ezekiel's.....

I hear in my ears the voice of the Lord saying:

"I am calling forth Ezekiel's, I am calling forth in this time a generation of believers that will prophesy as I command. Prophesy Life into the dry bones of your situations, stop speaking death over others, over ministries, over pastors, over your own family. I say begin to prophesy that the dry places be filled with living waters and watch me redeem it!"

In prayer yesturday morning I felt prompted to turn to Ezekiel 37. The Lord has had me read this before on several occassions. As I read the passage again I am encouraged to know that the Lord WANTS to use us so mightily in ALL areas of our lives and the people that are in it. He, the Lord, gives us the POWER to prophesy LIFE, HEALING, RESTORATION and JOY in every area and aspect of our being!!!!

When Ezekiel was looking at the circumstances of the dry bones, not looking too alive, the Lord asked him if the bones could live! I love Ezekiels answer....I don't know Lord, but you do!!!! Then the Lord say's "PROPHECY to these bones and say to them, Dry bones (or broken marriage, sick body, dead ministry, etc...), HEAR the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I WILL MAKE BREATH ENTER YOU AND YOU WILL COME TO LIFE!!

Now that is something to SHOUT about!!!!

You see, I am learning, just as I am sure many of you are, that before I speak....will it bring forth life in the situation or death???? Ask yourself this question. I am challenged by the Lord to start PROPHESYING over areas of my life where Death crept in...

What about a marriage that, IN OUR EYES, seems impossible towards restoration? What about it? The Lord told Ezekiel to Prophesy so he had a part in the bones coming to LIFE but the POWER came because he spoke the LIVING WORDS OF THE LORD! It is not what we see but what we speak over what we see and HOW we respond to what we see that make the difference.....will we respond in death? or life? Will we choose the Word of the Lord or our own?

EVERYTHING that comes out of our mouth should ALWAYS be for building up, not tearing down....EVERYTHING! Now that can be a challenging discipline! It doesn't mean we deny how things are. Ezekiel told the truth when he answered the Lord in saying "what I see are a bunch of dry bones" basically a people with dried up hope, and their hope gone....BUT....the Lord saw something pass the dried up bones that HE alone was able to change! and HE chose to USE Ezekiel to speak it forth!!! That's sooooo powerful to me! But that is also a SERIOUS responsibility too!!!

If you are in a situation that seems hopeless, a marriage that you are believing to be restored, or a ministry come to life, or the BIG one in most eyes, a HEALING take place in the body....you want desparately to SEE fruit then I say be like EZEKIEL...take the Lord at His word and keep prophesying over that situation until you SEE fruit....it may also be that your attitude needs to line up with what you are prophesying too...in other words let it get DEEP into your heart!!!!! After all that's where the issues of life flow out of!

Israel's hope had vanished and the Lord called forth Ezekiel to speek LIFE over them....in the verses 12-14 You hear the end result of Ezekiel's obediance in speaking that which the Lord commanded him to speak:

Therefore prophesy and say to them: "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves (your marriage, your body, your ministry, your relationships) and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my SPIRIT IN YOU and you will LIVE, and I will SETTLE you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord."

That is it!!!! HE WILL RESTORE! Our part is to be an Ezekiel....we MUST begin today to speak life over EVERY situation in our lives and those around us...this is our responsibility! We must speak LIFE over ministries! We must speak LIFE over our marriages, our families etc.............

I encourage you to read Ezekiel 37 and let the Lord minister to your heart. I am encouraged as He has REBUKED me in love and has INSPIRED me to keep the good faith. But He is telling me that MY WORDS need to ALWAYS speak life, not just some of the time!!!!

I pray you are encouraged today to be like Ezekiel! Send this word to someone who needs this encouragement as we all strive to do our parts! Remember it's the Lord that brings the POWER and the ANNOINTING, but it is our job to SPEAK it forth by USING His words!!

Becoming like an Ezekiel..........

Sonja