We've taken a look at two principles for us to apply to our lives, our families, our church, our community, our world if we want revival
...see what's dead, speak God’s Word.
Let's take a look at one last principle...
...pray God’s Breath. Ezekiel 37:9-10
Ezekiel speaks the Word and that results in rebuilt bodies, but they aren’t breathing. Not yet. We have corpses. But something more is needed. First, Ezekiel is told to speak to the bones themselves. Now, Ezekiel is commanded to do something different, something more.
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 may live." Ezekiel 37:9 (ESV)
See the words “breath” and “winds” in this verse? It’s the Hebrew word “ruach.” And that word is a word that’s used for the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
So, Ezekiel is being commanded to prophesy to the Holy Spirit. Most commentators say that this is reference to prayer. Pray to the Holy Spirit to come and bring His life to these corpses.
Usually, we address God the Father in prayer. We pray to God the Father through God the Son in the power of God the Spirit. But there are exceptions. Here we have an exception. Here we are seeing Ezekiel being commanded to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and do what only He can do.
It’s long been said that the Holy Spirit is the most neglected Person of the Trinity. I want to know God the Father more. And I want to know God the Son more. But if we want revival – if we want life in the dead zones – we must see a mighty moving of God the Spirit more and more. Unless the Spirit of God breathes His breath into those who have heard His Word, there will be no revival.
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)
When the Breath of God – the Holy Spirit – is asked to come, is welcomed, is un-grieved, is unquenched, and sovereignly blows into the dead bones, then God’s people will be revived – will be enabled to live. This is the hope we hold out to a desperate, despairing family, ministry, city.
Nothing impossible when God’s Spirit comes with power. God the Holy Spirit is a specialist in doing what no other can do. Will you pray? Will you ask the Spirit to show up with power in your dead zones? When He comes, amazing things can happen.
Leonard Ravenhill wrote a book "Why Revival Tarries" . He encouraged prayer on pp. 25-26 of his book.
10 So I prophesied [prayed] as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:10 (ESV)
Before? No breath. Ezekiel first saw bones. Then he saw corpses with no life. Only one thing makes the dead live. It is the Spirit of God. God does the impossible.
Sometimes, it’s so easy for us to disbelieve. “Times are different.” “Things are too far gone.” “It's too late.” “The good old days are gone forever.” “We're too old and over the hill.” “Our generation is too much into post-modernism and relativism and entertainment.” Revival is impossible. We can get cynical and bitter. We don’t believe.
But look at what God says He will do. Look at His promises. Look at the “I wills.”
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."
Ezekiel 37:12-14 (ESV)
I will do it. I will do it. I will do it. That’s what God says. We can’t I can't bring revival. But God can. When He shows up what happens?
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:26, 27 (ESV)
Lukewarm and cold hearts will be warmed, on fire. We’re ignited! And you and your family members and your co-workers and your neighbors will be obeying God, not because you have to but because you want to.
Now, look at what happens when the Spirit comes and brings His life.
10b … and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:10 (ESV)
We engage in spiritual warfare. And we win! We storm the gates of hell and take back ground that the enemy has wrongfully sought to steal from our Commander in chief. We fight for our king Jesus. We become soldiers of the cross. I love the way one pastor put this, “The Spirit of God takes us from the boneyard to the battlefield.” He suits us up in the armor of God. We’re armored.
And notice. This is an exceedingly great army. What we have seen in ones and twos we start to see in 1,000s and 10,000s. We get up on our feet and we become a force for God.
This ought to really encourage us. What’s dead for you? You should live in expectation of revival.
Principle #3 for us to apply to our lives, our families, our church, our community, our world if we want revival:
...pray God’s Breath.
See what’s dead. Speak God’s Word. Pray God’s Breath.
...see what's dead, speak God’s Word.
Let's take a look at one last principle...
...pray God’s Breath. Ezekiel 37:9-10
Ezekiel speaks the Word and that results in rebuilt bodies, but they aren’t breathing. Not yet. We have corpses. But something more is needed. First, Ezekiel is told to speak to the bones themselves. Now, Ezekiel is commanded to do something different, something more.
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 may live." Ezekiel 37:9 (ESV)
See the words “breath” and “winds” in this verse? It’s the Hebrew word “ruach.” And that word is a word that’s used for the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
Usually, we address God the Father in prayer. We pray to God the Father through God the Son in the power of God the Spirit. But there are exceptions. Here we have an exception. Here we are seeing Ezekiel being commanded to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and do what only He can do.
It’s long been said that the Holy Spirit is the most neglected Person of the Trinity. I want to know God the Father more. And I want to know God the Son more. But if we want revival – if we want life in the dead zones – we must see a mighty moving of God the Spirit more and more. Unless the Spirit of God breathes His breath into those who have heard His Word, there will be no revival.
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)
When the Breath of God – the Holy Spirit – is asked to come, is welcomed, is un-grieved, is unquenched, and sovereignly blows into the dead bones, then God’s people will be revived – will be enabled to live. This is the hope we hold out to a desperate, despairing family, ministry, city.
Nothing impossible when God’s Spirit comes with power. God the Holy Spirit is a specialist in doing what no other can do. Will you pray? Will you ask the Spirit to show up with power in your dead zones? When He comes, amazing things can happen.
Leonard Ravenhill wrote a book "Why Revival Tarries" . He encouraged prayer on pp. 25-26 of his book.
10 So I prophesied [prayed] as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:10 (ESV)
Before? No breath. Ezekiel first saw bones. Then he saw corpses with no life. Only one thing makes the dead live. It is the Spirit of God. God does the impossible.
Sometimes, it’s so easy for us to disbelieve. “Times are different.” “Things are too far gone.” “It's too late.” “The good old days are gone forever.” “We're too old and over the hill.” “Our generation is too much into post-modernism and relativism and entertainment.” Revival is impossible. We can get cynical and bitter. We don’t believe.
But look at what God says He will do. Look at His promises. Look at the “I wills.”
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."
Ezekiel 37:12-14 (ESV)
I will do it. I will do it. I will do it. That’s what God says. We can’t I can't bring revival. But God can. When He shows up what happens?
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:26, 27 (ESV)
Lukewarm and cold hearts will be warmed, on fire. We’re ignited! And you and your family members and your co-workers and your neighbors will be obeying God, not because you have to but because you want to.
Now, look at what happens when the Spirit comes and brings His life.
10b … and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:10 (ESV)
We engage in spiritual warfare. And we win! We storm the gates of hell and take back ground that the enemy has wrongfully sought to steal from our Commander in chief. We fight for our king Jesus. We become soldiers of the cross. I love the way one pastor put this, “The Spirit of God takes us from the boneyard to the battlefield.” He suits us up in the armor of God. We’re armored.
And notice. This is an exceedingly great army. What we have seen in ones and twos we start to see in 1,000s and 10,000s. We get up on our feet and we become a force for God.
This ought to really encourage us. What’s dead for you? You should live in expectation of revival.
Principle #3 for us to apply to our lives, our families, our church, our community, our world if we want revival:
...pray God’s Breath.
See what’s dead. Speak God’s Word. Pray God’s Breath.
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