I prophesied over some dry bones today. I figured if God gave Elijah the command to prophesy life over the whole valley of dry bones in his vision, then I too could do something similar with a couple of dry bones on my prayer list when they popped into my mind’s eye. Israel needed to hear that God was indeed intending to breathe life into their chronic spiritual deadness so that they might live. These two needed to have life spoken over them.
Not only does God give life to the dead and calls into being things that are not, He’s given us power to speak life and death with our tongues. So, I went for it. [i] I used the power of my words to prophesy life over these two future sons of thunder.
My husband and I have covered these rascals in prayer for decades, making our many requests known to God for their whole-hearted conversion, all the while watching them dig themselves a deeper hole of trouble. These two, marked by God, drawn by God, periodically following God, were intended for greatness. They just don’t realize it yet, so God has had to chase them down. Their sinful moves in the Monopoly game of life have now landed them on the corner space marked Go To Jail. And it’s looking like their stay in this land of captivity might stretch out longer than a few missed turns around the board.
But God.
Lazarus was deader than dead. [ii] So dead, that the groundhogs were bringing him his mail as my husband puts it. This being the case, the poor creatures were bringing it, holding their noses against the four-day stench. Yet, Jesus took His time coming to the tomb. He had already discussed the matter with His Father and knew He must wake His friend from his sleep. I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me shall live even if he dies. [iii]
“Lazarus, come forth!”
Resurrection power struck death a deathblow. Life entered. Bodily organs quivered. Limbs moved. Eyes fluttered. And out from the grave walked the man who had been dead. All there was left to do was free him of those stinky graveclothes.
I need to incorporate this prophesying life to spiritually dead ones into my prayers more often. If ears actually do burn when people talk about us, then these two Lazaruses on my prayer list had to have felt more than heat today when I spoke out loud to them out of Ephesians 5:8–21.
“James and Troy! (you didn’t really think I’d use their real names, did you?)
“Wake up, you two sleepers! Arise from the dead and Christ shall shine upon you and give you light. (vs14)
“Wake up to who you really are! No more darkness. That’s not what you were created for. You are light in the Lord. (vs8)
“Wake up to your calling, your purpose! Walk as children of light. Live purposefully and worthily . . . not as fools, but as wise men. Have nothing to do with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather expose them by your personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character. (vs8,14,11)
“Wake up to the times! These days you are living in are definitely evil. Make every minute here count. Grab up every opportunity to be a light and spread the light. (vs16)
“Wake up to God’s will! Understand and firmly grasp what His will is for your lives. His plans for you are for peace and not for disaster. They are plans to give you a future and a hope. (vs17; Jeremiah 29:11)
“Wake up to walking with the Spirit. Be at all times filled and stimulated with Holy Spirit presence and see where all He takes you. You’ve looked for adventure. He’ll see to it that you experience it. (vs18)
“Wake up to the body of Christ! Go ahead, plug in. Experience the joy and safety that comes when you’re humbly submitted to something far bigger and more glorious than yourself. Speak to others in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Allow others to do the same to you. (vs19,27)
“Wake up to thankfulness! Sing to the Lord. Make melody in your hearts to Him, for He will surely turn your land of captivity into a valley where dry bones are called to life!”
Hold up a sec . . . Did you hear that? It sounded like bones rattling. The breath of God must’ve hit them full on.