Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Family Research Council
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." - Ezekiel 37:1-3
It's easy to get distracted by things we want only to realize that the greatest gift we have outside of our salvation through Jesus is the very breath we take. Take a moment to praise the Lord for the breath you take, which we so often take for granted.
In today's Stand on the Word bible reading, we read the most familiar verses of Ezekiel, which can be found in chapter 37, verses 1-14. This passage gives Ezekiel's vision, in which God revealed that only He could give life to dry bones. We read in verse 8, "I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them." In verse 10, we see why we ought to praise the Lord for the very breath we take. "So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army." Praise the Lord, for it was when God breathed upon these dry bones that they could live again.
Ezekiel's vision reveals God's promise to restore Israel and reminds us that we can do nothing apart from Him. If you have been in a spiritually dry season, I encourage you to ask the Lord to breathe fresh upon you today. If your life is full and everything is great, take a moment, list your blessings, and give thanks to God. I often begin prayer times by taking a deep breath and praising the Lord.
The hymn "Count Your Blessings" opens with this verse and then the refrain:
When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Take another moment to count your blessings and give praise to the Lord. Your day will be changed as you take time to acknowledge and thank Him for what He has done.
Heavenly Father, we praise You for every breath we take. May we never take it for granted. Lord, I ask you to breathe fresh upon anyone who is in a spiritually dry season today. As you raise them, may they run the race before them with a sense of urgency and be about the work you have commanded and commissioned them to do for your glory and honor. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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