Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
God's Life-Giving Breath
So many churches have seminars, books, websites, podcasts, and meetings for every age group and need. These things are designed for good, but they are nothing if God's Spirit is not breathed into them. In fact, such things have the subtle power to rob us of the life God desires for us.
Consider this tragic scene where God shows Ezekiel a valley of bones. "And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them" (Ezekiel 37:8, ESV).
This reminds me of churches that have every program and strategy in place but no life. As we go through the motions of church, we are deceived into thinking we are spiritual. It may seem like dry bones are hooking together, but in reality, they lack the life-giving breath of God. I would trade 1,000 worship services and 10,000 strategies for a single breath from his Spirit. Only God can breathe life into what we do so that these dry bones might live.
"Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath'" (Ezekiel 37:9). The Hebrew word for "breath" here is ruach, meaning the Spirit of God. Once again, God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy. The first time, he was to prophesy to bones, meaning people; but this second command is to prophesy to God himself, to the Holy Spirit.
What is God saying? He is telling us that preaching to one another and articulating doctrine is not enough. We cannot just speak to man about the things of God. We must also talk to God about man, beseeching him to act.
God calls men and women of faith to cry out to him to enter their situation and change things. Our eyes cannot see, our ears cannot hear, and our mouths cannot speak anything of him unless he first animates us. When he does this, the results amaze us: "I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and [the bones] lived and stood on their feet" (Ezekiel 37:10). Only God's Holy Spirit can bring life.
God's breath brings us to our feet with boldness. It brings dry bones to life and brings light to a dark and despairing environment. Out of chaos, Jesus produces life. Out of ashes, he produces beauty. Into a horrific situation that the enemy means only for destruction, Jesus breathes new life!
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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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