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- Written by: Don Goulding
“Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ʻDry bones, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath into you and you will live.’” (Ezekiel 37:4-5 NET_FL)
“Holy God, we claim the space between these trees for your purposes today. We anoint the trunks with oil to represent your Holy Spirit and declare to the heavens that evil spirits and distractions against your truth are not permitted in this place.”
Several African brothers prayed with me to cordon off a meeting area in the middle of a village suffering from demonic attacks. That day, we challenged the tribals, “Burn your implements of witchcraft and see what God will do inside of one week.”
As we preached against charms and fetishes, I spied a chief slipping off his amulet. We then cleansed the village through prayer and God answered. The attacks ceased.
Why did we need to speak the words of God inside that village? Why not pray in silence from the mission station? Why did God take Ezekiel to the valley and tell him to prophesy so the bones would come to life? Could it be that our Father in heaven waits to work through the authoritative prayer warrior?
I get the false idea that prophecy is for guys with wild hair foretelling the future. In reality, to prophesy simply means to proclaim the truth of God against the dysfunction of the world. Every Christian is called to that ministry.
Where there is pain we are to lay hands on dry bones and pray for life. We are to call into existence the eternal healing that Jesus came to give. He could do it alone. Instead, he waits for the prophet to extend a hand, raise their voice, and proclaim, “Hear the word of the LORD. I am about to infuse breath into you, and you will live.”
Prayer: Holy Spirit, show me to whom I am to prophesy today.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and when she hit the ground, her blood splattered against the wall and the horses, and Jehu drove his chariot over her … “Dispose of this accursed woman’s corpse. Bury her, for after all, she was a king’s daughter.” But when they went to bury her, they found nothing left but the skull, feet, and palms of the hands. (2 Kings 9:33-35)
Racing one hundred forty kilometers per hour through the ancient tiled buildings of Esztergom, Hungary, three intoxicated medical students crashed their BMW. Two pedestrians were badly injured, one passenger went into a coma, the driver and his seat-mate were both decapitated.
The next morning, I sat across the roadway at an outdoor coffeeshop. The gore had been removed but I couldn’t avert my eyes from the site. The Spirit of God spoke to me about the horrific outcome of sin. It clung to me like smoke from rancid garbage.
I get too relaxed among evil. I treat wickedness like a rich uncle who lets me live with him. I laugh and stay in his house because he pays my bills. Just so, as long as the world pretends to care for me, I indulge its vile.
God is never comfortable with sin. It’s not my place to judge others, but I need to be sickened by my own wrongdoing as God is sickened. Everything from exaggeration to copy-write infringement, from rude comments to impure thoughts—it all adds up to revolt against Jehovah.
Our free will is a sacred right with eternal consequences. Every choice alters the universe for good or bad. So to God, sin is never laughable, rather it’s blood-splattering, head-rolling, life-decimating evil. Every unholy act, word, and thought will be punished, whether in hell, or, thanks to Jesus, there is one more way divine wrath can be spent against evil—on the cross.
Prayer: LORD God, help me to despise my sin as you do.
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- Written by: Don Goulding
A person who has friends may be harmed by them,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NETFull)
My childhood friend came for a visit. We laughed about old times and got somber over shared grief. How was it that I’d left this guy behind? I asked him how long he could stay and he said he’d be with me as long as I needed. I invited him to sleep on the couch and he was grateful.
I needed groceries from the store. I also wanted some unhealthy indulgences.
“Um, would you mind waiting out here?” I didn’t want him to see what went into the bag. “I know right where everything is and it will be quicker this way.”
A twitch of dejection crossed his face.
Next, we stopped to pick up documents from my office. I thought about asking my friend to come see where I worked, but what if we ran into my boss? I knew my friend was too direct for my manager’s tastes. I left him in the car.
That evening, I created a distraction for my friend while I planned an upcoming vacation with some buddies. I sent my childhood pal out to buy ice cream. He returned to see me with a bunch of off-color hooligans and watched without comment.
At the grocery store, I’d made him wait outside like a dog. I kept him out of my work life, vacation plans, and relationships like he was a flea on a dog. Soulmates don’t treat each other like that.
I broke the silence, “I don’t know what I was thinking. I want you with me everywhere I go. I’m sorry, Jesus.”
Prayer: Lord, I invite you into every activity.