Have you ever pondered the true essence of prophecy? In Biblical terms, to prophesy is to echo God’s thoughts and plans about us and our circumstances. It goes beyond merely repeating His words; it involves declaring what He has determined for our future. Sometimes a prophecy brings judgement, other times it brings hope. Such was the case of the Israelites. After abandoning the Lord to follow false gods and ignoring numerous warnings, they were ultimately taken into captivity by Babylon, just as the prophet Jeremiah had foretold (Jeremiah 25:8-11). In Babylon, they found themselves estranged from their homeland, enslaved by their enemies, and devoid of hope. It was in this desolate state that God gave the prophet Ezequiel a vision and sent him to prophesy to His people. This time, the message was a heartfelt call to return to God and a poignant reminder that, despite their circumstances, God’s plans for them and their future generations remained steadfast. Let us delve into this vision.

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 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. 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.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army (Ezekiel 37: 1-10).

Ezekiel was tasked with commanding the dry bones — symbolic of Israel — to listen to the Word of the Lord. Ezekiel might have thought that prophesying to the captives in Babylon was pointless, as they seemed unresponsive to God’s voice. It was like speaking to the dead. Yet, the Lord instructed Ezequiel to prophesy and declare God’s plans for His people. This is exactly what God wants us to do in moments of despair, when we hit rock bottom. Even if what we see around us contradicts God’s word, He challenges us to dare to prophesy — to proclaim His promises over our circumstances.

This reminds me of last year, a particularly difficult time for me, as I was sick nearly the entire year. I cried out to the Lord through fasting, prayer, and tears. Until one day, the Lord gave me a promise and a song. He reminded me of how He had intervened in my favor in seemingly hopeless situations in the past. I began to sing and proclaim my healing, even in the midst of sever inflammation and pain. I told the Lord that I would sing of my healing until may last breath. My husband joined me in fasting, and suddenly, from one day to the next, I experienced the healing I had long for.

God called upon Ezekiel to prophesy about the Spirit that would breathe life into the dead. It wasn’t that the Spirit of God followed Ezekiel’s command, but rather that Ezekiel obeyed the voice of the Spirit. By attuning his heart and mind to God’s voice and will, he was enabled to prophesy with power.

The Word of God proclaimed in obedience and faith has the power to transform even the most difficult and impossible situations. But we cannot prophesy what God says if we do not know His thoughts and His will. If we do not know God personally, how can we proclaim what He says or thinks about us? God did not need Ezekiel, but Ezekiel new God intimately and it pleased God to invite Ezekiel to be part of something great, and He commanded him to prophesy once again: “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. And you shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:12-13). This is what happens when we know God intimately; He calls us to be part of beautiful things. The Lord says in Jeremiah 33:30: “Call to me, and I answer you, and tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

This isn’t about proclaiming miracles all the time and everywhere. God also uses temporary pain to work within us, and He has a time for everything. He gives us specific revelations for specific times and situations. It’s not about achieving those things we fantasize about or obsess over. That’s idolatry, and it’s precisely where our problems begin. God is not looking for external changes but for deep transformation within us. And for that, we must earnestly yearn for the manifestation of the Spirit of God in our lives. He calls us to proclaim His Word, even when the message isn’t always positive or requires patience. The Lord promised to restore the people of Israel, both physically and spiritually, and He did. They eventually returned from exile to their homeland, rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, and began to take God’s Word seriously once again (Ezra 1, 3, 6, and Nehemiah 2, 4, and 8). He also wants to restore us, but we must turn back to Him with all our hearts.

Do not underestimate God’s power to intervene on your behalf, even if you have hit rock bottom and feel like a great sinner. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Jesus went to the cross so that you and I wouldn’t have to. Thank God for Jesus Christ, who gave us eternal life through His sacrifice! We cannot overlook such a great sacrifice because our eternal destiny depends on it. Ezekiel 33:10-20 states, “The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness.” In other words, there is no one so righteous that they don’t need God’s forgiveness, and no sinner so great that they cannot receive it if they repent and turn to Him. This is the essence of mercy and grace.

For centuries, God has used ordinary people as prophets to deliver His messages to His people. Why wouldn’t He do the same with you or me? In fact, I believe this is precisely what He desires – for us to honor His Word and proclaim it over our children, neighbors, friends and future generations. In Jeremiah 15:19, the Lord says, “If you return, then I will restore you – before me you will stand; if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become my spokesman.” This is powerful, but we need to remember, it’s not about us – it’s about the One who gives breath and brings life to what is dead.

You may have been preaching the Word of God for years and sometimes feel like you’re speaking to lifeless souls. If you know you received a Word from God, don’t grow weary; continue to proclaim His Word in season and out of season, with fervor and boldness, because nothing is more vital than the salvation of souls. God has given us the commission to go and make disciples of those who cross our path, and He promises to be with us every single day, until the very end.

What if, instead of magnifying our problems, we magnified God and began to prophesy His truth over those areas of our lives that are withering – over that diagnosis, those broken relationships, or that troubled child? Prophesy over depression or anxiety, over your deepest fears, or that deep wound you carry within. Declare victory over defeat, the light of Jesus amidst the darkness, and healing over illness and a broken heart.

If we do not proclaim the Word of God and His promises, who will? We cannot expect changes if we remain indifferent to sin and the suffering of humanity when we have the answer to all afflictions. We cannot expect the Lord to perform miracles if we remain engrossed in social media. We do not need self-help books or meditation, and we certainly don’t need more motivational speakers to inspire us temporarily. We urgently need the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives. Seek the Lord with all your heart, love His Word: read it, sing it, treasure it, memorize it, and proclaim it. Fill yourself with what God has to say about your future, not with what the world says. Believe me, there is no greater gift you can give yourself.

God reminds us that His thoughts are not our thoughts. “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts, higher than our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). How comforting it is to know that God’s way of thinking is beyond ours! Our thoughts can mislead us, as the heart is deceitful. Let me prophesy what God says about you and me so we can star replacing our thoughts with His. My plans for you are for peace and not for harm, to give us a hopeful future (Jeremiah 29:11). I will set you on high because you have known My name. You will call upon Me, and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble; I will deliver you and honor you. With long life I will satisfy you, and show you My salvation (Psalms 91:14-16). Blessed is he who delights in the law of the Lord, and meditate in it day and night. You shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever you do shall prosper (Psalms 1:1-3). “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6). “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). God calls us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). His Spirit is upon you, for he has anointed you and sent you to preach good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Isaiah 61:1-2). He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:3). “The sufferings of this present time are not worth to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19-19. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Prophesy over your life, over your children and grandchildren – that is faith. And celebrate every victory God gives you, no matter how small it may seem – that is gratitude. May the Lord continue to bless you, so that you may be a blessing to many.