Speak Life

Hello my beautiful friends,

How is your week going? Mine is going pretty well. I’m looking forward to next month because we get a small break and if I’m honest I really miss our winter break. Once January hits things always seem to be going at a fast pace. Getting back into a routine, creating new ones, and the excitement of new beginnings. I hope you’re doing well, that you’re taking a moment to pause and to find time to enjoy the little things in your life. Maybe you got a new coffee mug, a new sweater, found your favorite snack, or took time to have a hot bubble bath. I hope that you can find something you enjoy each day and dedicate some time to it. For those who are new, welcome! Let me know where you guys are reading from and how your day is going. If you’d like to keep up with me on a day to day I usually update more on my instagram @Jannymari. Y’all already know, get comfy and let’s chat for a bit. 

Last week during our prayer services in church as I started to pray for my family a portion of the bible came to mind that I’d like to share with you.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

“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. 2 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. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the [a]breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and [b]breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

As I started to pray I could hear God telling me to Speak life into my family and church. You see there are times where we can’t see how someone is doing or feeling just on their outward appearance.  As I started to pray for my family especially my parents this portion came to mind because I began telling the Lord “God the same way you gave those dry bones in the valley life I pray that you renew my parents bodies, their muscles and anything that is causing them pain. Well what I didn’t expect was for God to Uno reverse it and put it in my hands by saying “If you believe then you must speak life into these bones. Prophesy to these dry bones.”

What impacted me the most was that you can’t only have faith and believe that God will do something you must also act on your faith.

James 2:14-26

“14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by [b]my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [c]dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made [d]perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was [e]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Faith without Works is dead, it is not enough to believe it but what are we doing to move God with our faith? When Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham didn’t question God or tell God that it wasn’t fair. He also didn’t ignore God which a lot of us seem to do so but that’s a topic for a different time. No he didn’t question God because He knew that God is His provider and that if He asked him this it was for a reason. 

Sometimes God asks us to do things that make no sense to us but it doesn’t matter what is the reasoning behind what God tells us it’s our actions. To anyone it would be crazy to see a valley full of dry bones and think that they could come back to life. But the first thing that God asked Ezekiel was “Son, do you believe these bones can live?” and Ezekiel responded with “Oh Lord God, You know.” So God asked him to prophesy to the dry bones and say:

 “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel did what was asked and prophesied over the dry bones and he instantly heard a noise and started to see flesh go on the bones, muscles, and everything and spoke breathe and life into them and they came to life.

I’m paraphrasing a lot because I don’t want to lose y’alls attention but for those of you who believe and who don’t I just want to speak life into you. Those of you who may feel like there’s no point in living any longer, for those of you who are hurt physically, mentally, spiritually. I believe that you can be renewed and come back to life. I believe that God can do that miracle in your life that you have been waiting for and I know it’s my job to not only believe but act on my faith. 

But and there is a big BUT, you have to do your part. As much as I would like to help you come back to life I need you to believe and also speak life into yourself because there may be a day where I can’t do it, where I won’t have the strength to do it. Speak life into your marriage, into your partner. If you feel like the love isn’t there anymore, that your marriage has gone dry, pray and ask God to strengthen your faith. Don’t get me wrong I know that there are certain situations where some marriages end but If you still have a glimmer of hope, believe, and want to then ask God to breathe life into it. 

Ask God to breathe life into you, your ministry, your friendships. You have to take that step forward and believe something good can happen.  Though you may feel dried out, like you have nothing else to give, I know that there is still life in you, that there is still a purpose for you in this world, and that God’s not done with you.

At the beginning of the year I had this beautiful, full, vibrant plant and let me just say I’m human and forgot to take care of it as I should have. After a while it dried out and seemed like a lost cause. My mother, being as wise as she is, didn’t give up on it and drenched it with water and placed it outside in direct sunlight. After a few days I noticed a leaf after a few weeks it became just as full and vibrant as before. You see sometimes we need a new environment and need exposure to light to come back to life. 

If you have dried out then maybe just maybe you need a new environment and need to surround yourself with those who bring light into your life. With those who see that you are drying out and instead of giving up on you choose to speak life so that you in turn can speak life into others.

I leave you with this quote; 

“Never doubt the power of speaking words of life into another.” – Lysa TerKeurst

Until our next unpacking, have a great day my lovelies!

Love Always,

Janny Mari