“Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.” Song of Solomon 4:16
Dear Ones:
In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, there comes a moment when the Lord tells Ezekiel, in the vision of a valley full of dry bones, to “Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, ‘Thus saith the Lord God; ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'” (37:9) What prompted Ezekiel to pray something so impossible to be realized? It was the intent and will of God to save Israel from death and destruction, not only being restored to communion with God, but to be in a place and position of heart and mind, where the eternal God reveals Himself. There is the great promise given them, that the Lord will “open your graves, and cause you to come out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” (v.12) Here is the promise of life out of death, freedom and liberty out of captivity. The Lord goes on to a second promise that He will certainly perform: “And (I) will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land.” (v.14) Why does God promise this resurrection from the dead, and a return to the land? It is so that Israel, with the whole world, will KNOW that He is the Lord, and that what He declares, He will accomplish. So, why then does the Lord instruct Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind, speaking to the wind specifically that which the Lord commands? It is because this is God’s way to bless, to accomplish His will in the hearts, minds, and the affairs of men. The prayer of faith, according to the revealed will of God, will bring men to KNOW that He is God, and come to trust Him. The second reason is that the Spirit of God is that Person designated by God the Father, and the Son, to accomplish this. The question then becomes, “Can and will the Spirit move today, as He has in the past, in answer to prayer and faith? And, how does God want us to pray with regard to this matter?
In one of Charles Wesley’s great hymns, he writes: “Jesus the prisoner’s fetters breaks, and bruises Satan’s head; Power into strengthless souls He speaks, and life into the dead.” Wesley brings us face to face with the fact that God alone can do the work of God, by the speaking of power into lifeless souls that they will live. How does He do this? Jesus told Nicodemus that it was by the Spirit that the new birth would occur. The Lord told Zechariah the prophet to tell Zerubbabel, “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts.” (Zech. 3:6) The witness to the world of the presence and power of God at Pentecost was the result of a promise of the Father, that the Son would send the Spirit of God after His death and resurrection. The coming of the Spirit at that time would be the outpouring at Pentecost, demonstrated by fire and wind, when many people would come to a saving knowledge of Christ. The would KNOW that the Lord is God. So, how do we pray for the Spirit to move?
First, are we convinced that God desires and wills that the wind of the Spirit “blow upon His garden,” His church, and every member of it? Are we convinced that God wills that the wind blow upon us, upon me? Will He answer the prayer? The Lord Jesus told HIs disciples, “…how much more, shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13) In speaking of the Lord Jesus, John the Apostle writes: “For He whom God has sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.” (3:34) Christ was anointed and filled with the Spirit. The Christian is to live in like manner.
Dear Father, Give us Thy Spirit in His fulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad