Appropriating God's Words

Several weeks ago, God brought me to this verse:

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by your name, O Lord God of hosts.  Jeremiah 15:16

This has been a prayer of mine for years, that His words become for me a joy and the delight of my heart.  For many years, it just wasn't so.   But He is faithful, and now I can say this verse has become a reality.  Now I pray that His words are not only a joy and the delight of my heart, but that Isaiah 55:10-11 will drive me on my knees to pray, for it is a powerful thing to speak the words of God in prayer.

 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens

      and stay on the ground to water the earth.

   They cause the grain to grow,

      producing seed for the farmer

      and bread for the hungry.

  It is the same with my word.

      I send it out, and it always produces fruit.

   It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."

      

Several years ago I did a Beth Moore study, "Believing God."  God used it powerfully to speak to me about just believing Him. Just believing Him, for me, has been a challenge.  Haiti...unanswered prayers...God, are you good?  Are you faithful?  Are your promises sure?  I know, of course, the answers to those questions.  How I long to be like Abraham,  who "did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God."  Some days I'm more like Ezekiel when God asked him, "Son of man, can these bones live?" (While the hand of the Lord was upon Him, E was surrounded by very many, very dry bones.)  Ezekiel responded, "O Lord God, You know."  Not exactly a hearty response of faith.   I am grateful to the Lord for giving me Ezekiel's testimony.  The Lord then asked him to prophesy over those dry bones and tell them to come to life.  He did.  They came to life.  Regardless of how Ezekiel felt at the time (less than a pillar of faith) he responded in obedience and prophesied the words of God.  I remember in that study long ago Beth Moore talking about the power of God's spoken word.   She reminded us that God spoke creation into existence; He didn't think it into being.

Yesterday God used Kelly to teach me how to pray...again.  I am apparently a slow learner, as I have heard this sort of thing time and time again, yet it fell on me afresh yesterday, touching my spirit deeply.

Revival comes as we speak God's word in the dead parts of our lives to repair the damage done by sin.  We are faithful to speak His words, not our words.  He promises to act according to His word.  Our lives will be changed by His word.  It will prosper everywhere it is sent.  It's not up to our feelings, only our faithfulness to speak God's word.  Yes, it requires immense faith because we ask him to do something we are unable to do.  

He acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.  Isaiah 64:4

But before we wait, like Ezekiel, God tells us what to say.  His words align me with God's testimony about who I am in Christ in any given situation.  We quote Scripture because there is objective truth in the words of God.  God hears and moves to act accordingly. Quoting His word allows Him to have greater control over my life and circumstances.  He enlivens His word and opens the hearts of His people to believe it.  He strengthens us and works more powerfully in us according to His word.  We quote His word when we want the presence of God to bear in a situation.  It can feel foolish, but even the cross is called foolishness for those perishing.

What is not currently a reality but by the authority of God's word brought into reality?

Father, thank you for teaching me to pray your words.  Help me to lay aside my feelings of the moment and boldly prophesy your words, speak your truth, and rest in your work, knowing that your words will accomplish beyond what I can even comprehend.