A Valley of Dry Bones—Breathe Life into Old Dreams

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my savior and my God!” Psalm 42:11 NLT

It’s easy to fall into hopelessness and despair when it seems life has passed you by. A womb that remained barren, a relationship that never blossomed, a career that never took off the way you expected—your dreams shriveled and dry. “Can these dry bones live?”  Ezekiel looked around him at the dry bones covering the valley floor. God had brought him to this place, but he was hesitant to answer God’s question. “O Sovereign Lord,” he replied. “You alone know the answer to that.” “Speak,” God said in response to Ezekiel’s noncommittal answer. “Speak to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! … Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again!’” (Ezekiel 37). How impossible those words must have seemed to Ezekiel. And yet, he stirred his faith and obeyed. He spoke God’s word, and suddenly, there was a rattling noise all across that valley as the bones came together, and then muscles and tendons and skin covered the bones. Anticipation permeated the air—a trembling, an expectation, a hope. The miracle wasn’t finished yet. God commanded Ezekiel to speak again. “Breath of God from the four winds, come and breathe life again into these dry bones!” A mighty gasp echoed across the valley as the wind blew and LIFE came. The valley of death was now a valley of life. What was once seemingly beyond hope was alive! Living and breathing and strong. What have you let dry up and die? God’s promises are true and he is faithful. Listen for the word of the Lord and speak. Speak to your dreams, speak to your disappointments, speak to your soul. “Hope live! Faith arise! Breath of God, come breathe into the dry bones of my life!” Pray: “God, help me believe again in all your goodness. I commit my dreams and hopes into your hand, and I speak life to them now. Come, O breath of God!” Seek: What dreams have you let die? Are they within God’s will? Listen to the Lord and then speak his words over your dreams. Speak: I speak the breath of God over every dream and situation in my life. Live now! Go further: Ezekiel 37:1–14, Isaiah 43:18–19, Psalm 43:5, John 12:49–50 —

Excerpted from Through the Valley—Move Your Life Forward in God (Spring 2023) from Family Christian Publishing. Find out more and receive the free resource, “Enter In—A Guided Prayer to Draw Near to God” at LauraWoodworth.com.