DECLARE YOUR FUTURE
Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God’s people making prophetic declarations into their situations in order to see His will come about. Such was the case in Ezekiel 36 and 37.
The Lord told Ezekiel that even though Israel (signified by the “bones” in Ezekiel 37) had been scattered, He was going to bring them back together. Then God gave Ezekiel an understanding of Israel’s prophetic destiny that he was to declare into the earth.
Ezekiel 37 contains four levels of prophetic declaration that can help us to understand the process of prophetic fulfillment. In each level, there comes a place where prophetic fulfillment can stall. Understanding how the process can stall will help us proceed into the next dimension of prophetic fulfillment.
1. Coming together.
When Ezekiel took the words that God gave him and declared them into the desolate situation that had overtaken Judah, things began to happen. The same is true with us.
When we see God’s prophetic destiny in our lives and begin to declare it, something will happen. However, we have to release faith before we can see the results with our eyes. Faith comes first.
When Ezekiel first prophesied, there was a rattling noise and the bones came together, and then the sinews and flesh covered the bones. In the first level of prophecy, when we prophecy what God has promised us, we hear a new sound and see a new structure coming together. We even gain a portion of the plan to move forward. However, just having a plan is not enough (see Ezek. 37:7-8).
2. The breath of life. Ezekiel had seen the bones come together and the flesh appear, but there was no breath in them. Something was not yet working to produce prophetic fulfillment. So the Lord said, “Go back and prophesy to that part that has not received life” (see Ezek. 37:8-9).
Notice that He told Ezekiel to prophesy to the part that was not working and command it to come in line with God’s plans and purposes. When we encounter a snag in declaring God’s word, it does not necessarily mean that we have not heard God or that we have failed. It often means that we need to enter into another level of prophecy in order to see life begin to emerge.
3. Spiritual warfare over hope deferred. Ezekiel saw an army result from his prophetic declarations. But as those in the army began to speak, they said that they were filled with despair (see Ezek. 37:10-11).
When we become filled with despair, our faith for the future can easily be depleted. Lost hope often works with rejection and causes us to feel isolated, as was the case with this great army. Hope deferred can also release a spirit of infirmity (see Prov. 13:12)
We must fight against whatever the enemy is doing to try to steal the life that God has breathed into us. Deal with the issues that have discouraged and defeated you. Facing the problems of the past releases you to move forward into hope.
4. Hope for the future. In Ezekiel 37:14, notice the verse: “‘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.” This was the prophetic destiny released in Ezekiel 36. The word of the Lord had come full circle!
But what if Ezekiel had stopped pressing forward after the bones had come together and there was no breath? That’s what we tend to do in the body of Christ.
When things don’t turn out as we thought, we give up. But as Ezekiel prophesied, resurrection power was released so that the graves could be opened, and the people brought into their own land.
If we keep moving forward through the levels of prophecy, God will perform His will in us. Discouragement has no place in us as God’s people.
We all have wilderness seasons that are ordained of God. The Israelites were held captive in the wilderness because of their unbelief and hardness of heart, but Jesus resisted the devil in His wilderness season and came out of it filled with power for His future (see Num. 14:33-34; Mark 1:13).
If you are willing to press toward your prophetic fulfillment in God’s time, your season of desolation will not be prolonged. However, if you allow the enemy to overcome you with discouragement, hopelessness and a lack of faith, you too may find yourself in a prolonged season of desolation that leaves you wandering for many years.
Begin prophesying your destiny and declaring the fulfillment of God’s purpose in your life. Receive His wisdom and declare that every strategy of the enemy that has interrupted God’s plan for you will be exposed.
Let your faith be stirred and your strength renewed. And may God’s glory be seen in your life. Your best is yet ahead!
Chuck D. Pierce is president of Glory of Zion International Ministries and vice president of Global Harvest Ministries. He and his wife, Pam, live in Denton, Texas, along with their six children and numerous grandchildren.
Rebecca Wagner Sytsema is co-author with Chuck D. Pierce of several books including, God’s Now Time For Your Life, published by Regal.
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