September 2020 Fasting and Prayer Message — Friday PM

This is a summary of the message from the September 2020 fasting and prayer weekend led by Pastor Praveen and held at our church. We had four sessions, Friday morning and evening (posted here) and Saturday morning and evening. During our fasting and prayer sessions, it is usual for the Holy Spirit to speak to us through Pastor Praveen.

Introductory Comments

God needs humble people, ordinary people, because He is humble. He left all His glory and came to earth as a man – an ordinary man like us. Whoever humbles themselves before God, he will lift up beyond imagination. But if we think we are already knowledgeable and can figure out for ourselves what to do, we will fail. If you are humble and listen to the word of God, you will see His glory and have victory wherever you go. 

Give Him room to live in your heart. Don’t leave room for anything else. Remember, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” This means we must honor and love God first, before anyone else. Then whatever He has given us – like our family – He is able to protect. Our God is a jealous God. 

Pastor Praveen’s Message – Are you Ready to Go among the Dry Bones?

Pastor Praveen spoke from Ezekiel 37:1-11. The prophet began, “The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.” This means we are the vehicle of the Holy Spirit. We must not say, “I cannot turn left, I cannot turn right.” Wherever He says to go, we need to go. We need to keep quiet. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). 

God’s Spirit led Ezekiel back and forth among the dry bones. Then the Lord asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel didn’t know. He answered, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” God told him to speak to the dry bones. He was to tell the bones to listen to the word of God. Then God would make breath enter them so they would come to life. What is the breath of God? It is the Holy Spirit. 

The bones were dry because they were disobedient. They had not listened to the word of God. If you obey God and listen to His word, you will have life because He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Listen to the word of God and it will lift you up. It will change your dryness into life.

In obedience, Ezekiel spoke the word: “So I prophesied as I was commanded.” Then breath entered the dry bones and they came to life and stood up – a vast army. This is the key. When we listen to the word of God, it will change our lives. Only the Holy Spirit can change our lives and change this world. God is Spirit, the victorious God. He created everything by speaking the word. And by His hand, He made us. He took us from the dust. We cannot tell the potter how to mold us. Jesus is our leader. Listen to His word. Don’t give any preference to any human leaders.  He will lift you up, and your family, your generations. He will guide, protect, and rescue you. He will give you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the enemy. 

Notice that God took Ezekiel to the middle of the valley among the dry bones to speak the word. No one should think that they should preach only on a big convention stage or auditorium with lights and music. We are the vehicles of God. Wherever God tells us to go, we must follow the Spirit. Ezekiel did not say, “I cannot go to the valley. There are many people here. I can preach here. I don’t want to go among the wicked, disobedient people. They won’t listen to me.” He didn’t say anything because he knew he was a vehicle of God. 

Likewise, when the Spirit comes upon you, you need to follow the Spirit. If you will go, God can lift you up from the valley. Through you, he can lift up many dry bones in your city, community, family. That is our calling. Don’t limit your calling. Your calling is unlimited because Jesus, Lord of lords, is unlimited. You can’t ask Him to move or to go. You need to go at His command. Do it.

Like Jonah, you might not go (Jonah 1). You might think, “I can sleep. I can stay here.” Then He will throw you out, like Jonah. You must go with God’s plan and idea. Otherwise, everywhere you go, God will shake that place because of your disobedience.

Ezekiel did not refuse to go to the middle of the valley among the dry bones. He was ready to go and speak the word. It is our duty to obey God, to be with Him and walk with Him. Listen to the word of God – and do it. Then you will see great victory. 

Pastor Praveen said that he was once one of the dry bones in his family. He had no hope, joy, peace. He was absolutely empty and good for nothing. But the Word came upon him at 3 in the afternoon on a Friday. He said, “Believe me, I am Jesus.” Pastor Praveen listened to the Word of God. Then Jesus prophesied to Pastor Praveen, telling him the things He would do in his life. Pastor Praveen believed and followed Him. He is still following Him. If Jesus asks him to stay, he will stay. If he says to move, he will move. He cannot do anything without His help. 

At that time, Pastor Praveen did not even have a bible. He only knew what the Lord had prophesied to him. Yet, he said, “Lord, send me among the poor people. Among those who cannot even give me a single cup of water.” Because Jesus ministered among the poor, Pastor Praveen wanted the same type of ministry. Because Pastor Praveen was a dry bone who was changed by the Lord, he wanted to go and change people with God’s help. He wished to go among the poor, the wicked, the disobedient. This is exactly the ministry that the Lord gave him.

Because God is their source, Pastor Praveen and his ministry partners have seen many people saved by God in India and Africa. Even in 2019, they started new churches in Telangana and Chennai in India, Monrovia in Liberia, and in Ethiopia. And now they are also working in Bombay and another location in North India. God used Pastor Praveen in this way because he asked the Lord to send him among dry bones. If you have the heart to go, God will open the doors for you. He will open his heavenly treasury.

It was Ezekiel’s job to speak as commanded wherever he was told to go. We must do the same. Go and speak the word. Then God will breath on the dry bones and raise them up for his purpose and plan. Pastor Praveen asked, “How many of you want to go among the dry bones? In the middle of the valley?” You have a long journey ahead. The bus is ready. Get on the bus. Go! God will drive you. Give him the drivers seat. Give him a chance to be the captain of your bus, of your life, your family. He is a great captain because He is a great winner. If you make him the captain of your life, you will have joy. He will make you dance, always.  Give your life to God, completely. Listen to Him.

God can change dry bones into a vast army. We are the army of Christ. God is asking us, “Can our community live?” We cannot answer like Ezekiel, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” We know that God can change the community. We must go stand among the dry bones and speak the word.