"When the enemy puts death in you, I put life in you! This is a time to receive the breath of My life in you, especially in those areas that seem dead in your life."
Prior to these words that I heard, I had a dream in the night where I saw someone having a chronic disease (even though in reality, this person has no such disease!) and he seemed to be shunned, ignored, and isolated in the confine of a house, while the people in the house passed him by, going about their own businesses. As I woke up, I began praying in the Spirit for the Lord's divine protection and health for that person. I was also led by the Spirit to take authority and bind the spirit of death and disease that tried to 'invade' that person.
People of God, this is an important time to guard your heart against every form of lies, negativity, discouragement, or even despair sown by the enemy against you. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word 'despair' as 'to lose all hope or confidence'. For some of you, the enemy has been trying very hard to put such 'despair' in you recently. Take authority and bind it in Jesus' name! And fill yourselves with the Word of God, because the words that He speaks to you are spirit, and they are life! (John 6:63)
In the days after Jesus' death, the disciples were rather discouraged and downcast, and they certainly felt like failures, hopeless in every sense of the word! Some had even thought of quitting ministry altogether and walk right back to their former jobs.
But God! When everything seemed 'hopeless' and 'dead', Jesus showed up!
Let's go to the Scripture now.
John 20:19-22 says, 'Then, the same day (of Jesus' resurrection) at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."'
See the word 'breathed' here?
This word 'breathed' is 'emphusao' in Greek (from the word 'phuo' meaning 'to blow'), and it literally means 'to cause to spring up'! In other words, Jesus came to re-commission them and give them a new lease of life! It was a time of imparting new hope in them! And it was a time of releasing them to be of use again!
People of God, no matter how 'hopeless' and 'dead' your situation may be at the moment (be it in your health, finance, family relationships, career, business, or ministry), do not lose heart, because the Lord is also here to breathe His Spirit and His life in your situation right now! This is a time to receive by faith, and declare boldly that when the enemy puts death in you, the Lord is here to put life in you!
Let's go all the way to the Old Testament now.
2 Kings 4:32-36 says, 'When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And Elisha called Gehazi his servant and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."'
The name 'Elisha' ('Eliysha' in Hebrew) is a 'picture' of 'God who is rich in all His supplies', the One who can even breathe 'life' into every dead (or impossible) situation. The son of the Shunammite woman was already dead on his bed, and 2 Kings 4:27 says the woman's soul was in 'deep distress'. But in the midst of all these, Elisha showed up!
Having entered the house of this woman, and shutting the door behind him, Elisha then breathed into the mouth of the boy. Notice he wasn't satisfied with the flesh of the boy becoming warm, but he continued till the boy 'sneezed seven times' and 'opened his eyes'! You see, Elisha would not give up until he saw 'clear evidence of a perfectly (and completely) restored life'! The number 'seven' in Hebrew speaks of 'perfection, completion'.
People of God, the Lord your God will also not give up on you, even when everyone else on earth has given up on you! Like a vase that is broken and crushed, let Him mend what is broken and crushed in your life right now. To man, it is impossible, but with God, nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37). And like the woman who was asked by Elisha to 'pick up her son', you too will 'pick up your God-given dreams again'. Amen!
