Ezekiel 37: Dry Bones Will Rise

Scripture
Ezekiel 37:1–10

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. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!

This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Scripture Reflection

In the 50 days of Eastertide, we celebrate the power of resurrection — not just for Jesus, but for all God intends to raise. Ezekiel’s vision gives us a breathtaking picture of God’s power to bring life out of absolute death. The valley was filled with bones — lifeless, scattered, hopeless. Yet God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy, to speak His word over what looked beyond saving. And when the word went out, bones rattled, flesh formed, and breath returned.

This is the power of Easter: dead things come alive. Even the most hopeless situations, the most spiritually dried-out people, the most broken communities can be restored by God’s Spirit. In times of revival, God raises up His Church like a vast army, calling scattered and weary bones to stand again in His strength.

Perhaps you look at your city or our region and see only a valley of dry bones. Eastertide is the reminder that nothing is too hard for the Lord. God still asks, “Can these bones live?” And He still breathes life into what seems beyond hope.

May we dare to prophesy life over the dry places around us, to believe God’s promise of resurrection, and to stand in faith until the breath of God fills the valley once more.

Praying it UP / IN / OUT

UP: Worship God as the Resurrection and the Life, who brings dead things to life by the power of His word and Spirit.

IN: Pray for fresh hope and faith wherever you feel spiritually dry or lifeless. Ask God to breathe new life into your own heart.

OUT: Intercede for your city, your church, and your region — that God would raise up a vast army from dry bones, reviving the spiritually dead and awakening fresh faith across New England.

Closing Prayer

God of Resurrection,

We praise You for Your power to raise what is dead and to restore what is beyond hope. Nothing is too hard for You.

Come, breathe on us again. Speak Your word over the dry bones of our hearts, our churches, our cities. Raise up a vast army filled with Your Spirit, standing strong and alive for Your glory.

Forgive us for our hopelessness, for speaking death where You would speak life. Teach us to prophesy with faith, to declare resurrection even when the valley looks impossible.

Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Breath of God, breathe into these slain.

Raise your people to be a mighty army and give us the whole earth as our inheritance.

Amen.