Restoration of Your Spirit

"Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:4-6)

No matter how lost you are, there is hope in Christ. No matter how deep you are in sin and addiction, no matter how many atrocities you may have committed, and no matter how impossible you think it is to turn back, I have good news for you, there is hope in Christ. In scripture, we see how God brought back dead and dried bones. These were strong men and a great army who lost their dignity and purpose. The Bible says, "the bones were very dry." But God brought it back. He added new flesh and breath afresh into them. His breath contains His life, and the Bible says, "they became a living soul."

So, be encouraged. Silence that voice that keeps saying it is over for you because it is not. God is not through with you yet. Neither is He angry at you. Yes, you missed it, but thank God you are hearing these words of hope. Don't harden your heart because God can restore you. So, here are four things you have to do to bring deliverance and release to your spirit.

1. Face it. 
Do not deny your feelings, and don't blame others for your negative emotions. Face it as a man or woman who loves God. You will never change what you permit and never face what you deny. Admit that you have a need so that God can help you. Admit that you are broken, don't try to pretend or play religion. Jesus met some blind men, yet He asked them what do you want. He needed them to admit that they were blind and needed their sight restored. 

2. Trace it. 
After you face it, then you must trace it. Get to the root of your conflict. Was it pride on your part? Did you reject godly advice? Realize what the root was, not just the surface circumstance. Where did you miss it? The Bible talks about the story of Elisha and the sons of the prophet. They went to cut a tree, and something tragic happened. The Bible says in 2 Kings 6:4-6, "So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and he made the iron float." The axe head fell, they admitted it, but Elisha still asked, "where did it fall?" We need to locate the cause to solve it.  


3. Erase it. 
By asking forgiveness—at times, you may even write a letter or face a person directly to ask forgiveness—you are, in reality, erasing the offence. God will blot it from any record in heaven and will help to cleanse it out of your spirit. The enemy may attempt to bring back a memory for a season, but the Holy Spirit will remind you that you need not remember a sin that God has forgotten!
"I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more. (Isaiah 43:25)

4. Replace it. 
Old images can be replaced with new pictures. Make fresh memories. Build new relationships. Get on with your life as you leave behind your past. Thousands of men and women have followed this simple yet powerful pattern and have experienced freedom and deliverance through faith in Christ. Now it's your turn. You may have been marked as a target for the adversary from the time you were a child or a teenager. Christ has opened the prison doors, but you must walk through the open doors.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for the hope I have in you. I come before you, and I admit my weakness and struggles. I open up my wound, asking that you perform your surgery on me. I pray that your hand will restore my spirit and make me whole again. In Jesus' name. Amen.