I Am Willing to Increase
…I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock.
Ezekiel 36:37 (NLT)
God is not only interested in healing us—He also wants to bless us and cause us to increase. But that increase does not come before an inner transformation. In this chapter, God first promises to give a new, tender, and responsive heart, and then declares that He is willing to hear and increase. In other words: healing comes before growth. When we make choices that lead to healing, we align ourselves with God’s desire to multiply the good in our lives, families, churches, and cities.
• God is willing to hear us
He is not indifferent. He is ready to respond to the prayers of a people who have been transformed from within. Increase begins with genuine communion and prayer.
• A healthy heart precedes increase
We can’t expect external growth if we’re still carrying inner hardness and stubbornness. The new heart is the foundation of multiplication.
• Increase is a spiritual result, not just numerical
God is not speaking only of quantity, but of life. Where there were ruins, now there is movement, fullness, and purpose. This increase touches the spiritual, emotional, family, and ministry areas.
• God wants to fill what was once empty
The cities that were in ruins—like many areas of the world—can be filled with life again. God desires to use His people to restore and multiply.
• Obedience activates increase
When the Church moves forward with healed hearts, right decisions, and active faith, God responds with generosity, because He is willing.
…I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock. They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 36:37–38 (NLT)
Think About It:
- Am I willing to let God transform my heart before asking for increase?
- What area of my life needs healing in order to flourish?
- Am I praying with faith and expectation, knowing that God is willing to bless me and use me to restore my city?