One of my favorite portions of Scripture is found in Ezekiel 36.  I’ve read this a lot before, but today something struck me BIG TIME...read it for yourself - and then check out what I had revealed to me below!

First God let’s us know what he wants to do in our lives and it those around us...check it out:

22 "Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. 23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. 24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

25 "Then...

    * I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.

    * I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.

    * I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

    * I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

    * You will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago.

    * You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29

    * I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior.

    * I will give you good crops of grain, and

    * I will send no more famines on the land. 30

    * I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. 31 Then

    * you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. 32 But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!

33 "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins...

    * I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed. 35 And when I bring you back, people will say, 'This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!' 36 Then the surrounding nations that survive will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted the wasteland. For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say.

37 "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel's prayers for these blessings, and I am ready to grant them their requests. 38 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."

Did you catch what I caught?  God lists all of these plans of blessing - he reveals his heart for his people - plans that are amazing and beautiful...plans that are powerful - that cause a turning of the tide - that cause restoration and harvest...

Then He says...I AM “READY TO HEAR” THE PRAYERS OF MY PEOPLE SO I CAN PUT THESE PLANS INTO ACTION.  I AM “READY TO GRANT” THEM THEIR REQUESTS IF THEY JUST ASK!"

I say we take God at His word, and begin praying and requesting that He pour out the plans He has already made for us...not just for three days - but let's allow this "requesting attitude" to become the norm - and let's begin to EXPECT...because our God is “ready to hear” and “ready to grant”.   Wow.