From Facedown to Feet Moving: God's Call to Prayer and Action

The Glory That Demands Our Reverence

"Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking" (Ezekiel 1:28). When Ezekiel beheld even the "likeness of the glory of the Lord," the natural response was complete prostration. This was not optional or performative—it was the inevitable reaction to encountering God's magnificence. Throughout Scripture, this pattern repeats when individuals encounter God's presence: Moses before the burning bush, Isaiah in the temple, John on Patmos—all found themselves overwhelmed by the holiness of God.

The beginning of true spiritual impact always starts here—in reverent prayer and worship. David Platt explains that "when God's glory is described or seen, it leads to awe. The appearance of the likeness of God leads us to worship". This underscores why our days must begin with seeking God's face through prayer and His Word. Morning devotion isn't merely religious routine; it's positioning ourselves before the One whose glory demands our full attention. In Ezekiel's example, we see that authentic ministry doesn't begin with strategic planning or program development but with a heart prostrate before the Lord.

The commentator Clarke notes that in this vision, every element—every metal, color, and natural appearance—was presented "in their utmost perfection of shape, color, and splendor". Yet even with this magnificent display, it was only "the appearance of the likeness," a faint representation of God's actual glory. If Ezekiel was completely undone by a mere shadow of God's presence, how much more should we approach our Creator with reverence and awe when we enter His presence each morning? “Prayer is more than kneeling—it’s walking forward with bruised knees in pursuit of Christ”.

The Command to Stand and Respond

The story doesn't end with Ezekiel facedown. Chapter 2 begins with God's direct command: "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." When we remain perpetually prostrate, we miss God's instructions for action. Prayer is essential, but it must lead to movement. The balance between reverence and responsibility reflects God's intent for His people—worship that propels us into witness.

The Spirit’s empowerment: Only when Ezekiel stands does the Spirit enter him (2:2). Our strength comes not from programs or platforms but through prayer-fueled dependence on the Holy Spirit.

 This is a crucial lesson for us. Prayer and Bible study are the foundation, but they're not the finish line. They're the starting blocks from which we sprint into action.

This mirrors what we find in the book of Nehemiah, where the people "prayed to our God AND set a guard as a protection against them day and night" (Nehemiah 4:8-9). As one commentator powerfully states, "This means prayer is not passive; prayer is power for action. Here we see a perfect balance between prayer and action, trust and movement, sovereignty and personality". The people of Israel didn't merely "let go and let God," nor did they rely solely on their own strength. Instead, they "prayed AND took action"—demonstrating the harmonious relationship between dependence and diligence.

Too many believers today are stuck in one of two extremes: either perpetual study without application or frantic activity without spiritual foundation. Either approach is incomplete. The text doesn't say God yanked Ezekiel to his feet; rather, God commanded and Ezekiel obeyed. Our spiritual posture must include both kneeling and standing, both listening and going. Morning devotion prepares us for daily commission. We cannot stay in our prayer closets forever—God's glory compels us to carry His message to a waiting world.

When we stand, we're ready to move. We're attentive, alert, and prepared for action. This is the posture God wants us in when He speaks to us. It's not the pastor, the worship team, or the church social media that should be directing our steps. It's God Himself, speaking directly to us through His Word and His Spirit.

Think about it: How often do we miss God's instructions because we're too busy listening to everyone else's voice? It's time to tune out the noise and tune in to God's frequency.

The Mission to Rebellious People

Once Ezekiel stood, God immediately directed his mission: "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me" (Ezekiel 2:3). Note that God didn't send Ezekiel to receptive audiences or to those eager to hear his message. Instead, God specifically commissioned him to rebellious people—those who would resist, reject, and rebel. This mirrors our own calling as believers today.

Many Christians pray earnestly for God to use them but then expect Him to send them only to receptive, comfortable environments. Yet God's commission often leads us to the rebellious, the resistant, and the disinterested. God warned Ezekiel: "The house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me" (Ezekiel 3:7). Nevertheless, the prophet was still required to go.

Sound familiar? The lost world around us isn't always receptive to the gospel. But here's the thing: God doesn't call us to be successful; He calls us to be faithful. Our job is to go where He sends us, whether it's comfortable or not.

Our mission field isn't determined by church leadership, worship teams, or social media strategies, but by God Himself. Each day, as we arise from prayer, God directs us to specific people in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities who need to hear His truth. Often these are not people attending our churches or scrolling through Christian content online—they are those living in spiritual darkness, perhaps even hostile to the gospel message.

Uncomfortable obedience: Shane Pruitt often emphasizes: “Your next step of obedience might require leaving your comfort zone”. Ezekiel wasn’t sent to a megachurch but to a spiritual warzone.

Countercultural witness: We’re called to “not act like them” (2:6–7)—rejecting worldly speech, tone, and compromise. Vance Pitman’s focus on relational discipleship reminds us: “People don’t care what you know until they know you care”.

Relentless courage: Ezekiel’s task seemed futile, but God repeated: “Whether they listen or fail to listen… they will know a prophet has been among them” (2:5). Our job isn’t results—it’s faithfulness.

The valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 provides a powerful metaphor for this mission. When God led Ezekiel to prophesy to lifeless bones, He demonstrated that reaching the spiritually dead may seem like "mission impossible," yet with God's power, life emerges where none existed. As Armin Gesswein wisely stated, "Prayer is the lifeline of New Testament evangelism, the oxygen for its holy fire... It knows no evangelism without prayer, and no prayer which does not lead to evangelism". Our prayer lives should naturally propel us toward evangelistic engagement with the lost.

The Nourishment That Sustains Our Ministry

Before sending Ezekiel to these difficult people, God provided essential nourishment: "And he said to me, 'Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel'" (Ezekiel 3:1). The scroll represented God's Word—the divine message Ezekiel would deliver. Significantly, God didn't allow Ezekiel to be selective about which portions to consume. He was commanded to eat the entire scroll, which contained "words of lament and mourning and woe" (Ezekiel 2:10)—not exactly light or encouraging material.

Many believers today practice selective consumption of Scripture, gravitating toward encouraging Psalms, inspiring Gospels, or practical wisdom literature while avoiding challenging prophetic books, difficult teachings, or passages addressing sin and judgment. Yet God calls us to consume His entire Word—not just the parts that comfort us or confirm our existing beliefs. The challenging passages that confront our complacency are often the very ones that equip us for difficult ministry situations.

Just as a balanced physical diet requires various nutrients, our spiritual nourishment demands comprehensive engagement with all of Scripture. When we limit ourselves to favorite passages or comfortable doctrines, we create nutritional deficiencies in our spiritual lives. Ezekiel found that even the scroll containing words of lament became "sweet as honey" in his mouth (Ezekiel 3:3), illustrating how complete submission to God's Word—even its challenging portions—ultimately brings spiritual satisfaction and delight.

Daily immersion in Scripture isn't optional for effective ministry—it's essential. We cannot reach rebellious people with shallow spiritual resources. Only when our minds and hearts are saturated with God's Word can we address the complex spiritual questions and objections of a resistant culture. As we face increasing hostility toward biblical truth, superficial engagement with Scripture will prove inadequate for the challenges ahead.

The Empowerment That Enables Our Witness

God didn't merely give Ezekiel a message; He also equipped him for the resistance he would face: "Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead" (Ezekiel 3:8-9). This divine fortification prepared Ezekiel for inevitable opposition. Similarly, effective witness in our antagonistic culture requires supernatural empowerment beyond our natural abilities.

This empowerment comes through the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to stand firm amid opposition. Jesus promised His disciples, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Note the sequence—power first, then witness. Without spiritual empowerment, our witness inevitably falters when faced with resistance or ridicule.

God called Ezekiel to be distinctly different from those around him. He wasn't to adopt their rebellious attitudes or mirror their hardness of heart. Instead, his firmness was directed toward faithfulness to God's message. Similarly, we are called to be "in the world but not of it"—engaging culture without conforming to it. Our speech, tone, and actions should clearly distinguish us as followers of Christ, not in self-righteous superiority but in Spirit-empowered love and conviction.

In a world that's constantly trying to mold us into its image, God calls us to stand out. Our speech, our tone, our actions - they should all scream "Jesus!" to a watching world. We're called to be in the world but not of it. This means loving the unlovable, speaking truth in a culture of lies, and showing grace in a world of judgment.

The spiritual battles we face in reaching difficult people require more than human determination—they demand divine enablement. Paul reminds us that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against... spiritual forces of evil" (Ephesians 6:12). Daily prayer and Scripture immersion connect us to the power source we desperately need for effective witness in spiritually hostile environments.

The Responsibility We Cannot Ignore

As Ezekiel's calling unfolds, God establishes his role with sobering clarity: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 3:17). This watchman responsibility carried tremendous weight. If Ezekiel failed to warn the wicked, their blood would be required from his hand. However, if he faithfully delivered God's message—regardless of whether people responded—he would be innocent of their blood.

This watchman imagery powerfully illustrates our evangelistic responsibility. While we cannot control how others respond to the gospel, we are accountable for whether we faithfully share it. Too many Christians have abdicated this responsibility, viewing evangelism as optional or delegating it to pastoral staff or evangelistic organizations. Yet Scripture presents witness not as a specialized ministry for the few but as a fundamental calling for all believers.

The urgency of this responsibility cannot be overstated. People around us daily make decisions that impact their eternal destiny. The missionary C.T. Studd famously declared, "Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." This captures the heart of one who understands the watchman's responsibility. Comfortable Christianity that isolates believers from meaningful engagement with the lost fundamentally misses our divine commission.

Daily prayer and Bible study that doesn't result in evangelistic action becomes spiritual self-indulgence. James warns that being "hearers only" without becoming "doers of the word" is self-deception (James 1:22). Our morning devotions should fuel afternoon conversations where we naturally share what God has been teaching us. Each divine insight becomes potential bread for spiritually hungry souls we encounter throughout our day.

Conclusion: The Pattern for Kingdom Impact

The progression we witness in Ezekiel's calling establishes God's pattern for spiritual impact: reverent prostration before God followed by obedient action. Prayer without action leads to spiritual stagnation; action without prayer leads to ministry burnout. The balanced life combines both—starting each day in God's presence and then moving into the world as His ambassador.

Our greatest impact doesn't come through elaborate church programs or sophisticated outreach strategies but through ordinary believers who daily seek God's face and faithfully share His truth. The early church transformed the Roman Empire not through institutional power but through individuals who carried the gospel into marketplaces, households, and communities. Their witness flowed naturally from their worship.

As we contemplate Ezekiel's journey from facedown reverence to standing service, let us embrace both postures in our spiritual lives. May we be a people who begin each day in earnest prayer and diligent study, but who don't remain there. Let us rise from our knees to carry God's Word to a world desperately in need of His truth. The pattern is clear: seek God daily in prayer and His Word, then move with purpose to reach the lost—not through our own power, but through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

The rainbow that appeared above God's throne in Ezekiel's vision reminds us that even in times of judgment, God's covenant of mercy remains. As we carry His message to a resistant world, we bear not only words of warning but also the promise of grace. Each day presents fresh opportunities to participate in heaven's mission—will we follow Ezekiel's example of falling before God and then standing to serve Him? The answer to that question will determine our kingdom impact for generations to come.