The flowers from my mother's funeral were long gone, and the plants that our family had been given months ago sat on the colorful carpet in the bay window of our farmhouse. While cleaning the house, I looked over the back of the antique couch one day and noticed that one of the plants had fallen over. The dirt was all over the carpet, and the plant itself looked dead and brown--lifeless. I left it there and continued with my other housework thinking I would get back to it later. I thought I was alone in the huge farmhouse.
As I dusted upstairs, a thought hit me like a bolt of lightning! "That plant does not have to be dead!" With the suddenness of a strong revelation, I dropped my dust rag, ran downstairs, got a cup of cold water from the kitchen faucet, and rushed to the living room. I set the pot upright, put the plant back in it, and tapped the dirt down around the roots. I added the cup of water and said forcefully, "Plant, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come alive!" I repeated myself a time or two.
"WHAT are you saying?" Behind me, my brother rushed into the room, wondering what was going on.
Feeling sheepish, because I thought I had been alone in the house, and because I knew it was unusual, I said, "Oh, I was just telling this plant to come to life," and I sidled out of the room.
There was some discussion at some point as to whether that was a valid idea. And he said he didn't think that plant would come back to life.
A few days later, I said to my brother, "Go look at the plant behind the couch." It was green and alive!
Sometimes there is a process, but since the world began with God's words speaking, "Let there be light," and it continues with his word holding the planet in place, and we are made in his image, our words also have the power of life and death.
"As he is, so are we in the world." (I John 4:17)
"I have given you authority . . . over all the power of the enemy." Luke 10:19.
Our words of life can water the world. Let us speak words of life to ourselves and others! Maybe even to our plants!