Strategies for the New Chapter in Your Life Katie Barker August 30, 2019 Recently I heard the Lord say, "A time of unprecedented change is before My people. A new chapter is before them."
I then had a vision of heavenly books being opened. These books outlined the plans the Lord had for His people. Some books were for individuals, others were for ministries. As each book was opened I saw a page had been turned in the book. I knew it wasn't just a new day but a new season for these people. The new page was the start of a new chapter in the destiny the Lord had planned for them. A chapter had ended and a new one was beginning. I could also see the seeds sown into many pages leading up to this new chapter. The Lord was bringing to life the seeds that had been sown in the new chapter, and I could see the seeds begin to sprout. The new chapter was one of harvest for all that had been sown in the past. I then heard the Lord say, "For many, this unprecedented change that is before them is the manifestation of long-awaited promises that I have given them. Many will be surprised by the way in which these promises come to life and the means through which I bring them to life. "My breath brings life and I am breathing on that which looks lifeless and causing it to arise and align with My Word. Now is the time where a new chapter begins for many of My people. This new chapter is an accumulation of what has been sown in the past." The Lord went on to say, "A new chapter is before many of My people. It is a new chapter, for what is ahead is a complete shift and a new season. It is a new chapter, for much has been planned and much will unfold in the time ahead. It is a new chapter, for things will not be the same as they have been before. "This new chapter aligns with the new era that has begun in the spirit. I have announced the change in season and the new chapter in the lives of My people; now I am calling them to prepare and partner with the new chapter." The Lord then gave me the following strategy on how to partner with the new chapter. 1. Rest and Recalibration Proverbs 16:9 (ESV), "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." The Lord is calling His people to a place of divine rest, rather than striving, knowing that He is aligning the path ahead and He will bring divine alignments and opportunities at the perfect time in this new chapter. If we strive and open doors in our own strength, we will labor in vain, and what we build will not be the fullness that Lord has planned for us. Psalm 37:23 (TPT), "The steps of the God-pursuing ones follow firmly in the footsteps of the Lord, and God delights in every step they take to follow Him." There is a need to continually be led by the Spirit. There is also a need to be resting in Him and drawing strength from Him as many have walked through difficult battles in the last chapter and have become weary, and the Lord is wanting to renew His people for the time ahead. The Lord is also wanting to recalibrate our focus and priorities as this new chapter begins. The Lord is going to bring to the forefront those things that need our focus, attention and priority at this time, and the other things that are not for this time should be laid aside. The recalibration will bring adjustments to our lives that cause us to be more precisely aligned, effective and positioned for all the Lord has planned. Philippians 3:13-14 (TPT), "I don't depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus." Isaiah 40:31 (ESV), "But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Psalm 46:10 (TPT), "Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth." 2. Renewal of Hope Hebrews 11:1 (TPT), "Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen." Due to the intensity of the battles of the past seasons and the length of time many have waited for the manifestation of the promises God has given them, a lot of people have lost hope in the promise and the road ahead. The Lord is calling His people to trust in His Word and trust He is faithful to bring to pass all He has promised. There is a need to remember His past faithfulness, knowing the Lord never fails us. The Lord is calling His people to know their hope is found in Him and to renew their hope and faith in the promises and dreams He has given. He is calling them to look with faith-filled eyes at the path ahead and know that a new chapter has begun, and the Lord will begin to unfold the pages of this chapter in the time ahead. There is an interactive dynamic between faith and hope. Psalm 119:114 (TPT), "You're my place of quiet retreat, and Your wrap-around presence becomes my shield as I wrap myself in Your Word!" Romans 15:13 (ESV), "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Hebrews 10:23 (ESV), "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." 3. Reclaim the Promises and Prophesy Life The Lord is calling His people to partnership in this chapter. He is calling us to reclaim and call forth the promises He has given. As we prophesy and speak out the Word and promises of God on the leading of the Spirit, He will breathe life onto the Word and it will come to pass in His perfect timing. We are to prophesy life to that which looks lifeless, as this is the time in which the Lord is causing the seed sown in past seasons to sprout and come to life. In Ezekiel 37:4-10, which describes the encounter Ezekiel had in the valley of dry bones, the Lord instructs Ezekiel to prophesy the words He gives him. Ezekiel does as the Lord commands, and prophesies the exact words given to him. As Ezekiel prophesied the word of the Lord, there was a sound of rattling as the bones came together, and he saw sinews, flesh and skin cover the bones. The Lord then commanded him to prophesy to the breath and the breath came into the bones and they lived and stood up on their feet. The Lord is calling His people to speak forth, in authority, the words given by the Holy Spirit. As this new chapter unfolds, the Lord is going to ask His people to prophesy His word and life to those things which look lifeless, and the breath of God is going to bring them to life. In all things we are to follow Zechariah 4:6 on the leading and in the power of the Spirit. Zechariah 4:6 (ESV), "...Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." Romans 4:17 (TPT), "...He is our example and father, for in God's presence he believed that God can raise the dead and call into being things that don't exist yet." 4. Resist the Old Ways and Embrace His New Strategies As the Lord has opened a new chapter, it is important to align with the new season. The enemy will attempt to draw people back to patterns and ways they have operated in the past, but there is a need to be intentional about seeking the Lord for His strategies in this chapter of the journey, as the strategies may be different in some (or many) ways. The Lord is going to stretch many people in the time ahead as He asks them to step out in new ways. It is not a time to stay in our comfort zones but to embrace all the Lord wants to do in and through us. When the Lord stretches us, He doesn't break us but instead strengthens and advances us. In this time of unprecedented change, it will be important to be purposeful about seeking the Lord and seeking confirmation on the way ahead. Romans 12:2 (TPT), "Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God's will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes." Psalm 32:8 (TPT), "I hear the Lord saying, 'I will stay close to you, instructing you and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with My eyes as your guide. So don't make it difficult; don't be stubborn when I take you where you've not been before. Don't make Me tug you and pull you along. Just come with Me!'" 5. Rise up in Faith and Boldness and Take Action The Lord will call His people to partner with Him in word and deed in this chapter. As it will be a time of change, advancement and culmination of promises coming to life, it will be important to only follow the leading of the Spirit in order to walk in the fullness of all the Lord has planned for us in this chapter of our destiny in Him. The Lord is inviting His people to close fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The Lord is going to ask His people to rise up, make a stand, be a voice and take action on His leading like never before, for He is looking for true followers of Him. Romans 8:14 (TPT), "The mature children of God are those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit." James 1:22 (TPT), "Don't just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let His Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life!" Lastly, the Lord gave me three signs that would be seen in the lives of His people in this new chapter. These were the very reasons the chapter will be one that will not be the same as previous chapters. 1. Release of Hindrances and Release into the New The people of God who have felt that they have not moved forward into the fullness of their destiny in God, will see blockages removed and divine opportunities and open doors released. Those who have stood in faith and stepped out in obedience will see the Lord move powerfully on their behalf as they are released into the new chapter in their destiny. The very areas the enemy tried to hinder and delay the people of God will be the areas in which the Lord brings the greatest breakthrough. Isaiah 35:4 (TPT), "Be strong and never afraid. Look, here comes your God! He is breaking through to give you victory! He comes to avenge your enemies. With divine retribution He comes to save you!" Isaiah 64:4 (TPT), "These amazing things had never been heard of before; You did things never dreamed of! No one perceived Your greatness. No eye has ever seen a God like You, who intervenes for those who wait and long for You!" 2. Restoration of Hope, Strength, Joy and Destiny Psalm 126:5-6 (ESV), "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing the sheaves with him." The battle of the past seasons has strengthened your faith and developed your character. As the Lord opens this new chapter in the lives of His people, its pages will reveal restoration of hope, strength, joy and destiny. 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV), "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." Philippians 1:6 (TPT), "I pray with great faith for you, because I am fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put His finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!" 3. Reward for All That Has Been Sown This will be a time of reward for all that has been sown. Every step of obedience and every tear has not gone unseen and every prayer has not gone unheard. The Lord is bringing life and multiplication to all that has been sown, for He is going to ignite the seeds sown in past seasons. Luke 11:28 (TPT), "...God will bless all who listen to the Word of God and carefully obey everything they hear." Galatians 6:9 (TPT), "And don't allow yourselves to be weary or disheartened in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you've planted is coming!" Ruth 2:12 (AMP), "The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge!" Ask the Lord to show you the new chapter that has started and will unfold before you. Embrace the strategies He has given to partner with this new chapter and be expectant for all the Lord will bring forth, as this chapter in your destiny will not look the same as any previous one. A time of unprecedented change is before you! Katie Barker www.katiebarker.com.au SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. “I Am Your Fortress and Defender” Christy Johnston August 28, 2019 I believe the Holy Spirit wants you to be reminded today that He is your fortress and defender, your strong tower and mighty shield.
No matter what may come against you, no matter who may slander you, no matter the size of the giant that may be staring you down, HE is your CHAMPION defender. Jesus wraps Himself around you as a mighty fortress, all you have to do is run under His covering of majesty and hide. He promises to enlarge you in the place of distress, and give you BLISS in the place of despair. GOD is for you today; decree it over yourself if you need reminding. "HE is for me, who DARE be against me." "God, You are my righteousness, my champion defender. Answer me when I cry for help! Whenever I was in distress, You enlarged me. I’m being squeezed again—I need Your kindness right away! Grant me Your grace, hear my prayer, and set me free!" (Psalm 4:1 TPT) Christy Johnston www.nateandchristy.co SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. Back to Basics: How to Receive Your New Upgrades! Kathy DeGraw August 27, 2019 The Lord is purifying His people and He is positioning them for upgrades. Upgrade availability is at the disposal of everyone who will diligently seek Him and put themselves on the altar of His love. He desires us to press in at a time like this, at a time where we are on the verge of revival.
The Lord has been seeking a company of prophets that will take the world into the next step--into revival. The Lord has found this company of prophets; those who are willing to lay themselves on the altar of His love. Love is the foundation for where we will need to go in our next phase of Kingdom building. In order to release the Kingdom, we have to be full of God’s love--His perfect love. Receiving His love comes from spending time with Him. This company of prophets that He is raising up has spent time in His presence, seeking His Son, Jesus Christ. God is getting ready to wash the filth from the face of this earth. He needs His prophets ready to release what He desires to establish in this hour. He needs them armed and dangerous against the satanic kingdom. Being filled with the Lord’s overpowering love is one of the many tools these prophets have at their disposal to be armed and dangerous. How can we argue against love when it has been poured out on us, and in return, we pour it out on others? God says, “We need to get back to the basics of love. We have wondered away from the simplicity of love, but My Word says, 'the greatest of these is love,' and that 'I am love.'" The Lord says, "Prepare yourself to receive My love and be saturated in My love. When My love exudes then lives are changed, people are healed, and deliverance manifests. My glory is My love. When you experience My glory, you experience My love. So get ready," says the Lord, "because a new company of prophets are arising and they are filled with My love to distribute across the earth." Kathy DeGraw www.kathydegrawministries.org SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. A Creedence Clearwater Revival Ahead! Jo Ellen Stevens August 26, 2019 Upon arising this morning the Lord spoke to me and said, "there is a Creedence Clearwater Revival just ahead and is happening now!" He then told me to look these words up and share what He is about to do!
CREEDENCE; Credence means truthfulness, or believability. There Is a revival of truthfulness coming to America and the world! There is going to be a difference made between the truth tellers and those who only speak from their own hearts.God is going to separate the real from the fake and is doing this in the earth right now! There is much uncovering of the lies that we have been told and some of the truths that we have held dear in our country. He is going to shake all that can be shaken so that which remains will be the unadulterated truth of God’s word and he is about to show forth who His true Prophet’s are! All institutions are now being shaken so that new foundations will be laid and they will be laid in the truth of God's word! CLEARWATER; 1: To make clear or translucent clear the water by filtering. 2: To free from pollution or cloudiness clear the atmosphere.an improvement in the condition or strength of something. God is in the process of clearing the water that is about to flow through His people! He is taking care of business right now and cleaning us out for such a time as this so that he can have a clean channel to flow through in the days ahead! If you have been going through a lot recently, maybe he has been cleansing things from your heart and mind so that you could be that pure channel of His love and grace to a dying world. REVIVAL; comeback, bringing back, re-establishment, reintroduction, restoration, reappearance, resurrection, resuscitation, relaunch, reinstallation, regeneration, revitalization, reinvigoration, awakening, rejuvenation, stimulation, rebirth. There is a revival that is about to happen with those who have walked in truth and sought truth and acted in truth! There is about to be a re-establishment of God’s truth that will affect the whole world! God is Resuscitating the remnant in the church from what they have been through in this shaking that is going on and there is an awakening that is coming to the body of Christ in an even higher dimension! This in-turn will awaken the world to God's ways and that his truth is the only answer to their problems! THE HILL OF THE LORD God then told me to look up the roots of the 1967-1972 rock group “Creedence Clearwater Revival” and where they came from. They came from El Cerrito California. El Cerrito means “ mountain or hill.” Psalms 24:3 says “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah” These people who have been being cleansed and washed and have allowed the process to happen in their lives. Those who are walking in the truth of God’s word, who have a pure heart and clean hands will ascend unto the hill of the Lord in these days! WHO WILL SURVIVE THE SHAKING? Also The city of El Cerrito was founded by refugees from the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It was incorporated in 1917 as a village with 1,500 residents. God spoke to me that this “Creedence Clearwater Revival” will begin from those who have survived the greatest shaking that the church has ever seen! Isaiah 4:3-6 (NKJV) “And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain." THINK IT NOT STRANGE THE FIERY TRIAL BUT REJOICE! There is a shaking going on and it is because he is preparing us for the hill or mountain of the Lord! In Psalms 24 above the word “hill” means promotion. God is not trying to kill us in the test that we have been through in these shakings, but he has been all about promoting us! Tests bring promotion as they cleanse us to be ready to be the vessels for the clear pure water of His word to flow through! So as it says in 1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” Yes, the key to going through these trials is to understand that He is bringing you to a place like Joseph, as he came out of the prison that tried him for 14 years, but finally brought him to be second in command to Pharaoh. God was all the time, getting things out of him, to be able to use him to save even those who put him in bondage alive during the famine! Yes, he has been preparing you in this shaking so that we can be that city set on a hill for such a time as this!! So to go through this rejoice in this.... That He is taking you to this place... To the promotion of the Lord for such a time as this! Jo Ellen Stevens www.dstevens7.wixsite.com SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. Expect Favor Dannette Lynn August 23, 2019 A love letter from the Father:
Be of good cheer. You are deeply loved, so be confident in your favor. I am your unwavering Source to bring you comfort from every trouble. I am removing every trace of what has afflicted you. I promise with an oath to fulfill anything that you can ask for. With man it is impossible, but not with Me. Build your hopes up. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Everything that you are wanting is in your possession. Give shape to the invisible as you believe. These things are already yours. I have given you an unlimited supply. I have made you a thousand times more prosperous to bless you just as I said that I would. Anyone who puts their trust in Me will be blessed and comforted. Look, I have placed My words into you. I have appointed you with authority to create and to stamp out. Faith is proof of what you hope for as a divine guarantee. You have ownership of all things to have and control as your property. Float in fulfillment as you own it from day one. Have joy because it is yours! What you believe is what will come. You will get what you expect. Don’t operate in doubt but rest in who you are to Me. Be confident in your thinking. Be sure of what you hope for and stay confident in what you cannot yet see. There is plenty reserved just for you and there is an abundance to give away. Expect favor, you are far too blessed to be stressed about anything. Give your burdens to Me and I will take care of everything. You will look to Me and shine, without a trace of disappointing shame. Hope with expectation and anticipation. What you are hoping for is already yours. Dannette Garza www.diamondsfromthedust.com SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. Your Harvest Is about to Come Forth! Kathi Pelton August 22, 2019 Many of you have been sowing seeds for years; financial seeds, gospel seeds, prayer seeds, relational seeds and seeds of declarations from the Word of God. You have wondered if you would ever see the fruit or grain from those seeds come forth. I heard the Lord say that many are about to see a great harvest come forth from the seeds that you have previously sown.
My husband and I directed a house of prayer for many years with more hours of prayer and worship than either of us could possibly count. We traveled around the nations in obedience to God’s longing for the nations—spending countless dollars, we’ve moved thirty times and left friends and family to follow Him. We are not alone in this journey—many of you have sown, sacrificed and given all that you have on Earth to follow Him. Although these things were not done for a personal reward but for the sake of Jesus receiving His full inheritance, I hear Him saying that many seeds will suddenly yield a great crop that you will get to eat from. We had the honor of praying over a couple that had given the past sixteen years to the Lord as they directed a house of prayer. They are in the midst of transition (like so many others) and we saw all the prayers that had been prayed over the past sixteen years as seeds that went forth, and they were now standing before a massive wheat field to go and harvest. As we prayed for them, our team heard these verses: "The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." (Isaiah 55:10-11) The winter season has watered your seed and now grain has grown and fruit has been produced. Prosperity is upon the seeds that you have sown. The winter months with storms have watered your seed. Watch now as you are about to step into the harvest fields from the seeds that you have sown, especially in prayer! Isaiah 55 goes on to say this: "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of His power and love.” (Isaiah 55:12-13) The harvest will honor the name of the Lord! You will live in peace and joy as you watch His Word prosper all around you. In the midst of great darkness there will be great joy for those who have put their trust in the Lord. You did not sow in vain! All that you’ve done for the Lord will bear fruit. Kathi Pelton www.inscribeministries.com SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. The Lord Says, "It's Your Turn!" Lorilei Cooley August 21, 2019 I heard the Lord say, "It's your turn." I felt in my spirit that there are many who have been last; who have been ridiculed, mocked and have endured such trials and pain. Where there had been a waiting on the Lord, a waiting to be released, things have now turned. I felt the Lord emphasize that not only have things turned for you, but it is your time. It is your turn to be vindicated, your turn for justice, your turn to see what He has spoken to you suddenly come to pass. It is your turn to obtain the promises of God. Your turn to see greater recompense and restoration. It is your turn for your voice to be heard. It's your turn to move in the manifestation of all that the Lord has for you.
There will be no more hindrance and delay to what He has spoken to you, for it is your turn to see greater demonstration of His power, a grandeur display of His power. Where many will say, "Only You, Lord, alone could have done that. No one else but You, Lord." It is your turn and your time to shine. He is not only shining the light on you but many will take notice, for the radiance of God's beauty and glory rests upon you. His power is resting on you. In this moment, He is doing only what He can do with His infamous power. No matter what has happened He still remains and His Word still holds power. The power of His Word has not changed and never will, my friends. I felt so strongly that many of you have reached a place where your faith is colliding with the power of His Word; just like the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment and suddenly she was healed. Many of you are at a pivotal point where you are touching the hem of Jesus' garment and as you do, there will be a suddenly explosion of power, healing, deliverance and breakthrough manifesting all around, in and through you. Matthew 9:20, "And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment." There are not enough words to describe the demonstration of the power of God that is about to explode into many people's lives. There is acceleration into the course of events that the Lord has orchestrated and aligned. There is rapidity to what He is doing and what is already in motion. It cannot be stopped. His Word is coming through like a bulldozer. Remember who Jesus is and who He defeated. Jesus Himself is invading your life and your circumstances. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will do it again for you, time and time again. He never fails. I want to prophesy over those reading this word that there is an impartation of power coming over you like thunder. It is causing an instantaneous suddenly of breaking through for you! Lorilei Cooley www.lorileicooley.com SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. Trust Is a Part of Growing Daneen Bottler August 20, 2019 Beloved, the Lord is stretching and enlarging your capacity to trust Him in obeying His voice, even when you don’t have the full picture or completely understand.
It would be wonderful if every time the Lord sent us to give a prophetic word to someone, He told us everything we were going to say ahead of time. Once in a while that will happen, but when you are in the Holy Spirit school of training and He is growing you in your faith and trust in Him, you often will only receive the nudge first to go over to the person He is sending you to, and then as you obey His leading, He will fill your mouth with what to say. Trusting God is a necessary part of growing up in Him and is something we never stop learning or moving into greater depths in. Over the years I have learned that one of the Lord’s favorite things to say is, “I’ll tell you when you get there.” and He has never once failed in doing so. The Holy Spirit filled life is truly a joyful adventure and as long as you are teachable and submitted to the Lord, He will be faithful to teach you and train you up into all things necessary for the places and people He is taking you and sending you to. Exodus 4:11-12 NIV, “The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Daneen Bottler www.tyanddaneenbottler.com SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. How I Overcame Spiritual Dryness Helen Calder August 19, 2019 When I began writing on my Enliven Blog ten years ago, I was spiritually dry and recovering from burnout. Yet now, as I write this on my blog's tenth anniversary, I look back in amazement at what can only be a move of the Holy Spirit.
So, if you can relate to feeling weary; if you sometimes wonder how you can complete the work God has called you to, be encouraged. Your Father wants you to know that He is unfailing. There is never any moment you where cannot draw life from Him! And if you have experienced spiritual dryness, you can be refilled. Below is the story of how I overcame spiritual dryness, as well as some helpful keys to overcoming this in your own life. 1. Realize Your Weakness Is Not an Obstacle to God Contemplating this milestone of a decade has been both wonderful and humbling for me; it is a miracle of God's grace that has made this possible, with the generous help of others. But to be honest, at the time, the thought of doing it again, even for one more week, was daunting! That is until I paused in prayer, and suddenly found myself in a vision. In the vision, I was by a bubbling brook, surrounded by greenery. There was an indescribable peace in that place. The brook's water was flowing endlessly through a large rock. Then I noticed something. The water was pouring forth from the mouth of a clay jar. I suddenly knew that clay jar was cracked and broken, but it was completely encompassed by the rock. Within the rock, the jar was tilted in such as way that the water poured forth endlessly; only its mouth was visible. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2 Cor. 4:7 NIV) Do you feel weak, or even cracked and broken in some way? Your weakness is not an obstacle to Him. Hear your Father say, "My grace towards you is such that My glory will shine through you and My power be seen upon you!" (2 Cor 12:9). 2. Be Dependent Upon Jesus The clay jar I saw in the vision had capacity to pour because it was held and encased in the rock. You can have complete security in Jesus when He is your Rock, your source of life. "[A]nd all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:4 NKJV) A cure for spiritual dryness is to be continually dependent upon Him. This is a position you can hold by faith. Jesus explained it this way: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 NKJV). Your longevity in ministry doesn't rest on your ability or diligence, as important as these things are. It rests on your dependence upon Christ. Jesus uses the image of the vine and the branches to illustrate what He means by "abiding in Him." The branches are a part of the vine—an extension of it. They are not merely joined, they are one. You can have the revelation of being one with Christ, and then live rested in that position of union with Him. 3. Live and Work Out of the Father's Delight At the start of 2009, around eight months before I started my blog, I released most of my ministry roles. Everything I thought God had lined up for me, in order to fulfill His call on my life, had fallen over. I was now well into my forties. I had worked so hard but seemed to have lost it all, and had nothing left to give. Yet the Lord was at work. He allowed my spiritual dryness, for it led to my healing. In my crisis of faith, I asked over and over, "Are You the God I am afraid that You are—a task-master whose approval I can never win? Or the Father I have longed for—a God of grace and joy?" I had known theoretically that God was my Father, but I didn't know Him as my loving Father. After a life-changing encounter with God as my Abba Father, I finally knew I didn't need to work for His approval. I was already "good enough"! I knew I was, always had been, and always would be His beloved child. And on this new foundation, I began to write. Your Father is delighted in you; not because of anything you can do for Him. He loves you, He loves you, He loves you. 4. Be Continuously Filled with the Spirit As 2010 began, my husband Malcolm and I both had a glorious infilling with the Holy Spirit. So much so, Malcolm had to carry me out of a meeting! Finally, I had moved from spiritual dryness into overflow, but it started more than 6 months earlier as I learned to have regular encounters with God that replenished me, little by little. We need to know where our life flow comes from. When we are releasing life to others out of our intimate relationship with God, we can continue to serve. Jesus said, "'Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this He meant the Spirit..." (John 7:38-39 NIV). The source of this river is His Spirit, flowing from within us. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), and God's design for you is to never run dry. Today, I pray His life is released powerfully from within you. May you be filled and overflow with His immeasurable joy. Your Work Matters to God God created us to be in close relationship with Him. This doesn't mean that work is not important to God! Yes, we need to take special time out for rest and prayer to prevent spiritual dryness, but there is no place where relationship ends and work begins. We do not work for God, we work with God, and our Father doesn't grade different types of work. Remember, in the beginning He put Adam to work tending the garden. All work can be done to the glory of God (Col. 3:17). Today, I pray that you will know what it means to be filled to overflowing, and that any spiritual dryness will be swept away by an encounter with the grace of God. He is waiting for you with open arms. Helen Calder www.enlivenministries.net SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. It Is Because He Loves You Victoria Boyson August 15, 2019 You feel as though you are ready for your destiny, but once again God directs you back to the refinery for more tweaking. Oh, how weary you are of the awful refinery and that seemingly endless tweaking. "Okay, God, you can stop now," you scream, but He does not stop. You are caught in a prison of hope and He will not let you out until He is finished with what He began in you.
It is like a child who has a sliver. He does not like the pain the sliver causes him, but he hates the misery of having his sliver taken out. Removing the sliver is important, but he doesn't understand that. Even if he did, it is hard to keep still while it is being pulled out. Well, we all have spiritual slivers that we need God to take out, and sometimes it really hurts, especially when the sliver is way down deep in our heart. This is when the refining process REALLY hurts, because He is getting down to the very core of your soul, to the deep regions of your heart. He is developing things in you that you did not know you lacked—things you did not even know you needed. You think, "Okay, God, this is deep enough." But every builder knows you must dig down deep to lay a proper foundation first, before you start to establish the height of the structure. And the greater the height of the structure, the deeper the foundation must be. It is God's great love for us that keeps us from entering our destiny until our foundation is secure. If He has held you back and you feel like a prisoner, He has done it out of love for you. He does not want to see all that He has worked to build in you crumble, because He did not take the time to develop a sure foundation. He loves you that much! Even though it hurts you, He needs to hold you in the prison cell of hope until it is safe for you to come out. Even though you are sick and tired of hoping, of believing, of waiting, He will still make you hope, believe and wait even longer. And this can be the hardest thing He has asked you to do yet. But when you feel like giving up, and yet continue to carry on, you begin to sense a strength rising in you that you did not know you possessed. And really, you did not possess it previously, because it was your reward for enduring this painful process. It is a gift from God that the enemy cannot take away from you, because you have earned it. Victoria Boyson www.victoriaboyson.com SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL MESSAGES from God's powerfully anointed women all over the world at WomenofImpactMinistries.com CLICK HERE to submit an article. |
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