Many of us don't know what to do with our emotions so we just try to ignore them. My cure for not feeling my emotions was to overeat foods made with sugar flour. I didn't want to feel my emotions. I was running from my emotions because I was sure I would be crazy if I started to really acknowledge and feel them. God, though, loves to connect with us through our emotions. David is a great example of this as he regularly pours out his heart to God. In Psalms 63:1 TPT he said, "O God of my life, I'm lovesick for You in this weary wilderness. I thirst with the deepest longings to love You more, with cravings in my heart that can't be described."
We are living in the best of times and God has great things in store for 2023. God sets before us "obstacle courses" this year that we can easily run through, with ease, by our surrender and His grace, with great reward awaiting. Set your course for wholehearted pursuit of the Lord as He will be moving in extraordinary ways! As we have already entered into 2023 here are some prophetic thoughts about this year. This year has clearly been marked by the Lord as a time to prosper, take back land and to see His glory. As we fully embrace a "kingdom mindset" we will see these things take place on a personal level.
You can be impressed by a lot of things, but not be a zombie to it. A true seeker will find many things! And they will oftentimes suffer and do labor for it. Matthew 13:47-52 says: 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."
You and I are living in a day when we need to be certain that God is directing our lives. We get His answers for the situations in our lives when the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, speaks into our spirits and transmits the "overcoming" victory of Jesus. If you want to clearly hear the voice of the Lord, you must create an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to talk to you. You must also develop your listening abilities so that you are able to distinguish among all the competing voices in the earth. This is essential for you to live a godly life - a life of victory.
Deliverance ministry must be grounded in love for God and love for the person needing freedom. God is love and Christians are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others (Matt. 22:37-39). It is out of love we minister to others and may find ourselves needing to cast out evil spirits. If you are stepping into a time of deliverance, one of the best things you can do is minister deliverance with worship music taking place and several prayer warriors in the same space.
If you are emotionally and spiritually stuck, it is time to get unstuck and out of a rut. Getting unstuck is all about timing. Trusting in God's timing is everything. Getting unstuck is a process ... but also possible. The Lord gave me a vision of a clock. Imagine you are looking at 12 o'clock. This is the time to remember. The first thing you need to do is remember the Lord, remember His Word. Declare now, "I will remember!" God gives us wisdom in His Word for getting out of ruts. However, before looking at these words of wisdom, we must get honest before the Lord and ask His Spirit to give us fresh perspectives as to the root cause of our ruts.
I remember the evening so well. Our little family had traveled to Florida to visit Disney. Our youngest daughter, Keri, had chosen a baby Minnie Mouse to buy with her spending money. Her older sister, Stefanie, felt sure she didn't want one as she considered herself too old for Minnie Mouse. However, around 9:30 p.m., Stef changed her mind. That's when the tears started flowing. We were leaving early the next morning, so to Stef the circumstances looked dire.
Situations bombard us with increased violence, financial strain, and division. These circumstances can only be met head on with a faith that remains unwavering and unhindered. How do we do this? How do we not allow worldly events to stop us from living out our purpose? Three words come to mind - identity, hope, and partnership; and they build on one another. First, we must know who we are in Christ. Nothing can steal our faith or identity if it is built on the solid foundation of the Word of God.
Recently, I heard the Lord say, "We are going on a re-formation journey." When He spoke these words, He put such an emphasis on the word "re-formation." I knew there was a deep work of the Holy Spirit to bring change, realignment, renewal, transformation, transition, remodeling, correction, repairing, a shift and much more. There was a "rebuilding," a deep healing and a divine overhaul that the Lord was bringing forth. He was dealing with areas where the enemy had come hard against many of God's people to bring things into disarray. The Lord was dealing with areas of misalignment.
Paul said he was a "drink offering." This meant that he offered his very life, spirit, soul, and body, to the Lord and to His church as a "living sacrifice" (Num. 15:4-10; 2 Tim. 4:6; Rom. 12:1-2). He also said he not only "spent" but "was spent" for the gospel (2 Cor. 12:15). When you spend, you donate discretionary resources. When you are spent, you give everything you have, even your life. "The rich man is not one who is in possession of much, but one who gives much" (The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom on the Statues: Or, To the People of Antioch, p.42).
Follow Up
