Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out. Leviticus 6:12-13 Recently I had a dream encounter where the Lord spoke to me that there is a greater need for more "fire on the altar." In this it was apparent that there was a need for prayer to permeate and infiltrate the atmosphere of the region. I could literally sense that the atmosphere was not what it needed to be - more prayer was needed.
God is blowing a fresh wind right now! His Spirit is being poured out as a new wave of His glory is stirring hunger, drawing people into living encounters with Him. Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden. And eat its pleasant fruits. The Beloved Song of Songs 4:16 The Lord is invading and interrupting the flow of the spirit of this world, breaking in as He has plans for these upcoming generations. He has a longing to draw all men to Him. What we are seeing right now, more and more, are people being caught up in the simplicity of worship in the Spirit.
God has brought us into a new day of the better promises! We have a vast inheritance in the Lord that is just waiting for us. All God requires is that we believe being evidenced by our actions in faith - even taking the Kingdom of Heaven by force! Out passionate faith makes a difference in obtaining His promises in our lives. May the Lord grant you a burning desire with a willing heart to apprehend all that He has for your life and those around you. But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Hebrews 8:6
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.
God wants us to be breaking through into new places as He is always calling us to come up higher. All that is required is for us to say "Yes." It is His grace and Spirit that will help us to do all that pleases Him. God does not require us to know all the details of how to do things but looks for simple obedience. When we say yes to Him then He will speak more details to us. He shows us what to do as we give Him the "OK." At this point all He requires from us, as always, is to follow the directions. But what does it take for us to get on His frequency? There has to be a hunger and desire for more of Him, His will, and His desires for our lives. This is the starting point.
Morning prayer times are essential to our walk with God. Discover an increase in God's abiding Presence as you seek Him early in the day. Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Mark 1:35 I can remember a time when having got up before the break of day that I had an unusual time of prayer. Technically you would say it was still "nighttime," probably around 5:00 am in the morning or earlier. This was when I was new in the Lord.
Did you know that God wants to get you saturated in His Presence? He wants us all to, like a sponge, soak up the goodness of His Presence. It is amazing how much water a small sponge can actually hold. It just absorbs that water so well. If you've ever noticed - the beginning part of soaking a sponge with water takes longer. When the sponge is dry the water initially bounces off. But once it "breaks through" the sponge begins to absorb more and more!
God desires us to grow into maturity. How does that work? Does it happen automatically. There are some areas of our lives where we have grown, and then other areas can be left neglected. But God wants us to grow in all areas. You may be new in the Lord, or you may have been walking with God for years - there are areas in our lives that may have never changed that might should have by now. It is never too late to change. God's transforming power is only limited by our choices.
There is much about the night seasons that is perfect for seeking God. At nighttime everyone is asleep - except you! You stay up and seek the face of God uninterrupted. This makes for an exceptional time with the Lord as there are less distractions from kids, family, texts, and phone calls. There is something about having quality time with the Lord that makes a huge notable difference in our lives.
Follow Up
