The story of Elisha's first miracle as a prophet contains timely reminders. You may be entering a new chapter of your life, one in which God has more spiritual authority for you to walk in, or you simply desire to impact more people around you. This is a season for emerging leadership! Now is the time to rely upon God and remember, "...with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27)!
This story came up in prophetic ministry recently, and afterward, the Bible verses became stuck in my mind: "Then he [Elisha] went out to the source of water, and cast in the salt there, and said, 'Thus says the Lord: "I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness."' So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke" (2 Kings 2:21–22 NKJV, brackets mine).
2 Kings 2:22 caught my attention, and I took some extra notes. The Holy Spirit seemed to emphasize, "This is not just a side note; it's front and center—right now!"
God Is Speaking! Will You Partner with Him?
Sometimes the Holy Spirit speaks through a sign or a number. It's like a personalized ringtone; when you hear the sound, you know God is calling. When I returned to 2 Kings 2:22 later, I noticed the time stamp on my journal was 2:22 PM. It is a number which speaks to me of partnership with God.[1]
James 2:22–23 sums up this theme: "You see, his [Abraham's] faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: 'Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.' He was even called the friend of God" (NLT, brackets mine).
Hear the call of the Lord: "Beloved! Will you spend time with Me and listen to My voice? I have so much to say to you through My Word. Will you respond and speak words filled with the Spirit that carry My full authority? I long for you to share this life with Me." (Photo via RawPixel)
Five Lessons from Elisha for Stepping into Your New Era
Now, back to 2 Kings 2. The Lord took Elijah to Heaven while his assistant Elisha was looking on. It was a pivotal moment when Elisha entered his calling as a prophet. He picked up Elijah's mantle, which had fallen to the ground, and returned to Jericho alone. A dramatic miracle was about to unfold, but first he had to face challenges that taught him these valuable lessons:
1. When doubt surrounds you, God stands with you.
When God is preparing you for more authority, there may be resistance to the new work of the Spirit in you. This can be internal or external, and sometimes it can come from those around you.
Elisha struck the Jordan River with the mantle, and the waters separated just as they did for Elijah.
"When the group of prophets from Jericho saw from a distance what happened, they exclaimed, 'Elijah's spirit rests upon Elisha!' And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him." (2 Kings 2:15 NLT)
Yet immediately afterward, Elisha faced an uncertain reception from the prophetic community! They had trouble believing the Lord had taken Elijah to Heaven. Why was this so critical? Elisha was called, commissioned, and anointed. But if Elijah was still on Earth, then Elisha couldn't legitimately step into his shoes! Elisha's story is a reminder that when doubt surrounds you, God stands with you! And you can trust Him to vindicate you.
2. Give yourself and others time to adjust.
The group of prophets said to Elisha, "'...Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has left him on some mountain or in some valley'..." (2 Kings 2:16 NLT). They wore Elisha down with their persistent requests to send out a search party, and he reluctantly agreed. For three days, fifty people went and searched high and low! Meanwhile, as they wondered if Elijah was still alive (and on planet Earth), Elisha's succession was still held in question.
Afterward, Elisha lodged in the vicinity, waiting for what God would do next.
Maybe others haven't fully realized what God is doing in you yet. But as you stay yielded to God, you can trust Him and be secure in His choosing of you, even when it takes time to get established. (Photo via PickPik)
3. A new era calls for new miracles.
"One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. 'We have a problem, my lord,' they told him. 'This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive.'" (2 Kings 2:19 NLT)
Then came the moment that marked a shift in Elisha's ministry. It is noteworthy that God reserved this miracle for Elisha and a new generation, impacting a new sphere of influence. When God calls you up higher, there will be an initiation—a first and second opportunity to exercise His authority. Know that God has appointed miracles for you, and you for miracles!
4. Stand in the authority God has given you.
Now is the time to rise in your full God-appointed stature. It's time to dream about what that looks like and how it sounds. Elisha gives us a clue!
Elisha went to the source, the spring of origin, where he stood in his authority as a prophet. Firstly, he cast salt into the water (salt represents covenant).[2,3] And then he declared God's covenantal promise to the township concerning the water supply: "...'Thus says the Lord: "I have healed this water..."'"
Oh, thanks be to God! For it is not by our strength, power, or wisdom, but by the Holy Spirit. Here is the key to standing in the authority God has given you: Declare His covenant by saying, "In Jesus' name it shall be done!"
5. Use the language of your authority and decree, "Never again!"
It is time to prophesy over the waters—polluted waters of discontent, waters of insufficiency, waters of unfruitfulness and barrenness, and waters of sickness and ill health. Declare, "God is healing the waters and turning the bitter into sweet!" Decree as Elisha did: "Never again!"
From this time on, the curse is broken, and a new story will be told of sweet waters, purified by the power of God.
Notes:
[1] Those of us who are gifted as seers, visionaries, and dreamers are very visual in our gifts of the Spirit. So, it's not surprising that the Holy Spirit will speak to us through numbers that we see, or that appear in dreams and visions.
[2] The Bible refers to a "covenant of salt"; salt was mixed with the offerings (Numbers 18:19; Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24).
[3] There's an interesting correlation here with Exodus 15:22–26. Moses threw a branch (tree) into the bitter waters of Marah and God purified it. The branch represents the Cross, and the Lord immediately followed this up by declaring the healing covenant.
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Helen Calder
Enliven Ministries
Email:Â helen@enlivenpublishing.com
Website:Â www.enlivenpublishing.com
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries, in the David McCracken Ministries family. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in the areas of prophetic ministry, discernment and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog, an online prophetic training and mentoring resource that reaches thousands of people globally. Helen and Malcolm have been married for 37 years and are at home in Planetshakers Church, Melbourne, Australia.
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