God's Presence Changes Everything
Many of us are facing extraordinary circumstances right now, and we need courage as much as we need comfort. And that's what this prophetic message speaks of: I saw you passing through a zone of the presence of God, like a baptism into the cloud, and emerging out the other side with the faces of lions.
There's a place in prayer and worship, a place of encounter with Him, where you enter aware of your need and emerge carrying God's nature—not striving for courage but marked by it, for you have sought God. You have touched Heaven. The Holy Spirit has moved, and you will never be the same.
We read of such a prayer meeting in the book of Acts, chapter 4. Luke records, "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31 NKJV).
When Yesterday Speaks Again
Sometimes a past word unexpectedly returns. And it becomes a password, a key for the next season.
"The Faces of Lions" was the name of a prophetic message I released on my blog in 2013! I had first shared it with a church. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered it had disappeared from my website. I didn't know when it happened or how long it had been missing. The last traces of it were in 2022. (I later found it on the internet archive.)
When I found it, I was stirred. It carried a fresh anointing. The following are returning and new thoughts from that message.
Courage Comes from God's Presence
Having "faces of lions" signifies courage. And it's a reminder: The courage you need for this season will not come from striving but from encountering Him.
It's a lesson we learn from Jesus' first disciples: "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13 NIV). (Photo via Pexels)
They saw the courage! Such courage is not sourced in ourselves. It comes from being with Him. Because what you carry reflects where you have been and the company you have kept.
Courage comes from beholding Him, not yourself. The world says, "Look within." Whereas God says, "Look at Me. Look at My Word." And what you behold transforms you.
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)
There, in the mirror of His glory, you receive a fresh perspective on who He is, who you are, and the authority you carry.
"As He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17 NKJV)
He is saying to many of us, "Look again!"
The Breath of the Lion Makes the Difference
In C.S. Lewis' book series, The Chronicles of Narnia, the lion, King Aslan, breathed upon the children, and his own attributes of courage and majesty were imparted to them.
"Between them [the giant and the centaur] [was] a figure they could not recognize. Nor indeed would the other boys at Edmund's school have recognized him if they could have seen him at that moment. For Aslan had breathed on him at their meeting and a kind of greatness hung about him."[1]
There is a "kind of greatness" that can only be seen in us when we have lingered in God's presence.
"Discover your greatness!" the world says.
In today's culture, greatness comes from influence, upbringing, skill, achievement, natural ability, looks, position, or overcoming great odds. But in God's Kingdom, greatness is different. It is not derived from knowledge, achievements, or skills—although we invest in these to honor our Father and the gifts He has entrusted us with.
Greatness is imparted to us. And courage comes as we make intimacy with God our primary pursuit. The world will recognize the kind of courage that comes from being with Jesus. For there will be no earthly explanation for what they see. And they will know we have been with Him (Acts 4:13). (Photo via Piqsels)
The Courage of the Lion Moves You Forward
Jacob blessed his son Judah, saying, "Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?" (Genesis 49:9 NKJV).
This blessing foreshadowed Judah's destiny to rule.
As those who believe in Jesus, the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5), we belong to His tribe—members of His royal family. So, we no longer need to be held back by fear. We are called to go first, just as God sent the tribe of Judah first into battle (Judges 1:2)!
Today, know that God marks you with courage to advance. The Holy Spirit anoints you with boldness. And He will make a way.
The phrase "faces of lions" has a Biblical foundation. In 1 Chronicles 12, we learn of some who joined David on his journey to the throne:
"Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness. They were brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains." (1 Chronicles 12:8 NIV)
This is the mark of those who had the "faces of lions." They were those who...
• Volunteered their services,
• Became mighty leaders,
• Achieved the impossible,
• Won the victory.
But first, they came to the one God had anointed as king. If we are going to be a people about which hangs "a kind of greatness," then we must first come to King Jesus... and linger.
Then, as we walk with Him, perhaps unbeknownst to us, but certainly witnessed by others, we will receive His mantle, and a "kind of greatness" will hang about us with ease.
Note:
[1] C. S. Lewis, "The High King in Command," chap. 13 in Prince Caspian.
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Helen Calder
Enliven Ministries
Email: helen@enlivenpublishing.com
Website: 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 thirty-seven years and are at home in Planetshakers Church, Melbourne, Australia.
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