This is really an exciting word from Katie Barker of Tweed Coast, Australia.
Yes, there are families who do and it's amazing to see. BUT this can happen on a larger scale as God is equipping and restoring families—then raising them up to minister together!
Now that's an edifying word from the Lord! I encourage you to keep praying...not only for your family to be restored, but that God would unite and raise family members up to minister together! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
I heard the Lord say, "I am restoring families and the key role of the family. One of the greatest ploys of the enemy has been the degradation of family, and with this has come a departure from the fullness I intended for My people. With this has come a departure from My ways. Many are walking with deep hurt and mistrust but I am coming to heal wounds and bring restoration."
Rise of Families Who Walk in His Power
The Lord went on to say, "As a sign of all I will do in restoring families, and as a sign of the importance I place on family, I am raising up not just couples who walk in My love and power, but families. These families operate in the power of My Spirit from a foundation of love. These families will be a marker of all I wish to bring forth in these days. They will showcase the generations ministering together in unity and honor. They will showcase the diversity of gifts flowing through vessels surrendered to Me in order to impact My people and give glory to Me.
"I am raising up families who will minister together. These families will be markers of all I will bring forth in My Body, for I desire to see spiritual mothers and fathers equipping and releasing those coming after them into the fullness of the destiny I have for them. I desire to see an honoring of the path pioneered by the previous generation. Unity will be the hallmark of these families and it will flow from a solid foundation of love and a firm standing on the truth of My Word. Watch for the rise of these families."
God's glory is about to manifest on families. The Lord is raising up families who have a combined destiny and who have declared, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15c). The way they minister together will be a sign to the Body of Christ, as through their ministry together others will be impacted by the love and power of God.
Rise of Those Who Will Stand for Restoration
Psalm 147:3 (ESV): "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
The Lord said, "I am raising up those who will stand for the restoration of families. I am opening the eyes of My people to see the great and subtle attack of the enemy in this area. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I came to bring abundant life. I am roaring over families and My restoration will be seen as My people partner with Me. Rise up in faith. Rise up in intercession. Be a voice and stand for a return to My ways. Speak life, healing and restoration into those who are walking in pain and brokenness, for I came to heal the brokenhearted. My heart is for transformation of regions and one of the ways this will be seen is through the restoration of families." (Photo via Unsplash)
Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and find rest for your souls....'"
God is a relational God and His heart is for family. The Lord is raising up more and more people who will stand for the restoration of the family in our nations. The Lord is asking us to rise up and partner with Him to see the plans of the enemy canceled and the plans of God established. He is also asking us to minister to those who have been wounded as His desire is to see people walk in liberty and wholeness. The Lord wants to see transformation of regions and this will be seen as we impact others in our sphere of influence through the love and power of God, and as we return to His ways.
John 10:10 (ESV): "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Uniting of Kingdom Families
Matthew 28:19-20 (TPT): "Now go in My authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you...."
I then heard the Lord say, "There is so much treasure and power in family, for this is My heart. Just as families are arising who are vessels through which My power will be released and My will established, so too spiritual Kingdom families are arising in the same way. They are not just a gathering of My people but a family joined for the purpose of advancing My Kingdom. They are hubs who operate in the model of family and bring transformation to their region through equipping and releasing My people to impact their sphere of influence and walk in their destiny. These Kingdom families carry My heart, walk in My ways and display true discipleship. The enemy has tried to blind My people to the power of family but it is through family that My glory will be released in greater ways in the days ahead."
The Lord is aligning and uniting people who carry the same heart and vision. They are not interested in advancing their own agenda but function for the purpose of advancing God's Kingdom and impacting their sphere of influence to see it transformed for His glory. They are led by the Spirit and they are united in their hunger and pursuit of Him and their surrender to Him. They are willing to take up their cross and to deny themselves. They support and stand for each other as a family and they have a genuine desire to see each person released into the fullness of all God has planned for them.
Matthew 16:24 (TPT): "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If you truly want to follow Me, you should at once completely disown your own life. And you must be willing to share My Cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to My ways.'"
The Lord is going to release more to these Kingdom families to steward in the days ahead. They will see great demonstrations of His power and they will impact many with the love and heart of God. The Lord is highlighting the fact we are called to go into the world and impact others. We are called to walk in the authority we have in Christ. He is highlighting discipleship to His people and He is calling us to relational discipleship, like that which occurs in a family.
Romans 8:14 (TPT): "The mature children of God are only those who are moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit." (Photo via Unsplash)
Return of the Prodigals
The Lord said, "Now is the time to call home the prodigals. In the restoration of families there will also be a return of the prodigals, for I am turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers. This will also be seen in Kingdom families for I am raising up those I will use to bring restoration to My Body. They will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers. This will open the way for true discipleship and will bring advancement of My Kingdom."
The Lord is preparing His Bride for the Bridegroom, and one of the ways He is doing this is by turning the hearts of His people. God views the turning of hearts of parents to their children and children to their parents as something vitally important. It is one of the keys to lasting revival. As we prepare for the great harvest of souls that is coming, the Lord is bringing restoration of natural and Kingdom families and calling His people back to true discipleship. God's desire is for those mature in Christ to teach and equip those new in faith. He desires His people to grow in maturity and understand His nature and ways as well as the truth of His Word.
Luke 1:17 (ESV): "[A]nd he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."
The glory of God is about to be released on families. May we take up the invitation to rise up in faith, intercession and action to partner with the Lord in seeing restoration of family. May we be vessels through which the love and healing of God will impact those who have been wounded in this area. May we partner with the Lord in calling home the prodigals. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Katie Barker
Bring the Fire Ministries
Email: contact@katiebarker.com.au
Website: www.katiebarker.com.au | www.bringthefireministries.com
Katie Barker is the co-founder of Bring the Fire Ministries along with her husband Aaron. They live on the Tweed Coast of Australia with their four children. Bring the Fire Ministries is about bringing revival fire to the nations. It is about ministering to others through the power of the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Katie has a heart to encourage Believers into a deeper relationship with the Lord and see them walk in the fullness of their identity and inheritance in Christ. Her desire is to see Believers understand their Kingdom authority and position, use the spiritual gifts they have been given and impact their areas of influence for the Kingdom of God. She also has a heart for revival and to see the Body of Christ united and awakened.
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