I want to recommend Anne Ballard to you. She attended Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry from 2010-2013, with her last year serving wonderfully on my team as an intern.
She is a creative thinker, a successful businesswoman, a releaser of hope, and she represents Jesus well in who she is and what she does. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Please forward this word to your friends! Encourage them to subscribe to the Elijah List right here: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
In this season, God is placing the lonely in families and giving mothers and fathers to those who need them. There is a grace to make room for what's coming, even through the act of letting go of physical things, and I believe that God is meeting you as you let go.
Though many have been oppressed by the lie that their needs are unimportant or not allowed, God is redeeming those legitimate human needs – physical, spiritual, and emotional – and opening our eyes to them, showing us how to meet them in a healthy way.
Right now, life-altering transitions are being met with the grace you need to accept where you are and move forward. God wants to remind you, this month and always, that He is your unceasing Protector, watching over you day and night and filling you with peace.
The Strength of Mothers and Fathers
"God sets the lonely in families..." (Psalm 68:6, NIV)
So many people in our world need fathers and mothers. We are living in a time when more parents have abdicated their role to lead their children than even in past times of war. In some cases, parents have become absent from death, divorce, or abandonment. In other cases, parents are physically present but emotionally and spiritually absent, not accepting their role to step up to the plate to lead and love their children. This crisis in our world has produced a generation of people who have never learned who they are. Their identity is damaged, distorted, or non-existent.
God values family and chose to bring Jesus into the world through a family. Being connected through family to loving fathers and mothers brings stability, strength, guidance, love, perspective, balance, life experience, wisdom – and ultimately, identity.
Sometimes, God provides non-biological parents for those who need it, and we know from Scripture that God sets the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). I believe that right now God is providing fathers and mothers for those that need them. If any one of you needs a family, just ask your Father in Heaven, who gives good gifts to His children. He's providing family for the child that is up for adoption, as well as for the young adult seeking to know who he or she is.
God is faithful to provide for the needs of His children. If you have felt a tug on your heart recently to be a mother or father to someone in your life (or someone you'd like to have in your life) it may be the time to step forward. God has prepared you for such a time as this, and He will not call you without equipping you first. Your faithfulness will be seen and rewarded.
Making Room
"...a time to keep and a time to throw away." (Ecclesiastes 3:6)
Recently I have been on a journey of going through my house and properly clearing out the things that I don't need or want. I am learning to evaluate things, no longer being driven by a poverty mindset that whispers, "I might need this someday so I should hold onto it." Now I'm able to assess the item and determine if it truly "sparks joy." If it doesn't, I let it go. Part of this journey has been learning to trust that God will provide in the future when and if I do need that thing again.
Something is happening in the spirit through my physical actions. By releasing physical things that have been taking up space, I'm making room for more things in my life (both in the natural and in the spirit). There is also a clarity and peace that is coming through releasing what I do not need.
I believe that this is a time to clear out and let go of things. Keep what brings you joy and joyfully let go of what you don't need. When you're able to surrender to the process, you are saying no to a poverty mindset. This becomes a spiritual process of making room in your life for other things, people, changes, and opportunities.
There is a difference in just clearing out things to get rid of items and choosing to only keep what brings you joy. There is grace right now for this! If you make it a priority, you will find the time and energy to do it. God is meeting us when we partner with Him as He brings what's next into our lives. It may feel counterintuitive to embark on this journey at the end of the year (one of the busiest times), but you will find a way if this is stirring in your heart. It also will make a glorious introduction to the new year to start fresh.
Redeeming Our Needs
"I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through the Anointed One, Jesus Christ!" (Philippians 4:19, TPT)
This month God is opening people's eyes and hearts to what they need emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally. There is grace right now to tap into what is going on inside of us and into self-awareness, and a big part of this process is about knowing what your needs are. God has created us with legitimate needs – needs for affection, love, understanding, value, and protection (to name a few).
Acknowledging that you have needs is not selfish, although you may sometimes feel tempted to partner with that lie. Satan has deceived many Believers into thinking that they aren't worthy of having a preference or of being protected by boundaries. The truth is that it takes a connected person to recognize and be aware of his or her needs and then determine how to get them filled in a healthy way.
Many have grown up believing (and may still believe) that their needs were/are not a priority, legitimate, important, or ALLOWED. At the root of this belief is the idea that "I am not worthy of getting my needs met." It is often reinforced with teaching about caring for others over yourself. Jesus tells us in Mark 12:31, "...Love others as much as you love yourself..." He's telling us to value ourselves, and out of that place we can truly love others.
God is opening our hearts and eyes to see and understand what we need on all levels. He is removing the lies that having needs is not okay and not allowed. This is a time of redemption of needs.
Many people will be able to understand for the first time in their lives that it's perfectly normal to have needs, and that they are truly God-given. If this is you, trust that you are being led into how to get these needs met in a healthy way. God is reminding us how He created all of us to live – in simple, total dependence on Him.
Grace for Transition
"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV)
My mother has been diagnosed with dementia, and I have learned much through the process of walking out that journey with her. In the beginning, I was so caught up in denial – holding onto the way things used to be. I was angry and so frustrated that she just couldn't do things the way she used to do. Slowly, as I accepted where she was at in her journey, the grace that I needed came to equip me.
I haven't been in denial for some time now, and although the process has been incredibly hard, I am now able to accept where she is. In order to get to that place, I had to let go of the fear of the unknown and step into trusting God more. Every time I'm with her there are changes in her, but there is also supernatural grace to accept what she's able to do that day. The grace has allowed me to be more present with her, and that has been such a gift.
This month, many are encountering life-altering transitions. It can feel hard, scary, and painful. The future may loom ahead, obscured by the fear of the unknown. Many feel paralyzed and trapped in denial. If this is you, you may feel tempted to cling to the way things used to be because that's familiar and it feels safer than the unknown future. But be encouraged, God is providing supernatural grace and ease that will come when you're able to accept your circumstances.
You must release your fear of the unknown and put your trust in God to take care of you during this time. Acceptance of your situation will be the key that propels you into the grace you so desperately need. It will also allow you to be present and aware during this time of your life rather than missing it. God is making a way; you must release what was and cling to Him during this time, and trust in this: He will take care of you.
"I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God's help. But then I realize that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth. He will guard and guide me, never letting me stumble or fall.
"God is my keeper; He will never forget nor ignore me. He will never slumber nor sleep; He is the Guardian-God for His people, Israel.
"Jehovah Himself will watch over you; He's always at your side to shelter you safely in His presence. He's protecting you from all danger both day and night. He will keep you from every form of evil or calamity as He continually watches over you. You will be guarded by God Himself. You will be safe when you leave your home and safely you will return. He will protect you now, and He'll protect you forevermore!" (Psalm 121, TPT)
God wants to remind us that He is our Protector. As this Psalm recounts for us, in a moment when the writer lifted his eyes to the mountains he was able to see plainly that His help came, and comes, from the Lord. He will lead us and keep us safe, protecting us from falling. He will never sleep, driven by His loving duty to watch over His children. He is our Protector, always with us, keeping us from harm.
He will watch over your life diligently. He created you and knows how many hairs are on your head. Now and forever He will watch over everything you do, with His heart full of love, keeping you safe. Take a moment to meditate on this Psalm. If you struggle with anxiety or fear at all, try memorizing it so you can say it back to yourself in anxious moments.
Declarations:
1. God is providing mothers and fathers to those in need.
2. I am making room for what God is bringing.
3. I value what I need.
4. I receive grace when I accept where I am.
5. My help comes from the Lord.
Anne Ballard
The Crowning Jewels
Website:Â www.thecrowningjewels.com
Email:Â hello@thecrowningjewels.com
Texas born, Anne Ballard worked as a nurse for seventeen years before fully embracing her creative nature. Having grown up believing that God only spoke through the Bible, her life was transformed with the personal knowledge that He still speaks today. As she experienced a revelation of God's love for her and the power of words to transform and heal, she began designing jewelry, partnering with Holy Spirit to create a tangible way to bring Heaven to Earth. This is where her prophetic jewelry company, The Crowning Jewels, was birthed. Many people recognize her company as a business-ministry hybrid. She is known as a prophetic visionary with the drive to accomplish her dreams. Her mandate is to champion others as they discover their God-given identity and fulfill their divine purpose. She currently resides in Redding, CA.
*************************************
