"I Am Dressing You for Your Destiny"

I had a dream a few nights ago that angels were carefully dressing me in dress after dress. I would wear one very pretty dress for awhile in the dream, and then they would appear with a new, even lovelier dress and I would have to change again and again. At one stage, I was wearing the most glorious dress I had ever worn – even prettier than my wedding dress!

It was a "2 Corinthians 3:18" feeling – going from "glory to glory."

I remember that I was in this most beautiful dress in the dream, and I was attending a worship service where I was wildly jumping in praise. As it happens in dreams, it was like I was having an "out of body" experience, looking down upon myself as I worshiped the Lord in this beautiful dress. I asked the Lord why He was robing me in all these gorgeous dresses, and I heard Him say, "I AM DRESSING YOU FOR YOUR DESTINY." I felt like He said that since there was such an acceleration in this kairos time in history, He was going through my "new" dresses more quickly than ever.

New Wineskins

For about a year now, I have seen the numbers "222" everywhere. On the clock, on number plates on cars, on homes and businesses and in books. My eyes have been drawn to these numbers, and it has actually increased coming into 2020. I know that these numbers can mean open doors, but Holy Spirit drew me to Mark 2:22, which says, "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins – and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."

Anyone who is part of a prophetic community or who knows the times knows what this means! New wine is indeed being poured out on the Body of Christ at the moment, and many of God's people are realizing that they are in need of NEW wineskins to hold the destiny that God has ordained for them. The Lord showed me my dream again in slow motion, and with every change of garment that took place, there was a new level of freedom and praise that went forth. I felt like the Lord showed me that the removing of OLD garments is a symbol of stepping into the new season that God has given us.

The morning after this dream, I was going through some clothing that I had in a storage box under the bed. I found two new dresses that I had never worn, and I felt Holy Spirit prompt me to throw them out, though I had not yet had a chance to wear them. I also had a third, favorite dress that I have worn and loved for years. There was a strong sense that I was to toss all three dresses. I was then reminded of a prophetic word that I received, before moving from America to Australia 7 months ago, in which the person told me that I would be receiving a "whole new wardrobe, both naturally and spiritually." As I began to think on this word, I heard the Lord's voice again:

"Sometimes you have to be willing to part with the old garments – even the new and yet unneeded ones – in order to make room for the NEW and BETTER garments you'll be given."

I believe the same applies to wineskins. Some people hold onto the old wineskins not just because of affectionate attachment, but because of fear that the new won't quiet "fit" the way the old did. Some people "hoard" out of fear masquerading as wisdom. I see the Lord pouring out love and SMASHING ALL FEAR now, in the name of Jesus!

"...But perfect love casts out fear..." (1 John 4:18)

Shed the Old Man

I was reminded of a little Australian bearded dragon that was following me around a few weeks ago. I was at a wildlife park in Brisbane, just enjoying the sunshine and time with Jesus, and there was a little bearded dragon that took a liking to me. I sat with my journal for some time, and he sat at my feet. I felt for the little guy because he had a large piece of skin peeling from his tail, and it seemed to trip him up. If I walked through the trees or leaves and he tried to follow me, he always ended up with sticks and foliage sticking to him, or his little feet would trip over the growing collection of junk that was attached to this dragging skin on his tail.

Google tells me that bearded dragons tend to shed skin up until they are a mature age. Once they hit maturity, they no longer shed or worry about tripping over the rubbish they've collected along the way. They are free and without hindrance. Holy Spirit reminded me that this little guy kept tripping over his own skin and what was caught on it. (Photo via Unsplash)

Then the Lord said, "The time has come for My people to SHED THE OLD MAN so that they aren't carrying around DEAD SKIN anymore."

Many people are still carrying around their old, dead man. Many people have forgotten or have no idea that they have been "crucified with Christ." They need reminding that they are now FREE and MATURE, thanks to what Jesus has done for them. I heard Him say, "NOW IS THE TIME to dig deep into My wells of Holy Spirit and find out who you TRULY ARE because of Christ Jesus." The old man no longer has any power over the people of God, and it's time to cut him off and live by faith from the identity that Jesus died to give.

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

"..[K]nowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)

The Old Garments That Hold You Back

My husband and I, many times, have felt like we can know the times and seasons of our spiritual lives through the state of our wardrobes. For example, in the past few months, we have found that I have lost weight and most of my old dresses no longer fit because they are baggy and boxy on me. Yet, I do have one dress that seems to have, for some unknown reason, shrunk down in size. Basically, very little actually FITS me anymore.

Likewise, my husband has had to buy bigger shoes because his 38-year-old foot has supernaturally grown, and several of his shirts are now too small for him. Other pairs of pants have holes in them, and we are both having to purchase new gym clothes because we feel restricted and unable to properly exercise with what we are currently wearing.

In fact, my husband sadly had to throw out his favorite exercise shirt recently for these very reasons. I could have tried sewing up the holes, or stretching out the fabric to make it bigger, but we felt it was TIME to let go of the old.

I heard the Lord say, "DO NOT BE RESTRICTED BY YOUR OLD WINESKINS! Get ready for the new garments by throwing out the old."

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19a)

I felt the Lord point out, in the Body of Christ, several areas that represent the "old garments."

• Mindsets
• Relationships
• Ways of connecting to God's presence
• Words that we speak, and whether they carry life or death (Proverbs 18:21)

In each of these areas, He reminded me that He is wanting to do a new, fresh thing. We know that just because something may have worked in the past it may not work now; but I feel like it's even bigger than that. The Father actually wants to make everything NEW. He is a faithful, good, trustworthy Father who truly does have our best interests at heart, and the best interests of our future nations and generations. The rest of Isaiah 43:18-21 reads as follows:

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people, the people whom I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise." (Photo via Unsplash)

Not only is He doing something NEW, but He is also making paths in the wilderness and rivers in dry regions! He does it all for His people, those He loves and gave His own life for. This includes us as well as the future nations and generations who have yet to know Him. I believe that anything that would hold us back from the kind of Kingdom life that pushes toward destiny is restrictive and has come to the end of its season.

Dry Bones, New Skin

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And He led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And He said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord God, You know.' Then He said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.'

"So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.' So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army." (Ezekiel 37:1-10)

The Lord showed me a picture of this. He said to me, "When I put the flesh and skin on those old bones, it wasn't the same skin as before. I gave them NEW SKIN, NEW FLESH! When you prophesy over yourself or others, always prophesy the NEW, and stop expecting it to look like it used to!"

Glory to Glory

As I quoted at the beginning, from 2 Corinthians 3:18, the Body of Christ is moving from "glory to glory." I love how The Passion Translation puts it: "We can all draw close to Him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into His very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

I believe that this verse perfectly sums up the answer to the question about HOW we are to dress for destiny and usher in the new. We can all draw close to Him with the veil removed from our faces. This makes me so full of joy! Also, He told me recently that His presence is NOT a cliché; it is EVERYTHING that we need! We can no longer afford to disregard the call to go deeper or stay longer in His presence. THIS is how we move from glory to glory, and this is how we have the ability and strength to let go of the old to make room for the new.

Time to Get Dressed

Friends, the truth is that we can live from the deep wells of Holy Spirit within us and not from what worked in the past or how we think things could look now. We do not live from yesterday's manna, "...but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). In His presence, sharing His heartbeat and knowing His very words, you will find new garments for your destiny! You will be filled with new wine and will see that your old skin has ALREADY been severed so that you can prophesy and receive all NEW SKIN for the new season! All this to the glory and honor and praise of our Lord and Savior, our precious King Jesus!

"I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)

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Mandy Woodhouse
Outrageous Hope
Email: outrageoushopegirl@gmail.com
Website: mandywoodhouseoutrageoushope.com

Mandy Woodhouse is a wife, a published author, a speaker, a blogger, a photographer, an artist and a fur baby mom. Originally from Louisiana, she and her Australian husband pastored Glory City Church in Aiken, South Carolina before moving back to Brisbane, Australia to be a part of Glory City Church in Brisbane. Mandy is a prophet/teacher/intercessor with a strong gift of exhortation and a love for the Word of God. She lives to use her prophetic voice, creative teaching style and her writing skills to impart HOPE and to awaken true, righteous IDENTITY in the Body of Christ, across the globe, while always pointing to JESUS.

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