In this season, God is refining and strengthening the Body of Christ. He is revealing weaknesses in the infrastructure and preparing a beautiful Bride full of character and love. God is encouraging us to choose Him and ask for wisdom as we process the things in our lives. He is a good Father that longs to instill identity in us and release an abundance of blessing on us. If you are sowing or plowing seeds, God wants to bless you in your steps of faith, no matter how small. The breakthrough you are contending for is not far beyond your reach; keep waiting expectantly for Him.
Prepared Bride
"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)
When the snowstorm hit Texas (and other areas not known for snowstorms) in mid-February of 2021, it revealed some weaknesses in the infrastructure. Because we were exposed to colder temperatures (colder than usual) for longer than we usually are, there were problems that we don't usually encounter....like power outages, frozen pools, burst pipes, etc. Some were prepared for this and others were not.
Could it be that this picture in the natural is preparing us for something in the spiritual realm? His wisdom is showing us in the natural what we need to do in the spiritual. Just like the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25), Jesus illustrates how five of them were wisely prepared with oil in their lamps and how five were not. Some believe that the oil is representative of relationship and history with the Lord. Bob Jones, a well-known prophet, prophesied of a coming billion-soul harvest. What if this unprecedented storm was a wake-up call to prepare to care for those souls?
God is exposing weaknesses to allow us to be refined and strengthened. Experiences will build character if we are submitted and willing to participate. Could this be a warning to the Body of Christ that some are not prepared? What could you do to prepare for this harvest? Who will disciple them? It's time to get prepared. This word is for the entire Body of Christ. Ask God to show you what you need to prepare for the coming harvest of souls. How can you make sure to grow your roots so that you are deeply anchored in Jesus and the Word of God?
The Lord Is with You
"...'The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you'...All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side." (2 Chronicles 15:2, 15)
The story of Asa, king of Judah, is told in 2 Chronicles 14-16. Asa started strong by doing what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed foreign altars and high places. He smashed sacred stones and eliminated Asherah poles. He even instructed Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to obey His laws and commands. Asa trusted the Lord and sought Him in all things. Because of this, God gave him victory in battle and rest on all sides. (Photo via Pixabay)
After some time, God sent a prophetic word through Azariah for Asa. After that, he once again removed the idols in the land and led the people of Judah into renewing their covenant with the Lord. There they offered sacrifices that pleased God. There was no more war until the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign.
Rather than turning to God for wisdom in how he should handle a border battle, he sought an alliance with a neighboring king. Hanai, the seer, came to him to tell him that because he had relied on the king of Aram instead of God, the army escaped his hand. He ended by telling Asa, "...You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war (2 Chronicles 16:9)." Asa lost favor with the Lord because He stopped valuing and pursuing a relationship with God. This caused him to enter into war.
In the Bible, it was made very plain to God's people how to keep themselves pure (don't intermarry, kill off the bad people, etc.), but in this day and age, it can feel less plain. When we seem to be constantly bombarded with messages of conformity, compromise, and apathy, it can be easy to not stand firm in our faith. Asa was favored by the Lord until he chose his own plan over his relationship with God.
God longs to live in covenant with us, He longs for us to process the things in our lives with Him on a daily basis. His wisdom is always available to us if we ask, but we must ask. For we can have knowledge, but without wisdom or understanding it is not useful.
God is inviting us to choose Him and to know Him. His promise to us is that we will always find Him when we seek Him. He's challenging us to press into intimacy, constantly and intentionally choosing to go back to Him and His ways, to value His wisdom, and to trust Him.
This word is for people that feel like they haven't had success lately or like they're in the midst of a battle. Choose to cultivate a lifestyle of intimacy with the Lord. Seek Him and He will be found by you. He longs for our constant return to communion with Him. He wants to co-labor with us. He longs to partner with us and find answers together.
The Joy of the Blessing
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
Good fathers love to bless their children—whether they deserve it or not. God is a good Father and He delights in blessing His kids. Sometimes when we experience a blessing from our Father and we come face to face with the need in others, we can be tempted to feel guilt for the abundance that has been sent our way. As Believers, we are set apart to glorify God and set apart to be a blessing. The enemy can come in with guilt and try to divide us and to deprive us of the joy of God's blessing for our lives. At times, guilt can paralyze us into inaction, which is just what the enemy wants. It can also confuse us.
The Lord does not send guilt, but instead, the Holy Spirit convicts—which is always accompanied by the grace to accomplish what He's calling you to do. The Holy Spirit does not condemn, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
Often God's conviction is so sweet, even heartbreaking, when the beauty of His plan becomes evident. The enemy is a thief and his plan is to divide, distract, kill, destroy and deprive people of joy. We must guard against unrighteous guilt that makes us want to reject the blessing that God has for us.
God is strengthening our identity and releasing His blessing on us. He is shining light on the enemy's plan to rob us of our joy. This word is for people that have been feeling guilty. Sometimes we can feel guilt that is legitimate, but unrighteous guilt means there's no reason for you to feel guilty because you didn't do anything wrong. By receiving a blessing, you're not doing anything wrong.
An example of this is if you've felt guilt over getting a promotion when you know others who are struggling financially. Can you bless and support those around you that are hurting or in need? Absolutely, but don't feel guilty about the fact that God is blessing you. (Photo via Flickr)
Take hold of God's blessing for you! See it for what it is and ask God if you are to share it with anyone. You will always be blessed by blessing others. Greater blessing is unlocked when we can push past guilt and receive from the Lord. You can't embrace and receive the blessing (all that God has for you) when you're wrapped up in guilt.
Breakthrough Faith
"By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict." (Hebrews 11:23)
Although we know that nothing is impossible for God, sometimes if we only focus on our external circumstances we can become discouraged. Pay attention to when the things God has put on your heart start to become "too big" or "impossible" for Him. Take heed of what you KNOW He has already said to you. Keep your prophetic words in front of you, and surround yourself with those who believe in the calling on your life or your word from the Lord.
Even when it doesn't look like how you expected it to look, or when you don't look how you thought you'd look when it happens, it's important to still take a step of faith. It's impossible to please God without faith. When Moses was born in Egypt the king had commanded the midwives to kill every little boy that was born; so his Mom, after hiding him for three months, put her son in a basket in the water. What faith this took!
2021 is a year of breakthrough that many have been waiting for for a long time! God is bringing breakthrough when we take a step of faith. He's reminding us of who He created us to be, reminding us of what He's already told us, and He's inviting us to take the next step of faith without knowing what the next ten steps are going to look like.
This word is for those sowing seeds and those plowing those seeds. It's for people that are expectant for their breakthrough or maybe even feeling stuck. They might have an opportunity that doesn't fully line up with what they thought it would look like, but they feel compelled to take the step anyway—even though they don't know how the next ten steps will work out.
Take the step in faith to see if God meets you or fully opens the door. Wait expectantly for God to reveal the next step, knowing that He will. Remind yourself of testimonies of God's faithfulness, revisit your prophetic words and be intentional about surrounding yourself with faith-filled, supportive people.
Declarations:
• God is strengthening and preparing His Bride.
• My roots are being deeply anchored in Jesus.
• I fully receive the blessings God wants to give me.
• This is a year of a breakthrough by steps of faith!
• I am expectant of God's faithfulness in my story.
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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. After living in Redding, CA for ten years, she recently moved back home and currently resides in Texas.
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