Have You Been Seeing 11:11?
If you are an intercessor for nations and have been seeing 11 or 11:11 or 1111 recently, here may be why (and how to pray accordingly)!
After seeing these numbers everywhere I began to treasure them in my heart. God has also been drawing my attention to sparrows lately (sparrows in my yard, songs about sparrows, verses about sparrows); so I happened to be looking up the word "sparrow" in Strong's Concordance when I noticed that one of the references was Hosea 11:11. It says:
"'They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,' declares the Lord."
Because of the numbers, it immediately sparked my interest. To gain context, I re-read the chapter. The chapter is called, "God's Love for Israel."
I immediately realized this was being spoken over the United States.
What God Is Saying to the United States
Hosea 11 begins with, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son" (verse 1). God remembers when the foundation of our nation was laid...long before our nation began taking God out of the fabric of daily life. Just like a parent of a rebellious child still lovingly remembers their infancy and KNOWS the true child behind the current behavior, God sees this nation with the same love.
Hosea 11:2 says, "But the more they were called, the more they went away from Me..." While many may emphasize the second half of this sentence, I see the first half highlighted: THE MORE THEY WERE CALLED. There is an increase in waywardness as a nation, yes, but there is also a call to more! As a nation we are being called to more! There are still plans and callings yet to be fulfilled for the US. (Photo via Piqsels)
"It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them" (Hosea 11:3). It's no coincidence that the US is a nation that has one of the best medical reputations worldwide. We need to remember it is GOD who is the ultimate source of healing. I love that this passage alludes that the healing wasn't withheld just because Ephraim didn't realize it was God; but there is an added blessing to the TURNING that happens when God gets the glory that He is due.
"I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them" (Hosea 11:4). What both of these postures have in common is the position of being EYE TO EYE and sharing vision...God both lifting us up to see from His perspective (and being led by KINDNESS and LOVE), but also God seeing and empathizing from our perspective, and FEEDING us in the places we are lacking.
"Will they not return to Egypt..?" (Hosea 11:5). This reference brings to mind when the Israelites questioned if they would have been better off under the oppression of Pharaoh, rather than traveling through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. Let's take a lesson from them and realize that the wilderness of revival IS better than the bondage of oppression, despite its familiarity or comfort.
"A sword will flash in their cities; it will devour their false prophets and put an end to their plans. My people are determined to turn from Me. Even though they call Me God Most High, I will by no means exalt them" (Hosea 11:6-7). We know the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) divides soul and spirit, exposing the very thoughts and intentions of the heart, so this verse promises a greater clarity and distinction of God's truth over worldly knowledge. Lies won't get the final say.
"...My heart is changed within Me; all My compassion is aroused. I will not carry out My fierce anger...I will not come against their cities" (Hosea 11:8-9). God is moving in compassion! Instead of destructive purposes, God's purposes now are restorative!
"'They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west. They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves. I will settle them in their homes,' declares the Lord." (Hosea 11:10-11)
There is a ROAR that will happen which will fan into flame a renewed fear of the Lord. He uses the images of sparrows and doves here, which is an interesting choice. Sparrows are a reminder of God's loving remembrance of us. "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).
Sparrows also are referenced when CURSES ARE DENIED PERMISSION TO LAND. "Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight" (Proverbs 26:2). Doves are seen biblically at PIVOTAL BEGINNINGS. A dove with an olive branch was Noah's sign to prepare to unload and RESTART after the flood. Jesus' baptism showed the Holy Spirit appearing as a dove, showing God's love and acceptance of Him. It is also a mark of walking in the power of the miracle-working Holy Spirit.
God finished by saying that He will SETTLE them in their homes. Here are a couple definitions of the word "settle" that caught my eye: "to clarify by causing dregs or impurities to sink" and "to arrange in a desired position." Church, we are not being squashed in our homeland, but instead God is causing clarity as He sinks impurities/untruths, and He is using this time to ARRANGE and re-arrange us into our desired positions. (Photo via Unsplash)
What Is Our Response?
Our response, global Church, in regards to all that is happening in the US is this:
• Pray for a collective remembrance of our identity to the Lord as a nation.
• Pray for the "more" we are being called into, to be revealed and stewarded well.
• Pray for the healing of our land, and THANK God for being the source of all healing.
• Pray to see what is happening from a heavenly perspective.
• Seek Him for how we can LEAD with KINDNESS and LOVE.
• Pray for eyes to see the revival happening as opposed to eyes that see complaints on the way to the Promised Land.
• Pray for bondage to be broken and that we would be willing to step outside of our comfort zones for the Lord.
• Pray for greater clarity, for God's truth to be upheld, and for lies to be torn down.
• THANK God for His compassion and restoration.
• Ask God to bring the roar!
• Thank God for remembering us.
• Ask God, through Jesus, that the curses would not have a place to land here.
• Thank God for restarts and new beginnings, and ask God to reveal to you the part that you can play!
• Ask God to SETTLE us as a nation and position us for His plans.
We are positioned for transition!
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Sara Whitten
Arrows of Zion
Email: sara@arrowsofzion.com
Website: www.arrowsofzion.com
Sara Whitten began Arrows of Zion in 2017 as an obedient response to the Lord's call to take prophetic words from her handwritten journal to the web in order to share it with His Body. Since that time, Arrows of Zion has grown to provide personal words, resources, and prayer ministry. Sara has a passion for equipping individuals to better understand and fulfill their God-ordained purposes. Her heart is for the unreached and to see the Great Commission fulfilled. She co-leads a ministry that provides biblical training and professional resources to Christian entrepreneurs in least-reached and restricted areas. She and her husband are also invested in training up the next generation to hear His voice as the youth pastors of Impact Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Kerrville, Texas.
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