In this season, God is exchanging joy for mourning, and He is releasing outrageous joy over His people. God is releasing strategies for divine assignments and reminding us that we are righteous through Jesus and not our own works. Praise God before you've received your breakthrough and trust that you can flourish in all seasons. He is with you!
Joy and Celebration
"...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair..." (Isaiah 61:3)
Over the past few years, July has been a very difficult month for me. It's been strange, but July has marked the end of some giant events in my life, and I've found myself battling intense discouragement in July for a few years in a row.
As we prayed about July, I heard the phrase, "Joy in July." I realized I was dreading the month of July because of past seasons. However, God is doing a new thing, and He is specifically releasing joy as a key to breakthrough. Specifically, when we're battling discouragement and fear, or are coming up against the same giant over and over again, it's time to pull out the laughter and celebration.
Does that seem counterintuitive? Well, it is! By aligning ourselves with JOY and celebration, even before we see our breakthrough, we're aligning ourselves with what Heaven says about our circumstances, not what we see in the natural or feel about it. It's time to step into a divine exchange. Bring God your grief, your heaviness, your disappointment, and your lack. Pick up JOY.
Praise before Your Breakthrough
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened." (Acts 16:25–26)
Praise isn't passive or insignificant. Rather, praise is a powerful key to breakthrough. Praise requires us to take our eyes off of our circumstances and to put them back on Jesus. When we praise, we're declaring, God is good in all things, and He can bring goodness out of any situation. (Photo via Unsplash)
If you're feeling stuck, trapped in lack, or caught in a negative circumstance, then it's time to praise. As you praise God, He will show up. While I can't promise that your problem will magically get fixed, I can promise that God will meet you where you're at. God can turn your situation to good.
Bill Johnson has often said that we can only give God a sacrifice of praise on this side of Heaven, because in Heaven it will no longer be a sacrifice. So praise Him before the breakthrough shows up.
Praise can actually open the door to breakthrough in your own life. But more importantly, it opens you up to connection with the Holy Spirit and brings you back to a right way of thinking and connecting to God. If you want more inspiration in this area, listen to the song "Praise Before My Breakthrough" by Bryan and Katie Torwalt.
Flourishing Amidst Opposition
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
God has given you the power and authority to flourish in every season. Psalm 1:3 says the righteous are "like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season." Because you are righteous through the blood of Jesus, this verse applies to you. The accuser attempts to belittle and discredit you. The enemy will bring up every mistake, every failure, and every area of struggle in order to accuse you. However, these accusations no longer have any weight, because you are covered by the blood of Jesus, and when the Father looks at you He sees the perfection of Jesus.
What do you do when accusations come? Picture yourself going to the courts of Heaven and standing before the Perfect Judge. When the enemy accuses you, he has proof. Often the proof, well, it's pretty accurate. Take these accusations before God, and allow the Lord to see you. Often, when the accusations come, we feel like we have to hide from God. Instead, go before Him and let Him see everything the enemy is accusing you of. Then, acknowledge any area you have stepped out of alignment with Him, or sinned, and repent. Finally, ask for Jesus, your Advocate, to come and stand in the gap for you. The good news is Jesus is ALREADY standing in the gap for you. He has already paid the price for you to live pure, holy, and free from all accusations. However, this process opens your eyes to see and remember! From this place, boldly ask the Lord for what you need. As you boldly ask the Lord, you are turning the enemy's plan on its head. Now, stand in confidence and declare God's purposes over your life.
Preparation Seasons
"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26) (Photo via Unsplash)
"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." (Isaiah 30:21)
God is setting up His people to walk in their divine destinies and assignments. For many people, this means He is preparing them to step into something new. God prepared Joseph when He was in Potiphar's house and when he was in prison. Even though it looked like he went from bad to worse, God was teaching Joseph how to steward excellence. God prepared David when he was playing music for King Saul and teaching David the ways of the palace, which he would later inherit. In the same way, God is preparing you.
In preparation seasons, it can feel like you're not moving forward into what's coming, or like you're treading water. But God is strategically preparing you. It's important to stay in connection with the Lord, even if what you're experiencing doesn't look like what God promised.
You may sense a change is coming, but you're unsure of what's next. Stay in intimacy with Jesus, and ask the Lord what He wants to develop in you right now. Perhaps, it's faithfulness or consistency. He may bring a certain skill to mind and ask you to develop it. Enjoy His presence, even if you don't fully understand what to do right now, and be faithful to do whatever He shows you. He is intentional with the way He's leading you.
Declarations:
1. I am choosing to live in joy no matter what circumstances I face!
2. I am praising God even before I experience my breakthrough!
3. I can flourish in all seasons.
4. The Lord is preparing me for good works.
5. I am righteous because I am covered by the blood of Jesus.
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Anne Jackson
The Crowning Jewels
Website: www.thecrowningjewels.com
Email: hello@thecrowningjewels.com
Texas-born Anne Jackson 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 the 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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