Deborah Perkins's Blog, page 19
March 18, 2019
Roadblocks to Revival, Part Two: Unwillingness
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
There’s a catchy song being sung in our churches today called “Let Revival Come” (“Revive Me”) by Kevin Jones and Joshua Sherman. (You can listen to it here). It is the product of a generation that is seeking revival on a large scale. Not just ministries but entire movements of people are now gathering together to pray (like The Send gathering in Orlando in February this year), asking God to send revival.
This in itself is amazing. In my lifetime, I have not seen such unity and focus all across the Body of Christ, and it inspires me! Unity carries the promise of God’s blessing (Psalm 133). Prayer almost always precedes revival. Yet we must be careful to avoid the flawed theology which believes revival is something only God does. The truth is, we have a part to play.
Send Your Power?
As New Testament believers, we don’t need to pray for God to “pour out His power.” He already has! (See Luke 24:49 and Acts 2). Revival begins when we make a choice to act on the power we’ve been given as born-again, Spirit-filled believers.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 says it this way:
“Therefore I remind you to stir up (or “kindle afresh”) the gift (Gr: “charisma”) of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power (Gr: “dunamis”) and of love and of a sound mind.”What is this gift? The Holy Spirit!
The Greek language defines charisma as a “spiritual endowment” of divine grace. Similarly, dunamis is the word for “power:” the power to do miracles in the strength and might of God! In other words, not only has God promised revival throughout the Bible but at this time in history, He has also already poured out the power needed for us to ignite one!
Yet revival can't spread if no one acts. (Romans 10:14) Missionaries are simply believers who have reached a place of personal revival that compels them to spread that revival to others, whether here or abroad.
Revival happens when ordinary but power-filled believers like you and me partner with God and others to release the Gospel at specific moments in time.
The Power of Choice
One of The Send’s catchphrases is “The War on Inaction Has Begun.” Until I began writing today’s post, I did not realize how appropriate that saying is!
Here’s why. As I sat with the Lord several weeks ago discussing revival, He highlighted three “roadblocks” to me. These are things that hinder us from stepping into personal or corporate revival.
The first is unforgiveness, which I wrote about in the previous post . To help address any areas of unforgiveness in our hearts, I created a “Steps of Forgiveness” prayer card (available FREE in our His Inscriptions store ). The greatest healings I have had have come through learning how to forgive people from my heart! The “Steps of Forgiveness” card is a simple tool I used to walk through the process.
The second roadblock - one that coincides perfectly with the catchphrase above - is unwillingness.
In the beginning, God gave men and women free will: the ability to choose between good and bad, right or wrong. That power of choice has never been removed. But while we don’t intend for it to be so, our inaction is in itself a choice. It’s a choice NOT to listen attentively to what God is saying, and it keeps us from experiencing revival.
Are You Willing?
Most believers would not say they resist God, or that being stubborn or “stiff-necked” are issues for them. We like to think we are doing our best to obey what we believe God wants from us.
The trouble is, we are hurt and broken individuals who fear being hurt again if we give ourselves fully to someone - even God. Experience has taught us that trusting someone completely is a mistake. Our brokenness causes us to pick and choose which commands of God we will obey. Feed the poor? Done. Forgive my father? No way! Return to church or fellowship? Sorry, no time.
In addition, wrong teaching about God’s Word has led us to hold on to unbiblical theology. For instance, as a girl, I was brought up to believe that the gifts of the Spirit were released during the time of the original apostles only. Healing, prophecy, and various other expressions of faith found in the Bible were not for today. To preach and teach was fine; to heal or speak in tongues was not!
Perhaps no other false teaching in the church has done more damage to the Body of Christ as a whole, since Jesus gave His followers the same mandates He had received from the Father: Preach the Gospel. Make disciples. Heal the Sick. Cast out demons. (Note: “Raise the dead” is there, too, but we don’t see that very often!) Signs and wonders are meant to follow those who believe. Jesus is still willing to heal. But most Christian “believers” don’t look much different than Jehovah’s Witnesses! What, I wonder, are we believing?
The majority of Christians don’t even believe that God speaks to them! Among the 83% of Americans who identify themselves as Christians, only 28% believe that God speaks to them, let alone heals, restores, or revives them. This belief is in direct contradiction to the Words of Jesus in John 10:27! Why the disconnect?
The chilling answer is that only 47% of Christians believe that the Bible is inspired (as opposed to a fable), and just 24% say the Bible is the “actual Word of God.” (2) Despite the face that most Americans own Bibles, many are biblically illiterate. When we are unwilling to take seriously the Word of God, we lose the power of God.
Conclusion
From Genesis to Revelation, God promises blessings to those who believe and obey His Word. God is not looking for “selective obedience” based on what “inspires” us. He’s looking for wholehearted devotion!
One of the most amazing revivals of our time happened in Indonesia beginning in the 1960s. A government mandate forced Indonesian citizens to make a choice on their identity cards: which religion (of the six government-approved faiths) did they believe? Christianity was one of them.
It is said that two million people accepted Christ, and along with multiple efforts by missionaries and crusaders, a widespread revival impacted the Indonesian nation.
It’s still a choice to believe, and it’s a choice to serve and obey God as He truly is - not as we want Him to be. The apostle Paul said it was much easier for him to “will” to do good than to do it. (See Romans 7:18). Heroes of the Bible have defined our faith by their willingness: Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son. Jesus was willing to die on the cross. Virtually every single disciple was willing to face death rather than deny the God they loved.
Willingness costs us. But so does inaction. The question is, are you willing to yield to God’s way of doing things in order to experience revival yourself? It may mean carefully re-examining what you believe in the light of God’s Word. It may mean reconciling with some people you’d rather avoid. God honors a willing heart, though, and those who are willing to deny themselves and take up their cross find a unique joy that comes only through obedience. May all your choices to honor Him lead you into greater revival!
1. ABC News Poll: Most Americans Say They're Christian:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=90356&page=1&page=1
Christianity Today article: 80% of Americans Believe in God. Pew Found Out What They Mean. https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/april/we-believe-in-god-what-americans-mean-pew-survey.html
Washington Examiner Article: Pew: 75% Talk to God, 28% Say God Talks Back
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/pew-75-talk-to-god-28-say-god-talks-back (April 2018)
2. Gallup: “Record Few Americans Believe Bible is Literal Word of God” https://news.gallup.com/poll/210704/record-few-americans-believe-bible-literal-word-god.aspx
© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com. Photos by Unsplash.
MISS LAST WEEK'S POST? READ PART ONE HERE
February 26, 2019
Moving Past Roadblocks to Your Revival
In the next few posts, I will be focusing on three spiritual roadblocks that can hinder your revival. These three are not the only barriers to revival, but they are things I felt the Lord wanted to us to focus on here at His Inscriptions. The first barrier? Unforgiveness.
The Road to Revival
In 1994-95, I personally experienced the spiritual “wave” of renewal which swept through several locations worldwide. The “Toronto Blessing” was in full swing in Canada, and there were subsequent reports of revival power in Brownsville, Florida; Holy Trinity Brompton (England); and later, Lakeland, Florida. I decided to travel to Canada to see what this was all about.
Meetings were characterized by unusual outpourings of the Holy Spirit, which included an emphasis on the Father’s love, emotional and physical healing, laughter and joy, and a “contagious” ability to carry the anointing elsewhere, even abroad. (For a Scripture precedent, see Acts 19:1-21.)
Many ministries, such as Bethel Church under Bill Johnson, the HIM network under Che Ahn, and Heidi Baker’s IRIS mission, were either birthed or heavily influenced by the Toronto Blessing. Less notably, but very gratefully, I also experienced radical transformation and healing in this movement.
The Vineyard church I attended in Framingham, MA at that time welcomed this renewal movement. We were seeing powerful worship, anointed prayer, uncontrollable laughter,* and many healings. A significant portion of my own inner healing occurred during this time as God combined personal deliverance (which freed me) with the corporate renewal (which strengthened me).
It is well documented that one of the dominant keys to revival is the key of repentance, along with its companion key of forgiveness.
In today’s post, I’d like to share with you a very practical tool that I began using during the renewal and which still holds timeless value: the Steps of Forgiveness.
Roadblock #1: Unforgiveness
When we’ve been hurt by past offenses or toxic people, we need a tried-and-true mechanism for freedom. Often, we say the words Jesus told us to say: “I forgive you,” yet do not experience freedom from the anger that plagues us. Why? Because it only goes skin deep. To truly forgive, to fully repent, we must have a change of heart. This, my friends, is where the rubber meets the road.
The reason most people do not experience personal revival is that they are waiting for God to do something that they are supposed to do themselves!
God is watching and waiting for us to fulfill our part of the covenant. We have the authority to bind and loose things on the earth, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into every situation we face. Yet authority in prayer and relationships is rooted in authenticity and honesty within ourselves.
Real forgiveness and true repentance come when we first take the time to acknowledge what’s in our hearts.
The Steps of Forgiveness
The Steps of Forgiveness is a biblical tool created by the Vineyard churches to walk you through the forgiveness process authentically. You can download and print your own copy of the Steps of Forgiveness here. If you’re like me, you’ll use this over and over again. There are plenty of opportunities to be offended, and I know I’ve been given plenty of practice at forgiving!
Step One of the Steps of Forgiveness is quite similar to the first step used by AA and other healing programs: "We confess the symptoms of anger, rage, fear, etc as sin, because they are indicators of deeper sin. (Ephesians 4:26-31, Romans 14:23)"
Step Two is to share your hurtful feelings with God. This is perhaps the hardest step for most people because it means we must face the depth of the pain that people have caused us and be completely honest in prayer with God. Many people never take this step, and I hope that you are not among them!
I spent countless hours in the 1990s working on just these two steps! Deep-seated pain is not quickly admitted, nor is it easily healed. If left to fester, that pain causes a rift between you and God. Forgiveness releases our offenders from the spiritual "prisons" into which we've thrown them. Repentance releases us and opens the way for the Holy Spirit to move freely our lives.
(Find all the steps of forgiveness here).
If you need the motivation to dig deep and be honest about your pain, remember that Jesus said it is the one who is forgiven much who will love much! This healing process set me free from years of cumulative pain and enabled me to move from self-protection to having genuine love for others. In other words, forgiveness and repentance led to personal revival!
Conclusion
The Lord desires to bring revival to everyone. Why would He not?! The "catch" is that to experience God fully, we must give ourselves fully to Him. This includes dealing with the “sore spots” in our emotional lives that we’d rather protect and defend.
Repentance and forgiveness are not popular topics these days. They take work. The process can be pretty ugly. But we have two great promises to encourage us. “I will be with you in trouble” (Psalm 91:15) is one. The other is this powerful one from Isaiah 57:15:
This is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Your repentance removes the roadblocks to revival. I pray that the Lord brings personal revival and refreshment to you as you seek to honor Him with an honest heart. I pray that you will take the time to go deeper within so that He can bring you up higher in Him!
Download your free copy of the Steps of Forgiveness here. Tuck it into your Bible and use as needed, like I did. I promise: your obedience will be rewarded!
Deborah
View or Download the Steps of Forgiveness
*Why the laughter? Many people unfamiliar with sovereign moves of the Lord find some of the manifestations puzzling. While the Bible does not address every manifestation, it does give us very clear understanding of some; laughter included. Nehemiah 8:10 reads: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Psalm 16:11 reads: In the Presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy.” It should not be strange to believers that a move of God would include great joy: a joy that strengthens us in the midst of our battles and reminds us of His Presence with us!
© Deborah S. Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com. Photo credit: Stephen Walker of Unsplash.
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February 20, 2019
Revive Us Again!
2019 has been dubbed by several prominent Christian leaders as “A Year to Plow.” To plow the spiritual soil of our hearts is an essential precursor to revival*, and many people, including myself, believe we are on the brink of revival in this nation. We must both plow and sow in order to reap a harvest!
Agriculturally speaking, new growth does not come until the soil is turned over and worked from its solid, impacted state into rich and fertile ground. Only then is it ready to receive the seeds that will produce a harvest.
When applied to our hearts, the plowing process can be painful. Our heart’s “default” state, which may be very comfortable, is actually deadly to spiritual growth. We need to be broken.
The Holy Spirit brings to the surface unhealed issues, past grievances, and sensitive areas we have been protecting in the darkness. He knows that in order for us to reap a harvest, we must be free of the bitter roots, stones of judgment, and debris which clutter our hearts.
Simply put, an uncultivated heart - just like unplowed land - will not yield the fruits of renewal or revival.
While plowing is necessary, it forces us to confront things we’d rather not see. As I meditated on plowing, revival, and harvest this week, a dear friend and reader of His Inscriptions alerted me to a news event that illustrated these concepts powerfully.
Confronted with History
In a suburb of Houston, Texas a few months ago, the remains of 95 African-American bodies - 94 men and 1 woman - were unearthed when a backhoe operator saw a human bone sticking out of the ground. A new technical school was to be built, but overnight, a standard construction project by the Fort Bend School District in Sugar Land turned into an archaeological site.
Further digging revealed the unmarked graves of those who toiled, sometimes to the death, in a state-run prison farm for local plantations between 1878-1911. The area is adjacent to a larger cemetery where more bodies of slaves have already been buried.
What does this have to do with revival?
Ministries in Texas have been praying for revival, just as we have. The Lord exposed - through plowing - a century-old wound that needed to be dealt with both practically (by giving the bodies a proper burial) and spiritually (repentance for yet another incidence of the oppression of African Americans in our nation).
Sugar Land is just one of many similar mass gravesites discovered around our nation. (Others have been found in New York, Maryland, Georgia, and Philadelphia.) Scientists who study or “read” the bones of these slaves and prison workers find “inscriptions” of unimaginable stress and torture.
Unearthing our history, whether by accident or intentionally, forces us to confront deeper, often unhealed issues concerning the mistreatment of fellow human beings. Although it’s easier to look away, we need to deal as honestly with issues of injustice as we do with issues of the heart.
Speaking Life into the Future
When God brought Ezekiel to the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37), He caused the prophet to “pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley... indeed they were very dry.” (37:2)
The Jews in Ezekiel’s time saw this devastation and cried, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!” (37:11).
But because Ezekiel listened for the prophetic words of God concerning their situation, he heard God say: “Prophesy… breathe on these slain, that they may live.” (Ezekiel 37:9)
Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones reveals God’s heart for revival. No bones are too dry, no spirits are so dead that they cannot be awakened, renewed, and revived by the Spirit of God! This hope should be at the forefront of our minds as we pray and seek God for revival today.
Desperate Situations Are Ripe for Revival!
Individually and nationally, we are full of “dry bones.” The massive quantity of bones and the stench of death itself can easily deter us from dealing with them.
Abortion, slavery, the mistreatment of Native Americans, and human trafficking have stained us collectively. Unforgiveness, rebellion, a lack of genuine love and an emphasis on cheap grace have kept us from experiencing personal revival. We cannot have the power of God without obeying God. True revival is preceded by repentance, and repentance requires that we face the deeper issues we have buried.
We must, as the Lord reveals in 2 Chronicles 7:14, humble ourselves and pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways to see healing in our hearts and our land.
Hope for the Future
The year of plowing is bringing up, for many of us, areas where we need to repent, rededicate, forgive, and consecrate.
Sadly, once saved, we do not always continue to invest the time and energy we need to pursue holiness or healing, whether for ourselves or our land. Discipline, humility, and holiness are not popular topics in the pulpit! As a result, we lack the power that comes from purity.
The bones of the Texas prisoners and captives who were buried in obscurity are now being washed, cleaned, and honored with a proper burial. Isn’t it time we did the same for ourselves spiritually?
Grace and holiness, love and truth, justice and mercy seem opposed but do coexist in God’s Kingdom, each with vital roles to play. God is still looking for a holy people.
God is asking His church today: “Can these bones live?”
Those who believe in revival commit to the plowing and then join in the prophesying!
When we allow the Holy Spirit to excavate our past, we then proclaim the Word of God into our present and see the Lord of the Harvest redeem our future.
It is my fervent hope that our desire for revival in this nation will increase. There are far too many examples of pain and suffering like what was unearthed in Texas.
We can take steps towards peace, to ensure these atrocities never happen again. But my greatest hope is that we will have the humility to pursue personal renewal as well. Both steps will cost us something.
We don’t seek revival to earn the favor of God; rather, we are following God’s leading as He calls us to surrender not just pieces of ourselves, but everything. We die, but we live again in Him. And the more we consecrate to Him, the easier it is for the world to see Jesus.
*Whether you call it “revival” (an Old Testament term) or “awakening” (which corresponds more closely to the New Testament understanding), the ideas of renewal, returning to your first love, being “on fire” for Jesus, or seeing the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit exist throughout the Bible. Here, I use the term “revival” for simplicity. It is meant to embrace the ideas of both an unbeliever’s initial choice for salvation and a believer’s renewal from spiritual deadness or dullness. I understand that there are theological complexities involved with the use of different words, and I intentionally choose to leave semantics to the theologians!
In speaking of revival, Charles Finney quotes Hosea 10:12: “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Finney notes that Christians should clear the ground of their hearts, renew their minds to God’s word, and bear fruit for God. He says, “Sometimes our hearts are rough and dry, and everything we do is in vain. Our hearts cannot bear fruit and receive God’s word unless they are broken and loose. That’s what the prophet thinks when he says ‘plow your ground’”(Finney, 2006, 41).
Sources:
*Dutch Sheets & Chuck Pierce: ”A Time to Plow” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deHjGVx5mro
*To read the New York Times article on the discovery of the Texas graves, click here. https://goo.gl/DoZ8Q4
*Washington Post Article: https://goo.gl/yr2vwP
*Want to learn more? Connect Here with the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization working to call attention to American racial issues.
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About Deborah PerkinsRead More on RevivalIf you have been blessed by the ministry of His Inscriptions, please consider sowing a seed to help us grow! His Inscriptions is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. Donations are tax-deductible. Click here for more information. © Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com. Photo Credits: Cover and End photo by Michael Podger of Unsplash.
February 1, 2019
God's Answer to Stress and Anxiety
Around the world today, people are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress. Never before have we had such widespread fear, anxiety, and even terror. In response to this, I believe the Lord wants to release not just the grace to deal with stress, but strategies to overcome it. Keep reading for a prophetic word on this subject, and a prayer strategy you can use to eradicate stress from your life altogether!
How God Sees Stress
“I am revealing Myself in this hour as a Wonderful Counselor because the stress and pain on the earth is so very high. Your needs are great, but My love and support is greater! It was My idea from the first to be your constant Companion and ever-present Friend. I chose to abide in you through thick and thin long before you ever invited Me to do so!
There has never been a time such as this, when people feared and fretted for their futures. No one has the capacity to endure such stress on their own; without Me their hearts will fail them, for they will quickly empty themselves of any strength they possess. Only a constant infilling of My Presence will hold men’s feet to the fire yet keep them from being burned. Men, women, and children alike need supernatural equipment to navigate the perilous times they are in.
Support in stressful times is good, but the body is designed to need ME and My direction, not just each other. Fellowship is good but will not take you farther than your arms can reach. It is friendship with God that opens new doors, new relationships, and new possibilities that give you an “escape plan” when stress from the enemy torments you.
Stress is the primary weapon the enemy is using in this hour to annoy My people and eradicate those who don’t know Me yet. All disease and all negativity feeds on stress. Watch your external reactions to stress and you will see what is happening internally as well!
Wisdom knows that stress can be a tool, not just a weapon. The enemy means to use stress as a weapon against you, but you can use it as your tool to develop a deeper relationship of trust with Me.
Stress will not undo you if you take it into your hands, acknowledge it for what it is, and then return it to the sender. (i.e., the enemy.) YOU DO NOT NEED TO TOLERATE THE PRESENCE OF STRESS WHEN YOU ARE WALKING IN THE PRESENCE OF MY SPIRIT.
Ask Me for My strategies to overcome stress and I will show you, in each situation, what you must do to eradicate it before it undoes you. I have not called you to MANAGE stress but to DEMOLISH it!”
The Problem of Stress
The enemy has long used sin and stress as weapons to deceive, torment, and separate people from God. God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. This does not mean that we need more information; it means we need more of Him! One of the most powerful prayers in the Bible is that we will come to “know Him better.” (Ephesians 1:17).
From Genesis until modern times, people have sought after knowledge, information and self-help techniques rather than seeking the knowledge of God, whose Spirit IS knowledge, counsel, wisdom and understanding. Only the fear of the Lord brings true knowledge and enduring wisdom to live life victoriously!
While the world tries to combat stress with impotent weapons like anger management, yoga, mind control, diets, drugs and drinking, we are to use “divinely powerful” weapons to wage warfare against stress: not to manage it but to demolish it! Worldly strategies may alleviate stress for a time, but God's ultimate plan is to bring total freedom from stress!
Stress and anxiety set themselves up as fortresses of wrong beliefs about our future, their walls rising up higher each time we react to negative situations with fear instead of faith. God’s plan for stress is that it be demolished as we take those wrong beliefs captive to the obedience of Christ.
The Solution to Stress
How do we do this?
We begin by renewing the mind. (Romans 12:1-2) Using Bible truths, we cast down every argument or speculation that sets itself up in opposition to the knowledge of God.
The Word of God becomes our primary weapon in this type of fight, for without it we are not aware of the victory that is ours. Immersion in the Word of God brings the “peace that passes all understanding.”* It bypasses the stress we perceive in our minds and feel in our bodies and renews us on the inside, by the Spirit.
Several Bible commentators agree that this kind of warfare has three discernible phases:
Demolish demonic mental fortresses of false reasoning and prideful arguments. (i.e., don’t tolerate the lies that there is no hope for your situation or you will continue to be stressed until circumstances change!)Take captive any wrong thinking about your situation and conform your thought life (your mind and emotions) to the truths of the Gospel (speak the truths of God’s Word over your mind, body and emotions. Say this instead: “You will keep me in perfect peace as I keep my mind on You! Jesus has given me divine wisdom for every circumstance. My peace does not come from intellectual understanding but from the Spirit of God. He who is IN ME is greater than he that is operating in my world!)Bring everything into obedience to Christ. (The book of Philippians gives us a good reminder: we will be anxious about nothing when we pray about everything!)
Jesus disarmed the principalities and took away the weapons in which the enemy trusted. Now, using supernatural weapons, we bring everything into subjection to His anointing, including stress, anxiety, and fear. We take the Word of God in prayer and declare victory over anything that rises up to challenge our peace in God and our relationship with Him!
What You Can Do to be Free from Stress
Taking a break from the busyness and spending time in prayer is a good starting point when you feel overwhelmed. But to be free of stress in the long run, you'll need to know the Word!
*Read Isaiah 26:3; Romans 12:1-2; Luke 11:21-22; Philippians 4:6-7; Hosea 4:6; Isaiah 11; Ephesians 6:12-18; Romans 7:11; Romans 13:12-14; Colossians 2:15.
Write out these or related verses that remind you of God’s promises and memorize them so that you are armed with Scripture the next time the enemy approaches you with stress. The peace you gain will be a blessing not just to you, but to those around you who long for the same freedom you possess.
© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com
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January 24, 2019
Wonderful Counselor
There are some Bible stories that are so powerful, they have the ability to change your entire perception of who God is and how He feels about you. For me, one such story is found in Luke 24.
In the midst of great grief, turmoil, and confusion, two disciples encountered the Wonderful Counselor and were forever changed. In places of pain and confusion myself, I reread this story and see such beauty in it. Take a walk with me along the Emmaus Road to see how brokenness is turned to beauty.
The Emmaus Road
Two disciples were facing the worst kind of grief they had ever known. Someone they followed and gave their lives to for three years - Someone who claimed to be their Savior - died a violent death, leaving them bereft.
Suddenly, the Scriptures made no sense. It seemed all the promises they had believed would never come to pass. Things looked hopeless.
As these two walked the seven-mile road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a Stranger joined them. Noticing the sadness in their faces, He asked: “Why are you so downcast? What are you discussing among yourselves?” These disciples began telling Jesus, whom they didn’t recognize yet, all that Jesus Himself had just been through.
This part of the story alone is so powerful - and almost comical! After all, Jesus knew what had happened; He certainly knew He’d just been crucified! How funny that He should ask these questions of His disciples after living through the events Himself!
Here’s what I find so beautiful:
In the middle of His own resurrection, in between a visit to hell and a trip to heaven, Jesus took the time to listen to His friends.
Never mind that Jesus already knew what they were discussing; this conversation was not about communicating facts but about releasing the grief in their hearts. Like the Wonderful Counselor that He is, Jesus allowed His followers to share the depths of their grief and pain, thus unburdening their hearts.
Our Savior could have shown up and smacked his disciples over the head with Scriptures (He did explain the Scriptures to them, but only after listening first). He could have made a grand entrance and confronted them in all His victory and His glory. Instead, He chose to come humbly, as a stranger, identifying with their grief and listening to their hearts. This quiet appearance at Emmaus was not unlike His first humble entrance at Bethlehem.
God Responds to Your Invitations
The disciples felt strangely drawn to this Stranger. They compelled Him to stay where they were lodging. “Abide with us tonight,” they said. Jesus had indicated that He would continue on His journey, but in response to their invitation, He stayed.
Here again is another beautiful truth:
Whenever we pursue God intentionally, He responds in kind. Sometimes, our movement towards God is not physical but emotional. The choices we make to spend time with Him, opening our hearts on a deeper level, result in greater intimacy with the One who still compels us to know Him. When we invite God to abide with us, His answer is always “Yes.”
We Know Him in Brokenness
It wasn’t until the disciples sat down for a meal with this Stranger that their eyes were opened to His true identity.
Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it as He had many times before. Suddenly, they knew. “It’s Him!” they realized. And with that revelation, He vanished from their sight.
Mourning turned to joy, and the disciples ran back to Jerusalem to share their good news. Jesus is risen! There is hope! We have seen Him, even in our brokenness!
Only someone who has been broken and grieved himself can fully identify with those who are broken. Jesus was broken for you and for me, His body and mind tormented beyond what we can imagine. When we celebrate communion; when we break bread together as believers, we are remembering the incredible love of our Savior.
Wonderful Counselor
Here is Someone who is ready at all times - even on the busiest day of His life - to listen to our hearts. Here is Someone who knows every detail of our confusion, yet wants to hear it from us again anyway. Here is Someone who is unafraid of our prayers, our pain, our unbelief at times, and our inability to recognize Him even as He walks silently alongside us. I cannot think on this passage and not weep. Such love is beyond anything I have ever known! I am so incredibly grateful for a God who understands. Me. Life. People. Process. Healing. Everything. How can I not worship Him?
When I am grieving, when life seems confusing and unfair, this is what I meditate on. This brings praise back into my mouth! Such a glorious Savior, who sets aside His glory on our behalf! He is infinitely beautiful, amazingly wonderful, so powerful and yet so humble.
There are no more words after this...
May you also know the height, depth, width, and breadth of His love for you, in every situation. May the knowledge of who He is never intimidate you but always compel you to draw closer. May you welcome the Wonderful Counselor into your prayer life. Give Him all your brokenness and pain, because He understands. He knows what it is to be broken. May you always invite Him to abide. Amen.
Jesus was broken for you. Now your pain and brokenness is an opportunity to know Him as your Wonderful Counselor!
© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com
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December 29, 2018
Prophetic Word for 2019,Part 3: Gifts & Harvest
Today, I want to share with you the third (and final) portion of the Prophetic Word for 2019 . This part focuses on the coming harvest and the desire God has for us to use our gifts to build the Kingdom of God. Sharing your gift matters! I pray that this portion of the word for this year will inspire you to collaborate with God and see His promises come to pass in your world!
Remember, prophecy is an invitation to partner with God to bring His life-giving Kingdom to earth. Without your participation, that task would be impossible! God has chosen to include you in His harvesting process, to use the unique gifts and talents He gave you, and to give you great joy as you see Him move. Listen carefully to what He's promising here - and even more closely to what He's asking from you.
Prepare for the Harvest!
Review the past year! Take note of the promises you have received, for promises fulfilled will give you a new confidence for what is to come. This year (2019) is not a year to stay silent but to proclaim My promises, both your own testimonies of Me and the hope you have for the future!
History is important to Me, because nothing is beyond redemption. Proclaim the good while I continue to redeem the bad. Proclamation produces victory, and victory draws those who live in defeat. Let the proclamation of My promises become a beacon to the lost, who are already coming in droves in this harvest.
Be open to new relationships with people you have not known before. Expansion of My Kingdom comes with the opening of the heart, which says to others: “There is room! Turn in here and find your rest.” A closed door (a closed heart) will take your own harvest from you and the Kingdom will suffer the consequences. Seek me for those I have for you and I will bring them to your doorstep, ready to receive!
A new level of faith - a gift of faith - will empower My chosen ones to stand firmly and see My deliverance where they have not seen it before. Bold choices will be made by many new believers, resulting in a greater number of missionaries released to the harvest in all four corners of the world.
Seeds sown by prayer in previous years are coming to maturity, and My beneficial “plants” positioned around the world through prayer will begin to do their work changing the atmosphere.
Knowledge is power, and the rapid release of information worldwide will result in a new “crop” of believers who are equipped and ready to share the Word with their neighbors.
Doubt has no place in this hour, for only faith will get the job done. Persevere and push through any doubts that still remain concerning the coming harvest and focus your attention instead on being ready to be used at a moment’s notice. Set yourself in order!
Craftsmen, It's Time to Build! (Exodus 35-39)
In a vision, I saw Jesus the Master Carpenter take me into His Nazarene woodworking workshop. I watched as He picked up, piece by piece, the wood He intended to carve. I heard Him say: “I only do custom work.” This Carpenter did not do any run-of-the-mill, mass production!
I saw His process of examining each piece of wood for defects (some of which were removed), admiring the unique elements we call flaws that gave the wood its character. He sanded and finished each piece so that its best elements were showcased. I saw that some pieces of wood were also joined together to make something; suddenly I realized that He was making an “Ark” (of the covenant) from the wood that represented our human lives. We were to become a container for the Presence of God, a place where the Spirit would live! I felt His love and respect for the ark itself. The poles and rings were placed there for carrying it gently and delicately, and He desired this ark to be honored as holy.
I asked this Carpenter: “What about the pieces of wood that are seriously flawed, the ones whose defects seem to be so dominant as to overshadow anything good?” He replied that these are the pieces whose imperfections He actually “plays up,” so that one is forced to confront them. Instead of hiding or removing these serious defects, He works with them, making them the most unusual aspects of His creation. The obvious flaws become the most essential feature of the piece, and its uniqueness causes the viewer to see beauty. Sometimes, it seemed, the biggest “flaw” became the centerpiece.
The simple, slow process of working piece by piece to create beauty made every project shine with the Carpenter’s touch of glory!
I then heard Him direct me to Exodus 35-39, the story of the Master Craftsmen building the tabernacle in Moses’ time. As I read, He said:
Capitalize on your gifts and make use of the tools in your arsenal. It is time for the master craftsmen in My Kingdom to make use of their gifts for the specific tasks I have for them! Take inventory of your gifts. I will not ask you to do something you are ill-equipped for. As you yield your gifts to Me I will do miracles through you!
I am setting up a tabernacle, a permanent dwelling place for My people. It is the quality of the heart that matters, not the number of people building. Those who are willing bring more than enough! Committed people will get the job done. It’s time to build!"
Pray Through this Word:
1. One of the best ways to boost your faith is to review the promises God has given you in the past, and celebrate their fulfillment! Here, the Lord is asking us to review the past year and remember His goodness. It is to be a source of confidence for us as we move forward. What promises have you seen fulfilled in 2018? (To reread His Inscriptions prophecies from previous years, click here for our prophecies page.)
2. There is power in proclamation. Decrees made on earth activate heaven! A quick study of the New Testament word "proclaim" revealed to me over 22 things the Bible calls us to proclaim, including the resurrection, healing, eternal life, our faith, the Word of God, and many others. Many prophetic voices are calling 2019 the "year of proclamation." What will you proclaim this year?
3. Most prophecies contain two types of promises: things that God will do, and things that we should do (God's part and our part). In this portion of the 2019 word, God asks us to be ready to make room for the incoming harvest and to "set ourselves in order." During the month of January especially, many believers take time to fast and pray, consecrating themselves again to God. What can you do to prepare your heart and home for those God sends to you?
4. What are your spiritual gifts? How could you best use them for the Kingdom of God this year? Are there gifts you have neglected or set aside that you feel God is asking you to develop or use again? This is a year to "take inventory" and present ourselves, gifts and all, to God as an offering. What we bring to Him He will then use to help build His Kingdom!
If you have never done a spiritual gifts inventory, you can take this free one online here. Your honest answers will help you see how God might want you to contribute to the building process!
© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com
About Deborah Perkins
Prophetic Word for 2019 - Part 2
Happy New Year! This week I am continuing to release a Prophetic Word for 2019. I believe that this lengthier word will be easier to "digest" in smaller portions than as a whole. For those who prefer a "multi-course meal," click here to read the complete word for 2019!
Today's portion - part 2 - concerns both strategy and spiritual government for the coming year. Just as Israel moved with the pillar of cloud and fire, which stood between them and their Egyptian enemies, it will be important to stay close to the Lord and move with Him to experience His rest and protection!
Stealth in the Cloud
“He surrounded Himself with darkness as a cloud.”
(Psalm 18:11)
"Stealth will be the name of My game this coming season, for I am switching tactics in order to prevent enemy access. That which is known and familiar to the enemy will not be done any more. You will surprise the enemy with new strategies to protect and empower My people who seek My heart daily.
My Presence will surround and empower you like a cloud as it renders you invisible. All the enemy will see is ME! The expansion of My Presence - like a mist in your midst - will open the way for you and at the same time block the way of your enemies. The enemy is blinded by My glory, and your superior navigational equipment will steer you clear of his tactics. Those who have eyes to see on the inside will not fear My Presence but will embrace and welcome it.
Political and Spiritual Governance
I have not abandoned your government. In fact, I’m closer than you think. I’m subtly and silently changing the course of history as I respond to the prayers of My people. All the earth will rejoice when they see the help I give to those who lead in difficult times. No leader is without a measure of support from Me. Trust that I am working behind the scenes. Do not be hopeless, like some, when speaking of those who govern you; instead, trust in My overarching plan for My people, many of whom still “trust in God.”
Trump will grow stronger in his governance of this nation until it is clear to all that He is the chosen leader for this time. National crises will be averted and credit will be given to him for his position on border control, which will prove to have been essential to America’s protection. He will stand up to the “bullies” of intimidation, lies, and terrorism and win.
In the same way, My people will be empowered by holy boldness to stand against all the havoc the enemy has wrought against them. An internal fierceness will come upon My army of believers that causes them to rise up and defend their own spiritual borders with the sure certainty of My words.
Fear and intimidation will shrink back through the knowledge of Me - of who I am and what I desire to do. Those who have previously held back out of fear will now step forward confidently, knowing that I have empowered them to share what is on their hearts for the world.
A tsunami is coming, but not a political one. A war is coming, but not a natural one. A wave of the Spirit is coming that will so change the course and nature of things that you will be amazed. What you long for and fight for is often based on natural expectations; what I hope My people will fight for is supernatural revelation. Stop looking at the face of things and reach, instead, for the heart. Stop wondering about the political landscape and look to Me to discern the spiritual terrain. You have not yet discerned in detail the boundaries of My Kingdom, nor discerned the attacks upon them! The natural reflects the spiritual - take note and look up!
I want you to see the movement of My angelic troops here on My land. See the necessity of protection around the edges of your spiritual lives, which come under repeated attacks. See the enemy of your souls - and the plan I have for his demise! You are not fighting properly yet, for one tackles this (earthly) mountain and another that one, yet few come to My mountain. Few make it their mission to fight for Me. Instead they are fighting only for earthly change.
Look up! Look up and see where I am leading! Pinpoint with accuracy your place on My map and decipher your journey. Too many are holding positions aren’t effective any longer. Too many are still fighting old battles when My strategy has shifted and your presence is required in a new location.
Release My warrior angels to the new sites of skirmish. Where you go, they will also go! You will know them when you stand with Me first, in My council-room. Do not forget Who leads this army!
New strategies are coming, yet they’ll be discerned through old disciplines of peace, listening, quiet, and worship. These are more important now than ever. Without them, you will not enter into the wisdom I have for you.
Come to Me for direction and see the joyful paths on which I lead you. Your passions will not be wasted, but put to better use.
Publish the Word!
New venues will open up for those wishing to publish the Word, especially in foreign (third-world) countries. What was impossible before is going to be easier now. I desire that all be saved, so My own hand will bring deliverance in areas where no headway has been made previously. Pray for the barriers to break down and the highway to be paved in the Spirit, that I might “roll out” My goodness to those who feared all goodness was gone.
Pray Through this Prophecy
1. Exodus 14:19-20 reads: "And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night."
In a similar fashion, God is requiring us to move with Him and remain "covered" by His glory-cloud this year. This is why "Time and Place" are so important for believers (see last week's word for more); we don't want to miss our "kairos" moments of deliverance! How can you position yourself spiritually so that you are ready to move - or rest - when God indicates those times?
2. God highlights two types specific issues in this portion of the 2019 word. The first is that the enemy often attacks our spiritual borders, the "edges" of our land, robbing and destroying little by little until he nears the center of our heart's territory, undermining us completely. It will be important to be on guard against the "little foxes that spoil the vineyard" in this season, to keep them from devouring our spiritual fruit!
The second issue highlighted is the tendency for us to be caught up in natural skirmishes rather than spiritual ones. While tackling the "seven mountains" of government, entertainment, family, etc. is essential, we must remember to "look up" and see what Kingdom battles need to be fought as well. It is easy to become so enmeshed in these natural causes for good that we neglect to promote the Kingdom of God!
If you are laboring for change in government, media, family issues, or other areas, do a heart check! Are you more focused on the cause than the Kingdom? Have you become enmeshed in natural skirmishes rather than being an ambassador of reconciliation? Most importantly, is God still calling you to fight for that cause, or is he asking you to reposition yourself spiritually in a new place?
3. This is an unprecedented season for publishing the Good News! If you are a writer or Kingdom creative who has something "burning" on your heart to share, I encourage you to step out in your gift! Technology has made it possible for the Word to reach even the farthest corners of the word instantaneously. I am available as a resource to help those wishing to self-publish their books; contact me here for more.
Read Complete 2019 Prophecy
Contact Deborah
December 28, 2018
Prophetic Word for 2019 - Part 1
As we begin this New Year, I am delighted to release this Prophetic Word for 2019. Because it is lengthier than previous words, touching on family, government, spiritual life and Kingdom building, I will release this word in three segments on the blog over the next three weeks. Those who wish to read the Prophetic Word in full may do so using the link from my prophecies page on the website: www.HisInscriptions.com/prophecies.
Blessings to each of my readers as you enter in to the new things God has for you!
Families with a Mission “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” ~ Psalm 27:10
"Have you noticed that families are ALWAYS on My heart? I am the Father of the greatest family! Families will begin to emerge as cell-groups of wisdom and teaching in My Word, as compact training grounds for the next generation. An emphasis on the home will begin to surface as leaders recognize the importance of the family concept in growing new disciples.
Families will see the need to welcome into their homes the lonely, isolated, social outcasts, spiritually lost, and even people on the fringes of society. Love will do the heavy lifting that breaks down barriers of pride, independence, fear and rejection. Watch for these; they are “Families with a Mission!”
Make ready a place in your hearts and your homes for those who will come looking for Me in you. Don’t expect the millions but the ones, for I will send you the exact number of people I know you can handle! Each of you has a part to play in this harvest, for this is not about the “superstars” but about the “common man,” the one whose simple faith in Me is enough to share with the friends I bring to his door. “Feed My sheep” is a mandate for the church in this hour!"
Time and Place
I am calling the Body at large to recognize both time and place in My Kingdom. The importance of “Kairos time” and the call to be “In the place of My choosing” will be key factors for your positioning this next year. (Deuteronomy 12:5)
Enter the rest that comes from being in the right place at the right time! Look for My ways of doing things, that you might also become more productive and fruitful in your ways. Recognize the anointing you step into when you seek Me for the times and places that I’ve chosen for you.
Outside of that Kairos time and place, it will be harder to function and to receive your personal supply of resources. (Whatever they may be.) The closer you come to Me, the more effective you will be. How do you draw closer? “Ask, and you shall receive.” A simple “yes” or “no” answer from Me will suffice to keep you on track and in your divine moments and locations.
When You Can't Break Through, Communion Will Break Open the Way!
Communion is your power tool for spiritual breakthrough. Communion with ME will break open the hard places and release for you the streams of water you need to survive. Think of Communion as a weapon, not simply a “Ritual of Remembrance.” Use it at MY direction to open doors you cannot open on your own.
THIS IS A WORD ESPECIALLY FOR PASTORS: All the weapons in your arsenal will be important to you this year for various reasons and purposes. Tongues, Worship, Corporate prayer, Confession of the Word, Communion and even Fellowship will bring breaker anointings as you use them intentionally. Look carefully at how your enemy is attacking : everyone should use these weapons! Remind the enemy of his ultimate downfall; dig deep into your arsenal and use the variety of weapons you have at your disposal. One who is adept at many things will wage victorious warfare.
SPECIFIC TARGETS:
Sickness is countered by prayer and the Word.
Isolation and rejection are countered by fellowship.
Demonic strongholds will fall to tongues and communion. "
Pray about this Prophecy:
1. Youth with a Mission was begun in the 1960's by a man named Loren Cunningham, who had a vision (in prayer) of children as missionaries around the world. It has grown to encompass mission centers and even medical "mercy ships" in many nations, strategically sharing the good news of Jesus.
Today, God is raising up "Families with a Mission." Now that many families are being restored (a fulfillment of last year's 2018 Prophetic Word), God is indicating that these same families are to be ready to move out with a new purpose and mission, which is to reach the lost and rejected ones with the love of Christ. What steps can you take to make your family ready for this kind of mission? How can you begin training new disciples, especially the next generation, in the context of smaller, homogeneous family groups? Is there an extra place you can set at your table, to invite someone who may be lonely or displaced right now?
2. "The closer you are to Me, the more effective you will be." All of us enter a place of spiritual rest and peace when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. However, this year's prophetic word addresses something more: the rest that comes from being in the right place at the right time, aligned with the movement and direction of the Holy Spirit.
Different from the knowledge that we have eternal life, this rest is the joy of knowing that we have ceased from our own striving (even to do "good" things) and begun doing what God asks us to do. It is being Spirit-led, not led by tradition or personal ambition. It is based on intimacy and hearing from God day by day.
Take time at the beginning of this year to ask the Lord: "How can I draw closer to you?" "How and where would you like me to bear fruit?"
3. The sacrament of Communion, along with other rituals, has sometimes been practiced only by church leaders, despite a clear biblical call for all of us to celebrate the body and blood of the Lord at will. Here, God calls communion a "weapon" in our spiritual arsenal. What are some of the spiritual gifts or practices you can pull out of your arsenal as you tackle the typical challenges of life and spiritual warfare? If you are a pastor, are there "weapons" you have chosen not to use for some reason? Ask God to show you which weapons to use for each battle. His strategies do change!
Part two of this word will be released next week - stay tuned!
Prophecies Home
About Deborah Perkins and His Inscriptions
December 20, 2018
Merry Christmas!
I will be sharing a prophetic word for 2019 on December 30, 2018 at Indian Lake Community Church in Worcester. (2 Hastings Avenue.) Please join us at 10:30 to hear what God has planned for the New Year!
About Deborah
December 13, 2018
What Are You Expecting?
On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, followers of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem to pray. They had no idea what to expect; they only knew what Jesus had told them: “Wait until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
That first church prayer meeting resulted in an outpouring of the Holy Spirit so great that it enabled every person present to hear, see, and experience personally the power of God! That day alone, 3,000 people were saved.
Our tendency as modern-day believers is to leave the Pentecost story in the history books. After all, we think, God was just beginning to establish His church; He had to do something amazing like that!
Too many years of powerful encounters and answers to prayer have convinced me: that kind of thinking is nothing more than a cop-out. God’s power is alive and well, and the only reason we don’t see more of it is that we don’t pray for it!
My life has been powerfully impacted by prayer. The prayers I pray and the prayers others pray for me bear amazing fruit. There are countless stories I could share of God’s faithfulness to answer prayer, but I want to remind you, instead, of God’s stories.
Prayer Causes Grace, Power, Boldness, Signs & Wonders to Abound / Acts 4:31ff “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness… and with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”
Prayer Brings Angelic Visitations, Even to the Unsaved / Acts 10: Cornelius, an unsaved but God-fearing centurion of an Italian Regiment, was praying at the ninth hour of the day (3 pm) and “saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!... Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Send for Peter...he will tell you what you must do.’”
Prayer Results in Visions and Trances/ Acts 10:9ff “The next day, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour (noon)” and fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and was given a vision of clean and unclean animals, then heard the Spirit speak to him that he should not call any man clean or unclean. This encounter convinced him that even Cornelius’ household could be saved and filled with the Spirit!
God Desires to Answer Prayer: Acts 10:34 says “God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him… whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
Prayer Brings Freedom from Demonic Spirits / Mark 9:28-29 “His disciples asked (Jesus) privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’”
Prayer Provides Direction
Acts 1:24-25 “And they prayed and said, ‘You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell.’”
Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”
Prayer Ignites Salvation / Acts 16:13-15 “And on the sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. A certain woman named Lydia...opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” She and her household were then baptized.
Prayer Breaks Chains and Brings Deliverance:
Acts 12 “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers, and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands… So (Peter) went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.”
Acts 16:23-34 “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 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 chains were loosed.” As a result, the prison guard and his entire family were saved.
Prayer & Fasting Activate Prophetic Words / Acts 27:27:20-44 “After a long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said… there stood by me this night an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you’… so it was that they all escaped safely to land.”
Prayer Paves the Way for Preaching the Word / Colossians 4:2-3 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ..”
Prayer Releases Peace / Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Prayer Imparts Spiritual Gifts / 2 Timothy 1:6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
Prayer Heals People / James 5:15 “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven.”
Prayer Heals the Land / 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Prayer Raises the Dead / 1 Kings 17:21-22 “And (Elijah) stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.’ Then the Lord heard...and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.”
Praying in the Spirit Aligns You with God’s Perfect Will and Strengthens You in Times of Weakness / Romans 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Sprit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Prayer is Your Key to Receiving from God / 1 John 3:22 “And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
Prayer Enables Us to Encounter Jesus / Revelation 1:10ff “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet… then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst (of them) One like the Son of Man..”
Prayer is Your Doorway to Greater Spiritual Experiences / Revelation 4:1ff “After these things I looked, and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’ Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”
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The Bible speaks for itself. The more you see how God answers prayer - straight from the pages of His own Word - the greater your level of expectation will be for your own life. God never changes. He’s still in the business of doing miracles.
What are you expecting? Have you seen the power of answered prayer in your own life recently? Which one of these stories speaks to you today?
Drop me a note or leave a comment on the blog to encourage others!
About Deborah Perkins
