I sense that we live in a moment when the enemy’s defenses are coming down. Things that used to work for him are no longer working, and he does not know what to do.

This is not the time to retreat into fear or to remain passive in apathy and complacency. As the people of God, we are to GO FORWARD.

We are to press.

We are to push.

We are to rush into the areas where God is leading us and not think about anything except obedience to him.

There may be places in our lives where we still do not entirely understand his will, but in every area where we have the slightest hint of what to do, we need to run, run, run.

Just as David ran toward the giant, unafraid and boldly, he pressed his way onto the battlefield. Why? Because he saw the opportunity when the Lord gave the giant into his hand.

Let me declare that God is giving you some of your giants!

In this moment, allow the Lord to rise up in you as a mighty man of war, and let him break you free from those bondages that have held you back.

Press into his presence and seek his face, for your time is coming!

Scripture instructs us what to do and what happens in such moments. We see it in Isaiah, the prophet.

Isaiah 42:10-13 NKJV

[10] Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them! [11] Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.

For those who have never lifted up your voice, it is time to do it now. The Lord is a consuming fire going before you. He is making a way in your wilderness. He is removing enemy foes even now.

Though you do not realize it yet, the timing of the Lord could not be more secure, and our praise to him could not be more critical to give him than it is now.

We are looming on the edges of something great in the kingdom of God, so rise up, men and women of God, and begin to go into the battle, running at your giants, praising the name of the Lord. For the giants are about to fall!

[12] Let them give glory to the LORD, And declare His praise in the coastlands. [13] The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.

This is a word to the seeking. To those diligently looking for the Lord to come through and do what he has promised, you will see him rise with might and power. We are in the lull just before the action takes place. Ready yourselves and your family. Ready your mouth for praise and your hands to be lifted. God is about to stir up his zeal in the seeking ones. He is bringing forth the fruit of praise and thanksgiving!

The runners need to run!

When the Lord places the vision in front of you, as a runner, you need to run!

Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV

[2] Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may RUN who reads it. [3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.

Word:

I feel the Lord saying: It’s time to run hard toward the prize!

Refuse to allow Those things that have held you back, to have space in your life any longer. Put aside the garments stained with sin and allow your life to come under the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. No longer allow the hindrances of complacency and apathy to stop you from moving forward with the Lord. No longer sit idly by and do nothing, but rise up and step into the move and flow of the Spirit of the Lord. God will move and position you if you allow him to do it. So do not find yourselves fighting against the Lord, but move with him. For the Lord will strengthen you in your fight. He will put a new heart in you and a new song in your mouth. Even you, when you look at yourself, may not understand all that the Lord is doing, but as you see yourself changing, lean into the change, for the Lord is doing a work in your life.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NKJV

[24] Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

This means setting aside anything that would hold you back or weigh you down. Paul said to the Galatian church, “You did run well. Who hindered you?” The Lord is not hindering us. He is pressing us to run.

It is like God has placed an opportunity in front of us that is not totally visible yet, but you can sense its reality nonetheless. Like getting up in the early morning hours when the sun has not yet risen, and things are still between dark and light. Everything lacks the detail the light offers, but you know the light is growing. That’s how it is at this moment.

The light is rising, and we must be ready. When the light arises and we can see what God has put in front of us, it will be time to run. So now is the moment to get yourselves ready!

[25] And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. [26] Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

This is not the hour for the church to be uncertain in its stand. We must boldly choose to be who the Lord is leading us to be. This means being pressed into places of discomfort where we can grow. It means allowing the Lord to move us into new territory. We are not just killing time and beating the air. In fact, the opposite is true. Those seeking his face and preparing their lives are about to see the Lord’s wonders prove true.

Whether through the soon return of Jesus, the fulfillment of long-standing words and promises, or even with the long-awaited answers to prayer, the Lord is about to show himself mighty. You do not want to miss it because you refuse to prepare or take seriously the times in which we live!

Verse twenty-seven shows us the Apostle Paul’s attitude towards these moments.

[27] But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

It is the moment to discipline ourselves to possess the prizes and promises for which we are destined!

The Lord stirred another word in my heart that I have yet to release until now, and here it is: “I am looking for men who will seek me with all of their hearts and souls! In this hour, I long to pour out of myself upon those who hunger and thirst, and I will pour the oil of my Spirit in large amounts upon those who earnestly seek me!”

So I ask you, “Are you earnestly seeking the Lord,” or is this just another hour to get through so you can go on with the life you are pursuing? There is a remnant of people who will see God’s goodness in the land of the living. This company of men and women is the one who will experience revival and harvest. They will experience the joy of outpouring upon and IN their lives!

I felt the Lord saying:

Prophetic opportunities are coming to those who are ready to receive them.

Do not be surprised when presented with choices, doors, and chances to do things you never thought of.

Let the Lord lead you to maximize these opportunities by FOLLOWING THROUGH!

Beat the ground!

2 Kings 13 contains a familiar passage I have thought about multiple times lately. It is where the old prophet comes and gives the king a prophetic opportunity. The king has a chance to change the outcome of upcoming battles. He has the opportunity to lean into what is happening at the moment. Still, the king fails to fully realize the implications of the Lord’s timing and attention to detail. Because of this, the king misses part of his opportunity. Never let it be said that WE missed part of what the Lord was giving us a chance to possess!

2 Kings 13:15-19 NKJV

[15] And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. [16] Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. [17] And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the LORD’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.” [18] Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. [19] And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

What if you had the opportunity to change the outcome of upcoming battles? I believe God is about to give people some of those prophetic opportunities! We need to be ready for the opportunities that God presents to us.

If we are going to walk with strength and victory in the Lord’s promises, we cannot have any hidden attachments to the wilderness left in us. We have to leave those things behind! We must allow the blood of Jesus to altogether remove sin and prepare ourselves as the Lord once again places a holy hunger and thirst in us for his presence.

The Lord wants us to practice consecration and separation and refuse to be defiled by the pollution of the culture around us.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 NKJV

[17] Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” [18] “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV

[1] Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Our hearts must be right with the Lord, and it only happens when we run towards the Lord and run towards those opportunities he places in front of us.

Here is my prayer at this hour:

“Lord, consecrate my heart back to you. Let my life become an offering poured out how you see fit. Help me make my way pleasing to you as I separate from the pollution of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Let my life become defiled no longer, but put a hunger and thirst inside of me for YOU and YOUR WORD like I have never experienced before. Lord, help me to recognize when you put prophetic opportunities in front of me, and when opportunities come in the form of giants, let me not shrink back from the fight. Father, lead and guide me by the Holy Spirit to run the path you have set before me with diligence. In Jesus’ name, amen.”