Usually about this time, I begin praying and seeking the Lord for His heart regarding the New Year.
Christmas has come fast this year, and so has the New Year and so today is the first I've turned my thoughts towards God's word for 2016. I didn't expect the Spirit of the Lord to say anything to me - these were really my own thoughts...
- No prayer
- No study
- No fasting
... just me, thinking.
But instantly my spirit filled with an impression of the New Year that I had to check in with the Spirit of God and ask, "Is this really your heart for next year?" Or really is this just my hope for my own life?
Nope - the hope for my own life is our Heavenly Father's hope for us all!
Next year 2016 will be a year of RETURN and a year of ABUNDANCE.
You will experience God's Jubilee year of Abundance when you return to the Lord!
Now, in the past I've felt God had a heart for our prosperity and a release or restoration of all that had been lost to us. But many of us did not receive that release and restoration. And so I asked the Lord, what is the difference in this "return" and "abundance" and will His people receive and walk in this word next year?
Here is the image my heart saw: a kind of labyrinth or maze of many doors. (Revelation 3:7-12)
Each part of the maze leads to a door that is unlocked for those who have already received the "Key of David." We've received the keys, but we haven't searched for the doors or attempted to walk through them - we've just been praying and asking for what's behind them like contestants on the "Price is Right" asking for Door #1, #2 or #3.
But now is the time to RECEIVE that which is behind each door instead of just praying and asking. How?
- When we RETURN to loving
- When we RETURN to listening
- When we RETURN to learning
- When we RETURN to living
- And When we RETURN to giving
THEN we will receive the ABUNDANCE God has for us through each of these areas of return.
1. LOVING:
- Love the Lord our God through true praise and worship in spirit and in truth
- Love OURSELVES through forgiveness and an understanding of our image in Christ
- Love our neighbor as ourselves
- Perfecting our love - because as Jesus is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17)
- Receiving God's love - because perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18)
2. LISTENING:
- It's time to learn how to hear the voice of God and how He speaks to YOU
- It's time to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to actually guide your life
- It's time to listen to true Prophets Pastors Apostles Evangelists and Teachers. Which brings us to...
3. LEARNING:
- It's time to really commit to reading the word of God again.
- It's time to now learn how to study the word of God
- It's time to learn how to apply the word of God to your "every day life"
- It's time to walk in the Word of God in your life
- It's time to manifest the Word of God through your life. Which brings us to...
4. LIVING:
- It's time to live life (John 10:10)
- It's time to live a Godly life (2 Peter 1:3)
- It's time to live life as a light in a dark world (Isaiah 60:1-2)
- It's time to live life walking in your purpose
- It's time to live life walking in power
- It's time to live life walking in peace
- And it's time to life life walking in prosperity! Which brings us to...
5. GIVING
- Malachi 3:7 - return to giving your tithes and offerings and heaven will be opened to you!
- Luke 6:38 - return to giving and others will give unto you!
- 2 Corinthians 9:10 - return to sowing seed and the fruits of righteousness will be opened to you!
When you make the effort to return to love, it will seem as though you are walking through a maze. Commit to it, let the Spirit of God guide you, don't give up, don't turn back. And if you do, you will get to an open door of abundant love in your life!
When you make the effort to return to an intimate, personal and mutual relationship with God in which you are not just hurling prayers at Him, but where you are striving to hear and to listen to Him, then you will find and open door of God's power in your life! There is power in your relationship with Him. (Ephesians 3:20)
When you make the effort to return to the Word of God - it may seem like a maze that you will get lost in before you find the door. But when you do, God will open the door of His word to you! That means all his promises, benefits and His will (Joshua 1:8) as well as the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) will be an open door of God's abundant word in you!
When you make the effort to return to living the life God intended for you - you will find yourself walking in abundant peace, health and prosperity unlike anything you've experienced before! (3 John 1:2)
And when you make the effort to give, you will find yourself wanting to give up before you find the open door that is waiting for you. But if you persist and do not turn away, or cease from giving, you will find an open door of Kingdom Economics that will abundantly supply provision, wealth, riches and prosperity!
***Look, I am not just expressing a positive, encouraging word that is based in my own hopes.
THIS IS THE TRUE AND FAITHFUL WORD OF GOD FOR 2016.
But not everyone will walk in this word for 2016,
- It will take commitment
- It will take effort
- You will want to give up
- The enemy will resist you
- And it will take a faith you've never walked in before
*** In truth, this is a positive, encouraging word that is based in GOD'S HOPES FOR YOU!
Our Heavenly Father has great hope that each of us will commit; make the effort; not give up; resist the devil and strive to have this word made manifest in our lives. Be diligent and you will be rewarded - Heb. 11:6
God has a wealth of abundant prosperity waiting for us so that His Kingdom covenant can be established in the earth and through your life for the benefit of this dark, hurting world and to His Glory.
Return to Him and He will return to you great abundance in all areas of your life for 2016.
I pray you this word in your life and a BLESSED and HAPPY New Year for 2016.
Power, love and peace to all -
~Pastor Deidre