I’ve noticed some changes in my behavior, spirit and giftings. It was subtle at first … even justifiable. But now time has passed and I’ve settled in to my new surroundings. What was once honor, respect, and appropriate has become a hinderance.
You see, I have stopped risking in ways that I had grown so familiar with. I have stopped exploring the boundaries of the prophetic. I stopped following my spirit; which, by the way, means I’ve stopped keeping a watchful eye on the Holy Spirit. I put myself and God in a confining box and set up the rules of what is acceptable and unacceptable. It has stopped my giftings, my dreams, my passions, and even my contentment.
I was talking to a coworker and relaying testimonies where I’d seen the prophetic in action! I was explaining the details of the most exciting ways I’d seen God move- including how I’d seen Him move through me. Unfortunately, all my stories were starting the same way.
“Well at Bethel….” “When I was at school…” “On my missions trip…”
Gross. I had to go back to a season that was ranging from 11 months to 3 1/2 years ago! My stories weren’t current and I knew it. What was worse was the justifications or excuses I made for the time gap.
My coworker and friend asked me a question… “So, If I’m hearing you correctly, you moved in the prophetic because, one, you risked and, two, you had high expectations?” Without even noticing that this was a leading question, I replied with an enthusiastic “Absolutely, yes!”
“Do you still have high expectations?”
My heart sank. I didn’t have to think about it. I knew the answer as soon as the words left his mouth. For the first time I realized why I’ve felt so “stuck.” I had zero expectation for God to move and therefore I stopped risking. I stopped asking the questions and started just pushing through my season- trying desperately to get it over with.
What are you expecting? Do you expect to hear God or do you expect Him to be quiet? Are you expecting Him to supply all your needs according to His riches and glory? Or are you waiting for Him to leave you and forsake you? Are you expecting Him to move on your behalf? Or are you expecting to open your mouth and have nothing to say?
Without a vision people perish. Proverbs 29:18.
When I lost my expectation, hope, and trust in the Lord everything dried up. Without expectation of a way out, you will never even move. Without a belief that there is more, you won’t even try!
I don’t know what it looks like, but I’m choosing to expect great things again. I will not expect them in a way that keeps me lost in a future and absent from the present; rather, I will expect God to just be God. I’m raising my expectations and allowing myself to believe that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I'm giving Him room to move again.
I’m reminding myself that the same God who was with me in the West Coast is the same God who is with me in the South! I am laying down my swords; I am surrendering my fight and hard efforts. I am picking up expectation, hope, and trust. I am allowing myself to rest in the fact that God moves on my behalf. I’m remembering who He said I am.
God is breathing expectation into His people again. He’s giving us our fight back. He’s restoring our grit. Do not be afraid. He is a big God who can do all things - and I expect Him to do them through me.
You see, I have stopped risking in ways that I had grown so familiar with. I have stopped exploring the boundaries of the prophetic. I stopped following my spirit; which, by the way, means I’ve stopped keeping a watchful eye on the Holy Spirit. I put myself and God in a confining box and set up the rules of what is acceptable and unacceptable. It has stopped my giftings, my dreams, my passions, and even my contentment.
I was talking to a coworker and relaying testimonies where I’d seen the prophetic in action! I was explaining the details of the most exciting ways I’d seen God move- including how I’d seen Him move through me. Unfortunately, all my stories were starting the same way.
“Well at Bethel….” “When I was at school…” “On my missions trip…”
Gross. I had to go back to a season that was ranging from 11 months to 3 1/2 years ago! My stories weren’t current and I knew it. What was worse was the justifications or excuses I made for the time gap.
My coworker and friend asked me a question… “So, If I’m hearing you correctly, you moved in the prophetic because, one, you risked and, two, you had high expectations?” Without even noticing that this was a leading question, I replied with an enthusiastic “Absolutely, yes!”
“Do you still have high expectations?”
My heart sank. I didn’t have to think about it. I knew the answer as soon as the words left his mouth. For the first time I realized why I’ve felt so “stuck.” I had zero expectation for God to move and therefore I stopped risking. I stopped asking the questions and started just pushing through my season- trying desperately to get it over with.
What are you expecting? Do you expect to hear God or do you expect Him to be quiet? Are you expecting Him to supply all your needs according to His riches and glory? Or are you waiting for Him to leave you and forsake you? Are you expecting Him to move on your behalf? Or are you expecting to open your mouth and have nothing to say?
Without a vision people perish. Proverbs 29:18.
When I lost my expectation, hope, and trust in the Lord everything dried up. Without expectation of a way out, you will never even move. Without a belief that there is more, you won’t even try!
I don’t know what it looks like, but I’m choosing to expect great things again. I will not expect them in a way that keeps me lost in a future and absent from the present; rather, I will expect God to just be God. I’m raising my expectations and allowing myself to believe that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I'm giving Him room to move again.
I’m reminding myself that the same God who was with me in the West Coast is the same God who is with me in the South! I am laying down my swords; I am surrendering my fight and hard efforts. I am picking up expectation, hope, and trust. I am allowing myself to rest in the fact that God moves on my behalf. I’m remembering who He said I am.
God is breathing expectation into His people again. He’s giving us our fight back. He’s restoring our grit. Do not be afraid. He is a big God who can do all things - and I expect Him to do them through me.