This article is for all those preparing to shift into a new era, a new movement, a new trend.
When I first met my husband, Ray, he had an old white Mercury Tracer hatchback that smelled like sweat socks. Since he can’t smell anything, he didn’t realize the car had such a pungent odor. Well, the Tracer was a five-speed and Ray, at the time, was an extremely slow driver. When he went to shift gears, I felt like we were even going slower or backwards because the car would go back and then forward as he shifted. Funny, I used to rock forward trying to get the car to move forward faster. But my point in all of this is that in the times when God is shifting us to another level forward, it seems like we go backwards first.
We are coming into a time when everything is going to speed up spiritually, where God through the power of the Holy Spirit is going to birth the unbelievable, the trendsetting and the “new” of God. The Daniels, the sons of Issachar, the Josephs, the Deborahs and the Isaiahs are going to arise. They will birth prayer movements, know exactly the time we are living in and have profound answers on what to do. The creators, or as my friend Helen Calder says, the builders and architects will arise. Some will birth new technology with advanced ideas on moving ministry forward almost ahead of the times. New prophetic movements will come with unbelievable clarity, prophesying life back into what has died or been stolen by the enemy. Women will come forth to blaze new trails and bring unity to cities and nations. The arising will prepare for the glory to come for the greatest move of God ever.
But right now, many feel as though they are in a holding pattern; or that their life or ministry is regressing instead of moving forward. For some, hopelessness and disappointment has tried to settle over you. David in Psalm 25:2 (AMPC) said, “O my God, I trust, lean on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies’ triumph over me.” Verse 3 again talks about disappointment, “Yes, let none who trust and wait hopefully and look for You be put to shame or be disappointed.” Even David prayed not to be disappointed or hopeless and we too must pray and let our faith define us and move us forward.
Many times during our shift season, God prunes our branches. “Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit” (John 15:2). The places where our ministry or our lives are not bearing fruit God prunes. This could include relationships where people are no longer aligned with the destiny God is preparing for you. It may mean doors shutting so God can lead you in another direction. Jobs and assignments may change, finances may be rearranged, opportunities can shut down, places of worship and fellowship may move, all of which prepare us for the shift and increase.
To prepare on a personal level, as we move into the fall feasts, set your heart to seek God and He will release wisdom, revelation and understanding for the next season for the year 5779. Also, always keep your heart full of faith with expectancy, praying about everything, even the very smallest thing. God cares about every part of your life (see Job 36:5) and continually goes before you preparing the way. Be willing to change; ask God to remove any preconceived ideas so you can fully align with His plans for your life. We have all watched prophets, ministries, speakers and business people operate, but what God has in this next season may be different for you and completely out of the box. As James Goll says, “God doesn’t like boxes.” Allow the word of God to be the plumbline for your life. Psalm 12:6: “The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in as earthen furnace, purified seven times over.” Last, but not least, stir up passion, awaken love for God; loving Him with all your heart, mind and soul it is the key to everything you do, say and think. {eoa}
Ray and Renaid Almgren are the founders of Fire For the Nations International, a teaching, equipping and prophetic ministry based in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (near Pittsburgh). They were catapulted by the Holy Spirit, with assistance from Reinhard Bonnke, into international ministry in Dec. 1998, when God gave Ray a prophetic word for Finland.
