The second sign appeared when I least expected it. Usually, I receive new instructions once I have completed the tasks given to me. There had been a feeling of building pressure; my workload was behind schedule from the previous week. Life was getting in the way and I hadn’t yet recorded the revelation about the first sign in this book.
The gray-haired gentleman on a TV program, dedicated to supernatural occurrences within the church, was interviewing someone who had an incredible healing ministry. The pastor said that the Lord told him that the old ways to the Secret Place were closing. The new path He was opening would be available to all Christians who would seek it.
Each new revelation from God seems to be so effective as it begins, then degrades over time. Why is this? God is always the same, so why does the flow of His power change?
We must find the answers to these questions now because the revelation of the Courts of Heaven is in danger of becoming ineffective; an “old wineskin.” If you have not been immersed in the Christian culture, this term may be unfamiliar to you. To understand why this is a danger, we need to know:
What does the Bible say about old wineskin?
What does it mean to be an old wineskin?
Three out of the four accounts in the Bible record our Lord talking about this, so it must be important:
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins. (Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37)
In what context was this said? It is hard to tell because it was mixed in with a lot of other parables. One thing is consistent. The same story precedes the teaching on the wineskin in every account: the topic of fasting.
And they said to Him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but Yours eat and drink? And He said to them, Can you make the children of the bridal chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. (Luke 5:33-35 AKJV)
Jesus explains why His disciples do not fast, then He talks about wineskin. To place His words about wineskin in the proper context we must know why we fast and pray. In the Old Testament we see that God’s people fasted as they sought revelation:
Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came to the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. (Judges 20:26 AKJV)
When we fast, we set aside the basic physical demands of our body so that we can focus only on God. The disciples did this as well, and for the same purpose:
While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2 AMPC)
And when they had ordained them elders, in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on Whom they believed. (Acts 14:23 KJV)
In each of these instances, they were seeking the Lord for guidance or direction. The main topic is receiving a revelation from God. We can apply this to the wineskin parable where the Lord also gives this example:
No man puts a piece of new cloth to an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse.. (Matthew 9:16 AKJV)
Fabric that is new will shrink when laundered. Old fabric has already withstood that process and is now set in a permanent shape. This is just like a new wineskin that is supple and will bend and give, where an old wineskin’s shape is fixed. It is human nature to slip into inflexibility concerning God and how it is He wants us to operate in any given situation:
Prayer (formula prayers)
Traditions (the way our church or parents have always done it)
This is not what the Lord wants from us. The Pharisees asked Him about fasting because it was a custom based on tradition, not because God had asked them to fast at that time. The spiritual leaders of the day had lost all sensitivity to God’s leading and were following tradition blindly. If they had been listening to God, they would have recognized His Son and rejoiced.
With these two metaphors, the Lord is in essence saying, “Fasting is good, but you should be listening to God about when it should be done or you won’t be able to receive new revelation.”
Unfortunately, Christians use the term “new wineskin” to speak of a new revelation from God. We often forget that there are two sides to what is being said. As stated, an “old wineskin” means that we are being inflexible when receiving these new revelations. We cannot follow any biblical practice blindly without His guidance, not even fasting. This will make it a tradition, a formula, an old wineskin.
It is human nature to want to be in control or to have a path laid out for us. However, to hold new wine we must remain flexible like a new wineskin, lest the new revelation be torn from us like new fabric on an old cloth or new wine bursting from an old wineskin.
Every great revelation from past generations was turned brittle and inflexible, as we developed “formula prayers” based on that new revelation. The dictionary definition of formula is “a customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality to accomplish a desired result.” When we pray, repeating words to get the desired result, it doesn’t leave room for the Holy Spirit to guide us. We are more focused on getting the result we want, rather than listening to what God wants us to do.
In the large movements of the past where prayers were developed based on the revelation brought to the Body of Christ, it wasn’t long after that it began losing effectiveness. The formula prayers are not the root of the issue, it is the fact that they are taking priority over listening and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our Guide.
Jesus, who is God, was with the disciples and the Pharisees wanted them to fast to hear from God. We have the Holy Spirit, who is God, inside us. If we ignore Him and just do what we think is right then we are no better than the Pharisees. You can use a prayer written by another person IF the Holy Spirit says to use that prayer at a given time. Paul gave us a great example of this:
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee… (Philippians 3:4-6 AKJV)
The Apostle Paul was a very learned man. He knew much about God’s ways. He was a Pharisee: a religious leader in Israel.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ… (Philippians 3:7-8 AKJV)
We must follow Paul’s example. No matter how much we think we know, we must cling to the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus. This is why formulas are so dangerous. We begin depending upon what we know instead of being led by our Lord and Holy Spirit.
The latest revelation about the Courts of Heaven is in danger of moving into an “old wineskin” category because the Body of Christ is creating formula prayers based on this revelation that are being used without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Although our prayer team uses a template for entering into the Courts of Heaven and we learn the procedures of God’s courts, we wait and listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to what He says to us. Even with this concession, we had to remain flexible as the Lord revealed how to appropriate the fullness of His grace and mercy. Now we only enter the Courts if our Lead Advocate, Jesus, asks us to go before the Judge.
For many Christians, it is too easy to become dependent on others instead of God. We must be willing to invest the time and energy in prayer and learning God’s ways for ourselves. Our ministry is here to help you understand how and when you should operate in Courts. Our intercession team will pray with you when attacks of the enemy occur until you enter the Courts for yourself.
Hearing from our Teacher and Guide, the Holy Spirit isn’t for a privileged few, it is for every Christian. It does no good to have a Teacher if you cannot hear from Him. After you have come into agreement with the prayer to be placed before the Throne of Grace, you will begin to hear more and more from God as you are freed from the attacks of the enemy that may be hindering you. This, in turn, will allow you to spend time learning God’s ways so He can move more in your life.
God created you for a purpose; you have a destiny with Him that is good. You are not an accident or too messed up for God to use you — that is a lie from the enemy. Are your mistakes bigger than God? He used a murderer who was a fugitive (Moses) and the man who was pursuing His children to kill them (Paul). He can use you only if you are willing.
I hope you will take time to look at the revelation of grace and mercy found in the first workbook of this series so that you can become free from attacks of the enemy while you learn and grow in the ways of God!
It took more than 2,000 visits to the Courts of Heaven to realize that we had listened to some wrong teachings that created turmoil in our lives and produced little or no fruit in recent years. Through continued visits to the Courts, charges were revealed for things we had done thinking, at the time, we were taking ground for the Kingdom. Even with this evidence, it wasn’t easy to let go of what we had been taught, that old wineskin!
Looking back, it was clear that the methods had been effective for a while, but then gradually became less and less powerful. We followed what we thought were correct Christian practices, but instead of leading us into deeper levels of freedom, they blocked our ability to move forward in our walk with God. Many teachers took things out of context to suit the message they wanted to teach.
Today the Lord is challenging all of us about teachings. Even if they are based on actual scriptures, we must ask if they line up with what the Bible means or are they out of context? If something is revealed by the Holy Spirit in intercession or if we are called into the Courts of Heaven we have to be willing to receive correction and question our beliefs by verifying them with the Word of God. We need to be open to new revelations and question long-held traditions, listening to the Holy Spirit before we pray and not relying on formula prayers – this is God’s new wineskin.
As a born-again believer, are you open to new revelations and teachings that God wants to give you? If the Holy Spirit shows you something that lines up with the Bible but contradicts:
What your pastor, prophet, evangelist, or apostle has said
Church denomination has been teaching for many, many years
What will you hold on to? How fast are you willing to let go of false teachings? Our ability to be open to God’s new teachings indicates if there are blockages in our spirit. We need to be ready to receive truth from the Holy Spirit, which can be difficult if our soul is dominating our spirit. Some of us need to shed the old wineskin so that we can receive His fresh new wine that will revive us.
Do you want to hold on to the old, but wouldn’t mind hearing what God has to say?
Are not really looking to practice the new, we are just curious and prefer the comfort of our old ways?
Change is difficult and can really hurt the flesh. We have to be willing to accept correction from God. You cannot put new wine into an old wineskin. Shedding the old wineskin means literally tossing away all that is old stuff that’s not God’s truth. This is what God wants us to discern and remove from our life so that we can be empowered to do His will upon this earth.
An Intercessor Sheds the Old Wineskin
By Lydia Boucek
The old me, as an intercessor, believed I was doing a lot of good as I prayed for our church and the congregation because I followed everything I was being taught. I was very involved in deliverance ministry, prayer-walking in cities and around businesses, and I always tried to listen to the Holy Spirit. I saw some fruit, but I also watched a lot of people get “burned out,” myself included at times. Some said it was because we were on the front lines and because I didn't know better I just accepted this explanation. I used to ask the Lord when this would all end. Spiritual warfare prayers were tiring.
From 2015, I would hear the Holy Spirit regularly speak to me about a “new wineskin” but I didn't understand what He meant by it. I was continuously experiencing and discerning witchcraft that operated in the churches I attended and also in my own neighborhood. Because of it, I took authority over demons and situations on a daily basis. I only knew to do spiritual warfare prayers to stop the demonic presence. The more I researched the internet, the more it confirmed that I was praying the right prayers. Still, I sensed I was missing something.
I would ask the Lord, “what is this new wineskin all about?” I started really paying attention to what God was saying because I sensed this may be the answer to what I felt I was missing. I believed it was tied in with the way we “do church.” I knew I was hearing something, but I didn't know for sure what I was hearing or how it applied to me.
I researched and learned that new wineskins are supple, they stretch and give. This is how we need to be concerning revelations from God. Looking back over the years, I realized that my prayers were fruitful when I prayed for people not cities. When I listened to the guidance of the Holy Spirit there were many breakthroughs that took place, and I also realized that my prayers were not heard when I used written prayers that I found in books: they became “formula” for me. I would read a book and then try to use the same prayers word for word that the author taught.
The definition of a formula: a set form of words for use in a ceremony or ritual.
The definition of spell: a spoken word or form of words held to have magic power.
When we utter words given to us by man without the urging of the Holy Spirit and expect a certain result, this is akin to witchcraft. We are relying on our knowledge instead of being guided by the Holy Spirit.
Learning from the prayers of others is great. Sometimes the words of others can help us voice what we need to say, but there is no magic phrase or prayer that will give us what we want. That is saying we don’t need the Holy Spirit to guide us in our prayers. Old prayers are like trying to thrive on old manna. The bread God provided for His people in the desert, manna, would go bad if they kept it for more than a day. There is no nourishment left in old food, so how does our spirit grow on old manna? Our manna must come from God, not man.
Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses gave you not that bread from Heaven; but My Father gives you the true Bread from Heaven. For the Bread of God is He which comes down from Heaven, and gives life to the world. Then said they to Him, Lord, ever more give us this bread. (John 6:32-34 AKJV)
The Lord continued to speak to me personally about a “New Wineskin” and I was listening. I was growing tired of the prayers and rituals that were not producing results and sensed God was not pleased with the messages being preached at church. I would leave church feeling worse than when I entered the building.
All I knew was to repent for being part of it; I was carrying a heavy burden in my spirit. I began to repent for allowing myself to get caught up in teachings that were not fruitful. In fact, many times they contradicted the Word. How did I not see that sooner?
I was trying to read books that pastors had recommended but often the books irritated my spirit. I got too caught up in the wrongness I saw happening in the church (demonic influences I discerned) and it pulled me away from my own regular daily study of the Word. I was trying so hard to conform to the teachings in the church, but the more I tried the heavier my spirit got. Everyone was just copying each other; reading the same revelations given to others for specific situations and no longer relying on the Holy Spirit for new revelations. Figuratively, I was eating old manna and drinking old wine.
Looking back, I realize now that many teachings were just wrong. I rarely heard teachings about the cross or the power of the blood of Jesus. We were taught to engage in warfare because they said Jesus gave us the authority to do so, but the revelation was all twisted. No one challenged any teachings and I was losing peace over this. I hungered for the gospel and nothing but the gospel. I realized that it was not about prosperity; it was about Jesus. It was important to go back to the basics and clean up the foundations so that I could dig deeper into what God was saying today.
I no longer wanted to pray in groups. I just wanted to hear God for myself. I did not want to listen to people screaming at the devil and commanding the Holy Spirit to do this and that. My peace came back by spending a lot more time in prayer and reading my Bible. While I loved to read, I could not bring myself to buy a book unless God led me to it, which had now become a rare thing for me. I felt like things were being ripped away from me; I was shedding old skin.
How can you hear when you are yelling and screaming?
That is behavior allowing the flesh to operate.
God was teaching me that everything we discern can be confirmed in His Word. We need to stop relying only on books and TV for answers and more on God for each situation, to show you, teach you, and pour into you. We need fresh manna every day and for every situation. I kept asking “Lord, what does your new wineskin look like?”
In this new season, God began speaking to me about the sins of my ancestors. I didn’t have a clue what those sins were, so I turned to the ten commandments and by faith began confessing for every single commandment they broke. I felt deliverance happening. It was a good start, but there was more about generational deliverance I needed to learn. That same week, I received prophecies from several prophets and they basically talked about the “Courts of Heaven” and said, you will take many into the Courts and help them with generational curses.
The prophecies told me about my new journey with God. My spirit was quickened when I heard the words about the “Courts of Heaven” and I had a sense this was the answer I sought. This was part of the new wineskin. God was directing me to research the topic of His Courts. Months after that I sensed I was to look for a book on the topic, but I did not want to spend a lot of money. I came across Lynn Hardy’s four books at Amazon, the Boot Camp Series, and was pleased that one of them was called “Destroying Curses in the Courts of Heaven.” Best of all, they were free.
I read her books and was so grateful she was able to explain God’s ways in simple terms. I realized over the years how much the church had complicated the Word of God. I told friends about her free books and a friend encouraged me to contact her to see if she could help me to hear what other charges were against me.
When Lynn explained to me more about wielding unauthorized authority (described in the second workbook), I was certainly guilty of this and needed to repent for all the times I used spiritual warfare against the enemy when I could have just prayed in tongues. Finally, someone was able to tell me what I had been doing wrong all those years, and why so many Intercessors were burned out.
I began my new journey into the Courts of Heaven. I went through a season of recalling yet another prayer that I had wrongly used in the past, which I immediately repented for and covered with the blood. I truly had the fear of the Lord in me when I realized I had been following wrong teachings on prayer for years.
I was beginning to understand that when God was speaking to me about a new wineskin, He was asking me to shed those old prayers that I prayed by formula. I had been saying prayers and performing actions like prayer walks, vigils, and fasts because I learned them in a book, but never really had it confirmed by the Holy Spirit. I took much for granted.
God is calling individuals to shed the old wineskin because the Holy Spirit should be the one to guide us in our prayers. To pray without the Holy Spirit is pride. It’s saying I don’t need you because I already know what to pray and I prefer the prayers man gave me.
The new wineskin is learning how to pray with the Holy Spirit as He tells us, which includes asking Jesus if we can enter into the Courts of Heaven instead of barging in or relying on what we learned from a book or what we think we know. After the Holy Spirit reveals our sin, either inside or outside of the Courts, we need to turn from that sin (repent), then the blood testifies for us against the adversary and we win the battle every time. The key to victory is not a specific prayer or entering into the Courts. It is finding out what the enemy is using to gain the right to attack us.
In order to operate fully in the new wineskin, we must let go of formula prayers. It is crucial to keep in mind that the enemy may have legal rights in the Courts of Heaven where the charges need to be removed before we take authority over anything. By acknowledging the blood of Jesus after repenting, not only is all sin removed from all records in Heaven, but every time we repent, we acknowledge what Jesus did for us on the cross. Sadly, this gospel is not being taught by many leaders.
Being led in our prayers by the Holy Spirit quickly puts an end to spiritual warfare. We must never go back to the old wineskin. We must never attack the enemy where we have no legal right to do so or we will receive personal backlash in the areas of finances, jobs, health, and both our marriage and our children.
The Courts of Heaven have made me realize we were not born to fight the devil. We were born to commune with God. I now only focus on GOD and if trouble starts, I ask Him what sin have I committed? If I need to repent then I repent and cover my sin with the precious and powerful blood of Jesus. I then take authority over a demon if I am told to do so by God. My goal is to rest in Him.
While I have come to realize that most of the time, the battle is because there is a charge against us and the solution is to repent. The blood cries out and takes care of the rest. It washes us clean. I have no need to attack the devil and start binding and loosing like a madwoman. That is time-consuming and takes away my focus to listen to the Holy Spirit.
The new wineskin, which is knowing about the Courts of Heaven where the enemy may have gained a judgment against us, is the battlefront for our warfare. We have seen demonized people set free, not by commanding, but by clearing the charges in the Courts of Heaven. I'd rather confront the enemy in front of the Judge, with my Righteous Advocate Jesus and my Counselor, knowing the blood of Christ is a witness for me. They are all on my side. All I have to do is listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His instructions.
When you give up the old wineskin, you will walk in peace and you will not feel the need to yell when you are speaking to God. You will show respect and honor when you are before the Great and Mighty Judge. Prayer is not performance. God is not a robot, He is a person. He is our King, our Savior, and He deserves all the honor.
Prayer is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and say only what He tells us. He wants us to pray for others from our heart with love and compassion and we will see the fruits of the Holy Spirit manifest. It’s time for our flesh to die. God cannot pour new wine (new prayers) into an old wineskin.
…that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29 AKJV)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 AKJV)
Since I have been operating in the new wineskin, I have seen prayer warriors go into the Courts of Heaven to deal with charges because they are in a crisis situation. After instructing them not to engage the enemy anymore whenever they feel like it, many still fall right back into their old habits and start praying formula prayers again. The enemy taunted them and they fell for it. This is usually because their flesh is ruling them.
When they realize something is wrong because of the backlash, instead of taking a good look at themselves first to see what they might need to repent for, they go back to Court again to wage war against the adversary. This is very dangerous. We need to humble ourselves and listen for instructions from the Holy Spirit. We need to understand that the new wineskin means letting go of all our old ways of doing spiritual warfare; letting go of teachings that are not exactly scriptural so that God can pour new wine in us.
Christians are many times called on to pray for others. Keep these things in mind before you begin praying:
When someone asks you to agree in prayer because of a situation they are struggling with and you are struggling with the same sin, you must repent for your own sin first before praying for them. We must always have a clean heart before God.
Do not agree in prayer with anyone, unless the Holy Spirit releases you to do so. Saying “Amen” makes you responsible for every word said.
Don’t just pray with a person because you don’t want to disappoint them. We have been misled to believe we must agree with them as an act of kindness only to get backlash because we had no authority to do so.
Prayer must come through your spirit and in unity with the Holy Spirit to be fully effective with no backlash. If you don’t know what to pray then pray in your Heavenly language only.
Shedding that old wineskin is not easy. We have old habits we have to break. We may slip back from time to time, but God gives us grace. I have had to throw away some old books and articles I was keeping for years so that I wasn’t tempted to read them again or share them with anyone. God is cleaning house and we must follow suit. What a relief it is to get rid of old baggage.
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. (1 John 2:27 AKJV)
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10 AKJV)
The anointing that God gives us is the power to pray with results; the power to heal and the power to set prisoners free. This will happen when we remember that the ultimate authority is in the Courts of Heaven and when we understand that the enemy may have a legal right to afflict someone until the matter has been dealt with in the Courts. We must partner with the Holy Spirit every day and nourish our spirit with fresh manna (bread) and new wine.
This is the New Wineskin:
We must always look to the Holy Spirit and do only that which He tells us to do.
Formula may be removing the Holy Spirit from the process; just because we received a breakthrough with a certain type of prayer last week or last year doesn’t mean that’s what we pray for again. We must patiently wait and listen and be respectful of the fact that we are before God.
Once we ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom concerning a situation, He may choose to instruct us to go into the Courts of Heaven to present the case before the Mighty Judge where we will hear instructions in the Courts.
When praying with someone in the CoH, we may be told that the person needs to repent for something, forgive someone, or renounce something that happened in their generational line. Our role is to do what the Holy Spirit tells us even if we don’t understand it all. Waiting quietly for instructions is the key.
Upon hearing instructions, obey and remember that the powerful blood of Jesus has conquered it all. We wait for the judgment/verdict and then do only what we hear the Holy Spirit saying; nothing more. There’s no drama involved.
When there’s a breakthrough we should never take credit for the results of prayers. We must humbly thank the Mighty Judge, the Holy Spirit our Counselor, and the Lord Jesus Christ who is our advocate who shed His precious blood for us. We must give all the praise to Jesus for all He has done and continues to do for us.
Thank Him with praise and worship.
I pray you are now prepared to shed the old wineskin and receive the new one that God has for you. It can be painful to our flesh to release the old, but through prayer and fasting if necessary, you will have the strength to move forward and will never want to go back to your old ways. The new way is so much more peaceful. It’s giving God back permission to lead you beside still waters. He will prepare a table before you in the presence of the enemy.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 AKJV)
More Articles on the Courts of Heaven can be found in the:
Many people think of boot camp as a place you train for combat. Any veteran will tell you that basic training is about three things:
Knowing what weapons are available
Learning how to use those weapons
Receiving orders and following them
Believer’s Boot Camp series is a collection of books which teach us how to hear more clearly from God with the goal to ready ourselves for a face-to-face meeting with our Lord, Jesus. The series reveals the “weapons and tools” God has given us and how to use them, so we can bring God’s kingdom to Earth. Each book in the series focuses on a single topic to clearly define one tool or weapon from our Heavenly Father.
The series uses the Word of God to reveal all that He has given us through Jesus. The Bible is our instruction manual and the Holy Spirit is our guide to understanding it.
Volume 1: Why Doesn't God Speak to Me?
Eager hearts cry out, hoping for a single word to confirm that He hears us. Yet, many times the only sound is silence. Over the years I have heard several reasons why God speaks to some and not to others. One night, as I tossed and turned, I brought each of these reasons before the Lord, stating why each of them did not line up with who I thought He was.
Words rose from my soul, pleading for Him to reveal why He has remained silent when a single word from Him would mean so much to so many. For the next few hours, God used things I learned about years ago and things I had just discovered to show why He talks to some and why He doesn’t, and in demonstrative ways.
In His grace, He also showed me how people could hear more from Him. Basic instructions on how to hear more from God and how to be led by Him are included in this book. Thank you for taking time to consider the answers I received and share with you now.
There is untapped power that is easy for every Christian to access in the form of authority. The keys to this authority will unlock weapons we can use to free ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. We must be intimately aware of the bounds and limitations of our weapon if they are to be used effectively.
After I had said the Aaronic blessing for 21 days, at lunch with a friend, I asked the Holy Spirit, “The vision You sent me had four words for the ‘Roadmap.’ If this information is part of that book I am now writing, which word is first?”
The Holy Spirit now brought those memories vividly back to my thoughts. A word came instantly to mind, and inside my head, I could see it lying across a mountaintop.
Our family vacation had been very busy with visiting relatives we hadn’t seen in a few years. This kept me from spending as much time with the Lord as I usually do. Although He had given me the “core” of the message for the following week, I had yet to create it!
The first day back, I sought the Lord as I worshipped Him and a scene opened up before me. This “vision” is what we now know as a visit to the Secret Place, where we can meet with the Lord to receive instructions from Him. The Secret Place is different from my very vivid imagination because of the surprising things that often happen there: they really are not what I am expecting to occur. The following is what happened on the first day of our family vacation:
“If those who are
called by My name will seek My Face and take refuge in Me, they will not need
to fear the CoronaVirus.”
The word “christ” means anointed. As
“Christians” we are stating that we are operating in the anointing of Jesus who
is the Christ or the Anointed One of God. This is the first step to safety from
the pandemic, but it is only one out of three steps:
called by My name
seek My Face
take refuge in Him
During morning prayers on Facebook live I have
shown you how to “take refuge in Him.” In my private prayer time, the Lord
spoke very loudly to me and said: “This is the season for those who are Mine to
seek Me: they shall find Me. Show them how.”
Pray at all times (on every
occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and
entreaty. (Ephesians 6:18 AMPC)
But
you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and
praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 1:20–21 NIV)
Throughout the New Testament, there is mention of “praying in the Spirit” which is the same as praying in “an unknown tongue.” Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, a neuroscientist, Professor, and Director at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, did a study of the brain and compared brain scans of Buddhist monks and Franciscan nuns praying in their normal way, against the brain scans of people who were praying in the Spirit. The study showed that the frontal lobe of those praying in the Spirit was mostly dormant while the monks and nuns who were praying in their own language, the traditional way, had a normal level of frontal lobe activity. The frontal lobe region of the brain is where the “language center” resides. Even those who uttered gibberish showed activity in this part of the brain. This study concluded that when people were “praying in the Spirit,” it wasn’t coming from their own mind.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” is a saying which means,
when looking at the past, everything is clearly seen. We can apply this saying
when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us. Often when we are under an attack from
Satan and his minions, we can look back at our lives and pinpoint how the Holy
Spirit was speaking to us and where we missed His guidance..
God often warns us and gives us time to
correct our path when we are going in the wrong direction. When we push ahead
of God, we walk out of His covering and right into the hands of our adversary,
the Devil.
The Book of Revelation shows us that we must be careful how we deal with angels. John was shown wondrous things when the Lord called, “Come up here.” He fell down at the feet of the angel and worshiped him...
Then said he to me, See you do it not: for I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. (Revelation 22:9 AKJV)
We should never pray to or worship anything but God. He alone deserves our adoration, and He alone can answer our prayers. The hosts of Heaven are the servants of God and include His servants, angels or messengers, and the army. This includes Michael, Gabriel, or even lesser angels.
The first three
seals saw the emergence of the Antichrist and two of the “horsemen of the
apocalypse.” These occur in the first
part of the tribulation or the final of Daniel’s weeks. Let’s continue looking
at the remaining seals the Lamb of God will break before God’s wrath is
unleashed on this earth.
Fourth Seal
And when he had
opened the fourth seal… behold a pale
horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And
power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,
and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Revelation
6:7-8)
Death quickly follows famine for we see hunger
is one of the tools used for death to take life. It is interesting to note that
only one-fourth “part of the earth.” Since it is part of the earth and not a
percentage of mankind, it is likely that only some countries will experience
the effects of this seal.
If we look at Daniel and Revelation, then we will know when the seven-year tribulation will begin as certain key events occur. Much of the world may be unaffected at first, so knowing what to look for is vital!
When you therefore
shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand
in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15 AMPC)
We were told by our Lord that we should look
for and recognize this event as being close to persecution and His return to
rule and reign. This also means Christians will be around when it happens. What
is the “abomination of desolation?” Discussing the events surrounding the
return of our Lord should show us what to look for and help us pinpoint this
event.
Studying the events around the second coming
should invigorate the body of Christ. After all, we are all expectantly waiting
for this time. Unfortunately, instead of uniting us as a body working for the
Kingdom of Heaven, it often creates division and strife. As we continue looking
into the Book of Revelation, please remember that what we choose to believe
concerning the return of the Lord doesn’t affect our salvation.
We are all brothers and sisters, adopted into
the family of God. If what you believe doesn’t line up with what I believe,
that is okay. We can agree to disagree and celebrate the fact that one day, we
will all know the truth!
If we go back to the Book of Genesis, we can see God’s original intention and plan for mankind through His created beings, Adam and Eve and how, through the fall and the ongoing influence of sin down through the generations we became damaged in our souls and bodies.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them…” (Genesis 1:26–27 BSB)
...and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NKJV)
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 AMPC)
Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians demonstrates that we are a three-part being, just like our Creator. God is a spirit, and we are spirit beings who have a soul and live in a body. This is why Paul listed the three parts to every human in this order. Many Christians have been taught that they have a spirit, soul, and body, but they may not understand the role of each of them. Some believe the soul and spirit are the same but as you can see, that is not what the Bible says.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 AKJV)
We could not divide the two if they were one and the same. The spirit is the part of us that is connected to God and Heaven. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions: that connects to the things of this earth. It is God’s will that the spirit rule over the soul and body. The soul with its memory, will, and emotions depends on the functionality of your brain and body for it to express itself or be conscious. The spirit can exist on its own, apart from the soul and body.
It is said that the power that controls the soul, controls the person. Satan’s goal is to control our soul by deceit. The soul will appeal to the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. It is controlled by pride. Why would you want your soul to dominate your body and spirit? Although, you don’t want the soul to dominate you, it may do so under the influence of demons and/or when you are sick and in need of healing. Your soul can be affected in the following ways:
Bound by swearing an oath (Num. 30:2-13)
Knitted or tied with another soul (1 Sam.18:1)
Dried away or withered (Num. 11:6)
Grieved, vexed or in bitterness (Judges 10:16, 16:16, 1 Sam. 1:10)
Cursed by words of the mouth (Job 31:30)
Spoiled and humbled (Ps. 35:12, 13)
Pant after and thirst for God (Ps. 42:1,2)
Be lean; made empty (Ps. 106:15, Is. 32:6)
Be devoured, killed, and destroyed (Matt. 10:28, Ez. 22:25)
Unstable, beguiled (entrapped) (2 Peter 2:14)
If a person has had any ungodly activities and relationships in their past, especially occult and sex related e.g., rape, incest, beastiality or sex outside of marriage, they will have definitely opened the door to spiritual darkness in the soul and spirit.
Although many deliverance ministries have had good intentions, the dilemma has been that they have been too focused on healing the wounded soul and have completely neglected the spirit man. Many have failed to see that your spirit has become:
Feeble
Faint
Malnourished
Ignored
Rejected
“Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled…” (Psalm 143:4 ESV)
Healing the soul and soul restoration are part of the solution to making the soul whole again: the solution to removing many internal problems. This is one side of an issue which has two aspects to it. Only through Jesus and the Holy Spirit can we heal our soul:
The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised… (Luke 4:18 AKJV)
“Broken-hearted” is two Greek words: syntribō (sün-tre'-bo), meaning shattered to shivers, like slivered glass, and Kardia (kär-de'-ä), which is often translated heart but also means “the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors,” according to Strong’s Concordance. When we experience trauma, either physical or emotional, our soul can become fragmented and pieces of it broken off and stuck in that moment. The Holy Spirit and Jesus exist throughout all time, simultaneously. They can go back and retrieve the pieces so that our soul can be made whole again.
Often, if a child is raped, as an adult they will speak in a high voice - the voice they had at the age when they were raped or they will react to situations now as if they were 5 years old, displaying childish or immature behaviors and reactions which are not appropriate as an adult. They may also “feel” like they are 5 years old rather than an adult. This is an indication that there is a piece of their soul, trapped in the past by that experience. Any emotional event may cause damage to our soul. This can be dealt with much like a crushed spirit (see below).
Our spirit must be strong so that it can grasp and hold onto the things of God and have the strength, power, or anointing to fight back any demons that will try to come back to invade the soul. During deliverance, some ministries will speak to your soul. They pray for your soul and cast demons out of it, but where is the fruit if your spirit is weak? A weak spirit may not be strong enough to receive and hold onto what is done, then deliverance is often only temporary.
On rare occasions, the soul may be held in captivity by a demon. The person may be prevented from or unable to strengthen the spirit. In this case, the soul would need to be set free first and THEN the spirit can be strengthened. The deliverance minister should instruct the person on ways to strengthen their spirit which needs to begin immediately after receiving the deliverance so they can maintain the freedom they have received.
There are three main ways to help build your spiritual strength:
Reading the Word
Praying in the Spirit
Worshiping God
Each of these is important, but not all are necessary to develop a strong spirit. Only two are an absolute must have in your life: reading the Word and worship.
Reading the Word
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for till now you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able. (1 Corinthians 3:2 AKJV)
To strengthen your spirit, you must provide food for it to grow. Reading the Word of God is not an option: it is the foundation for spiritual strength.
Praying in the Spirit
He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself; but he that prophesies edifies the church. (1 Corinthians 14:4 AKJV)
An unknown tongue is what some refer to as “praying in the Spirit,” “speaking in tongues,” or “the Heavenly language.” This is a personal language from the Holy Spirit that many Christians receive after taking Jesus as Lord.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4 AKJV)
This is the “gift of tongues” which is used with the “interpretation of tongues.” The Heavenly language is different from this type of gift because often there is no interpretation of what is said. It may come with the infilling of the Holy Spirit when our lives are completely submitted to Jesus as our Lord. When we give our tongue over to the Holy Spirit to pray through us, our spirit is strengthened by His presence.
Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 AKJV)
Praying in the Spirit is praying according to the will of God. It may set us free, especially when deliverance is not an option.
Worship
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalms 46:1 AKJV)
But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 AKJV)
When we focus on God, He renews our strength. Worship is how we enter into His presence. There is great advantage to spending time in God’s presence.
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me… (Psalms 27:5 AKJV)
David wrote this song in a time where being on a rock was a great advantage in battle. You could see farther, your arrows would go a greater distance, and you would be swinging down with gravity while your opponent would have to fight gravity to strike you.
God’s shelter, His tent, is known as the “Secret Place.” It is the next level of worship where our spirit will find great refreshing and strengthening. How do we get there? If we keep reading, we find out:
In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. (Psalms 27:6 AMP)
Worship is a necessary part of our walk with God. It will strengthen our spirit. In time, we may also enter into the Secret Place through worship (more about that in the free book Roadmap to Heaven). Since the Feast of Trumpets 2020, the Secret Place has really opened up. Now spending time with the Lord there, is like praying in the Heavenly language for hours! I pray that the Lord will use the “key of David” and open up the Secret Place for you soon.
Have you heard the word “soaking” used to refer to time in worship? In a visit to the Secret Place, the Lord showed me what “soaking” is all about.
Secret
Place Visit
On Sunday, I had become so very tired in spirit and body. It felt like I was completely drained, barely able to lift up my hand. My mind was so tired, it was hard to put thoughts together. I retreated to my bed and began worshiping the Lord and my body relaxed. Usually, a vision of the Secret Place would capture my thoughts, but I was too tired to even dance with the Lord. Instead, I heard the soft whisper, “Just rest…”
It took effort to let go of all the ministry items that NEEDED my attention. I had to pry my mind away from the “to do” list on my desk. The words of the song kept me focused on how awesome God is, how loving the Lord is. The heavy weight of the Holy Spirit was upon me. A gentle tingling sensation surrounded my body.
Eventually, a picture eased into my mind:
I was in a natural hot spring at my heavenly home. I was submerged in the middle and the Lord was behind me. His strong hands rubbed my head and shoulders, working out the knots that had been building there.
“Shouldn’t I be serving you? Honoring you?” The whispered thought was clearly heard by the Lord.
“He who is greatest is a servant to all. You honor me and I serve you.” I knew He could feel what my heart and mind were thinking as the music played.
As my body, soul, and mind became refreshed, He slipped down into the water where I was sitting. It was like He was all around me or I was fully inside Him. “You are safe, you are love, you are MY BRIDE.”
I knew that as long as my heart remained focused on Him, submitted to His will, that I would remain in Him.
This is what may be happening when you “soak” as you worship Him. Even if your spiritual eyes do not see Him, He is there when your heart surrenders and you let go of all that is in this world demanding your attention.
When ministering to the spirit through the Word, prayer, or worship, we are asking God to bless us according to the promises of His Word, so the Holy Spirit can move in with greater measure. This will help empower your spirit to dominate the soul and body.
To enter into worship our soul may need some healing, or our spirit may need strengthening. There are several common ways our spirit may be negatively impacted throughout our life. Knowing the common ways our spirit may be negatively impacted throughout our life will allow us to address and overcome these issues.
WEAK or MALNOURISHED
SPIRIT
One dilemma of a weak spirit is, if you have not spent time feeding your spirit by reading the Word of God, your spirit is most likely malnourished, therefore it cannot be in a close relationship with God. Without the Word, and because the spirit is weak, your relationship with God is only “head knowledge” within the soul. You are relying on other people’s experiences or teachings about God, but you really do not know God on your own.
You may think you are hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, but instead, it is a voice coming from your wounded, controlling, dominant soul. We can recognize this when we respond to what we are hearing and then our life winds up in a mess. Did you feel you were receiving from the Holy Spirit and followed that leading only to see the situation get worse and destruction come into your life? You may have been listening to your own soul instead of the Holy Spirit.
Solution:
Confess that you have been listening to something that isn’t the Holy Spirit.
Repent for this, strengthen your spirit and ask the Holy Spirit to speak clearly to you.
Plead the blood over the sins you have repented for, especially every time you have attributed your own thoughts to being the Holy Spirit.
REJECTED SPIRIT
Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who descend to the pit. (Psalms 143:7 BSB)
If your spirit has been rejected for many years, and you’ve been through a lot of trauma in your life, your spirit can gradually shrink back and possibly even go into hiding because it has not been recognized as an important part of you as an individual. You may need help from a mature Christian to have your spirit ministered to: someone else reading the Word over you.
Solution:
Strengthen to your spirit - see below.
GRIEVED, CRUSHED, BROKEN
or BRUISED SPIRIT
Your spirit man can grieve to the point that it can become so burdened down that it feels crushed, broken and bruised. When your spirit is weakened and just too heavy to bear, you can begin to have no hope for the future. The soul then starts thinking about death or suicide.
For the enemy has persecuted me, He has crushed my life down to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead. (Psalm 143:3 AMPC)
My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me. (Job 17:1 AMPC)
Examples of a person with a broken spirit can be someone who is a rape victim or one who has witnessed a horrific crime. It could be a person who was given too much responsibility when they were children, e.g., they had an ailing mother and had to fill her shoes and take care of the family. They may have been abused by someone in authority and the words spoken over them crushed their spirit.
A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 AMPC)
If your spirit is in this condition, it may affect your health. Praise God that our Lord heals the brokenhearted!
Solution
Forgive those who abused you: You may need to cry out to the Lord and ask Him to help you forgive them. Know that the enemy had a piece of them and was pushing them to abuse you. It is Satan’s plan to let that abuse keep you from being close to your heavenly Father. Forgiveness removes the enemy’s ability to afflict you further.
Plead the blood of Jesus over the sin of unforgiveness.
Ask the Holy Spirit to bring you back to the moment of the damage and the Lord to heal your soul, bringing any pieces back to you, in this moment in time.
DEFILED SPIRIT
A person can also have a “defiled spirit” especially if they or their ancestors have dabbled in occult practices. This will block them from being able to enter into true worship with God. Their spirit can even become imprisoned or caged if witchcraft rituals have been performed on them. They might fall asleep whenever they attempt to read the Bible.
A defiled spirit may also be the result of the sin of idolatry; not only worshipping other gods, participating in all forms of witchcraft, and freemasonry but focusing on a particular item above God for an extended amount of time. It can be:
Focusing on financial success.
Desiring a spouse or a child.
Focusing on entertainment (video games, non-fiction books, porn, or any other entertainment).
Seeking healing or deliverance instead of the healer: the healing then becomes an idol.
If this is you, you need your spirit strengthened immediately!
“So come out from among unbelievers and be separate,” says the Lord, “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor].” (2 Corinthians 6:17 AMPC)
Solution
Confess,
repent, and plead the blood for any forms of idolatry or occult practices
Confess for
your ancestors
Sever soul
ties with anyone you practiced these with
Begin
setting aside all else, focusing on God instead, reading His Word to
strengthen your spirit.
RULED BY THE SOUL
Let us emphasize that when the spirit is weak and the soul is the “center of attention,” the soul then is allowed to rule and reign over the spirit man. Focusing on repairing the soul first is not how you are going to maintain your breakthrough. Even going through the Courts of Heaven is not a guarantee you will receive your healing or hold onto it once you do receive it, unless your spirit and soul are cooperating with the Holy Spirit together.
When the soul, spirit, and body are out of order, it is your responsibility to feed your spirit truth so that the soul can step back to its proper place, submitted to the spirit. Over time your spirit will once again feel legitimate and be recognized as an important part of the person.
Your goal is for your spirit to become actively engaged in the healing process and be alert enough to work with the Holy Spirit. When the spirit is engaged in receiving ministry it can tap into the resources of God, the gifts of God, and the power of God.
Clear signs of a weakened spirit are:
A lack of peace with no evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit manifesting in your life.
If you do not have love, joy, peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), and self-control truly manifesting in your life as explained in Galatians 5:22-23 then your spirit is not fully engaged with the Holy Spirit.
You still must learn how to die to the flesh and feed yourself spiritual food from the Word of God. To receive all God has for you, your spirit must be strong:
You cannot sustain the anointing of the Holy Spirit if your spirit is weak.
It is your spirit that enters the Courts of Heaven and is seated in Heavenly places.
When you meditate daily on the Word of God, your spirit will be able to obey God.
Keep [actively] watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the] body is weak (Mark 14:38 AMPC)
Our soul must submit to our spirit and our flesh must die and submit to our soul. Spirit, soul, and body is the order in which we must live as Christians. The Bible tells us clearly that we must die to the flesh.
For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. (Romans 8:13 AKJV)
We must understand that the spirit is meant to reflect the sevenfold nature of God because it was created in the image of God: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2 AKJV)
The spirit has also been given the seven motivational or operational gifts by our Heavenly Father. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them accordingly:
If [someone has the gift of] prophecy, let him speak a new message from God to His people] in proportion to the faith possessed:
If service, in the act of serving
He who teaches, in the act of teaching
He who encourages, in the act of encouragement
He who gives, with generosity
He who leads, with diligence
He who shows mercy [in caring for others], with cheerfulness
(Romans 12:6-8 AMPC)
Then there are also gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given to believers. It is through our spirit, into our soul, then through our body that these gifts function. We receive these gifts from the Holy Spirit into our spirit. They move into our soul, our mind, will, and emotions; we walk in these gifts through actions from our flesh:
To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom
To another a message of knowledge
By means of the same Spirit, to another faith
By the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing
By that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers
To another prophecy
To another distinguishing between spirits
To another speaking in different kinds of tongues
And to still another the interpretation of tongues
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines. (1 Corinthians 12:7 AKJV)
As we strengthen our spirit, we are legitimizing the nature of God that our spirit was born with. We are drawing out that which God has gifted us. Mature believers and baby Christians alike should daily minister the Word of God into their spirit. How else are you going to remain mature if you don’t stay in the Word?
We cannot live on yesterday’s manna (food from Heaven). It becomes stale and we need fresh bread daily which is the Word of God giving life to our spirit. The Word of God is Jesus. The Word of God is truth. The Word of God is bread that our spirit cannot live without.
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” (John 6:32-34 AKJV)
The Word of God will continue to usher in the anointing from the Holy Spirit giving peace to our spirit and soul. Your spirit needs daily communication with the Holy Spirit. This is what God initially intended for all of us in the Garden of Eden. We must renew our spirit man daily.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16 AKJV)
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. (1 Peter 3:4 AKJV)
PRACTICAL STEPS TO MINISTER
TO YOUR SPIRIT
Reading the Word out loud is blessing your spirit, and this has been proven to be one of the most fruitful exercises you can do to help strengthen your spirit. In fact, it will bless your spirit, soul, and body! Ideally, if someone can partner with you, your spirit is far more receptive to listening to the reading of the Word and the prayers being prayed out loud. Your spirit can focus on the words being said when you can look at the person in the eyes and allow them to ask God to bless your spirit. If you can do this daily, or even weekly with someone, you will both grow in Christ at a much faster pace causing your spirits to gain strength.
You should use caution when choosing who to partner with. In the prior teaching you learned how to spot Jezebel and Leviathan as well as how to remove them. We strongly recommend both people involved go through the Courts of Heaven Academy course 201 before joining in prayer this way.
And the child grew and became strong in spirit... (Luke 1:80 AKJV)
To begin with, we simply ask the soul to step aside and call your spirit to the forefront or to attention in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Many will feel their spirit respond to this command. This is called engaging the spirit on purpose.
Our spirit is the dwelling place for the spirit of God. By engaging our spirit, we are helping it to recognize its value; acknowledging who we are in Christ, and encouraging our spirit to operate in all the gifts that are given to it. God desires our daily presence, and our spirit desires His presence. This is our goal: to enter into the Secret Place and commune with God every day.
Agape Christian Fellowship holds online weekly meetings where we read the Word out loud to you. You can listen to these readings over and over again in our Agape Family Facebook group and on YouTube.
We also have a morning prayer time on Facebook live with Lynn. These meetings are for everyone; especially those who do not have a prayer partner who can minister to them. If you register for these events on our website, then you will receive a reminder the day before the meeting:
When you come to the meetings, please just come and relax as we minister to your spirit by reading the Word of God over you. It will refresh you and strengthen you. Once your spirit is engaged and participating, you will feel the presence of God as you allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your spirit when the Word is being read out loud. Awesome things happen at these meetings.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
More Articles on the Courts of Heaven can be found in the:
Many people think of boot camp as a place you train for combat. Any veteran will tell you that basic training is about three things:
Knowing what weapons are available
Learning how to use those weapons
Receiving orders and following them
Believer’s Boot Camp series is a collection of books which teach us how to hear more clearly from God with the goal to ready ourselves for a face-to-face meeting with our Lord, Jesus. The series reveals the “weapons and tools” God has given us and how to use them, so we can bring God’s kingdom to Earth. Each book in the series focuses on a single topic to clearly define one tool or weapon from our Heavenly Father.
The series uses the Word of God to reveal all that He has given us through Jesus. The Bible is our instruction manual and the Holy Spirit is our guide to understanding it.
Volume 1: Why Doesn't God Speak to Me?
Eager hearts cry out, hoping for a single word to confirm that He hears us. Yet, many times the only sound is silence. Over the years I have heard several reasons why God speaks to some and not to others. One night, as I tossed and turned, I brought each of these reasons before the Lord, stating why each of them did not line up with who I thought He was.
Words rose from my soul, pleading for Him to reveal why He has remained silent when a single word from Him would mean so much to so many. For the next few hours, God used things I learned about years ago and things I had just discovered to show why He talks to some and why He doesn’t, and in demonstrative ways.
In His grace, He also showed me how people could hear more from Him. Basic instructions on how to hear more from God and how to be led by Him are included in this book. Thank you for taking time to consider the answers I received and share with you now.
There is untapped power that is easy for every Christian to access in the form of authority. The keys to this authority will unlock weapons we can use to free ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. We must be intimately aware of the bounds and limitations of our weapon if they are to be used effectively.
