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Melissa  — “You crown the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow.” (Ps. 65:11 AMP) “Crown” here is the Hebrew word “atar”. It means to encircle for protection. So, we really are tiptoeing into something big this year and we are protected as we approach our reveal. And let’s just top it off, “Your paths overflow” says this year is marked with abundance. The biggest fight we have at this point is truly believing our God is as good as He really is!

Understanding “Kingdom Come”

KG Brenham 1-31-21bKathy — I have prayed or read or quoted or sang the phrase, Thy Kingdom come, for years without really being aware of the magnitude of what I was saying.  In my early understanding, Thy Kingdom come was a reference to heaven and eternity only.  So it was like a salutation, a verbal salute, before beginning the actual prayer of Thy will be done on earth as in heaven.  I’m fairly sure a good percentage of the Church prays the Lord’s Prayer with a similar paradigm which boils down to this: may heaven be ours someday and meanwhile, Thy will be done in things concerning the earth.   However, there is a different understanding of the Kingdom of God in the light of  Psa 145:13:  “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your rule endures throughout all generations.”  Rather than a place and a future existence, the Kingdom is the rule of God, His power, His authority and His government and order in effect already, in fact, for all generations.

Storms and God-Ordained Days

Melissa — Even though the sky is clearing there may be a storm or two that pop up as we head into the God ordained days ahead. No worries though, the storms have to “be still” and bow to the intention of God Almighty. In prayer the other night I heard this after it came out of my mouth, “Your Kingdom is over this nation and you are releasing another increment upon us.” What if we are that increment?! What if we are the stealth measures He is putting in place to release a deeper increment of His Kingdom on this earth? Me thinks we are!  (Melissa will be leading worship and speaking at KINGDOM CONGRESS 2022 March 2-4. Church No.: 936-856-2455. All info: martygabler.com)

Hearts of Expectancy

As the people of God assemble today may His people have a sense of the more that is to come of His purposes and His outpourings. May the hope of receiving and participating fill their hearts with expectancy. “In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary–we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” (Rom.5:5, Msg)

In This for the Long Haul

Isa.46:9, Msg — “Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am God, the only God you’ve had or ever will have—incomparable, irreplaceable— 10 From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, All along letting you in on what is going to happen, Assuring you, ‘I’M IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL, I’LL DO EXACTLY WHAT I SET OUT TO DO,’ 11 Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east, from a far country the man I chose to help me. I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. I’ve planned it, so it’s as good as done. 12 “Now listen to me: You’re a hardheaded bunch and hard to help. 13 I’M READY TO HELP YOU RIGHT NOW. Deliverance is not a long-range plan. Salvation isn’t on hold. I’m putting salvation to work in Zion now, and glory in Israel.”

Soul-Conflicts

Kathy — Soul-conflicts cause ulcers rather than faith. An “ulcer of the soul” is inflammation like agitation, offense, irritation, anger, fear, etc. A wound of the soul is from our history or experience. Neither of those is the starting place for effectual prayer because “ulcers” and wounds can keep us from seeing from God’s perspective. A timely example is that it cripples our faith to pray for our nation if we think God will not interrupt hell’s assignments against our nation. Since 2021 is part of our watch, we can anticipate God’s intervention in our nation this year as we pray and neutralize contradictions that influence daily.

Truth and Relationship

Melissa — Truth and relationship with the Lord is about your meditations, thoughts, words, prayers. Are your thoughts and prayers abounding from His truth or the latest from Fox, CNN, Facebook, or Twitter? A safe and healthy place from which to operate your day is praying in tongues throughout. It’s the perfect prayer not swayed by national or family events. It’s the perfect prayer not swayed by the soul. In fact, don’t limit it to that. You may think you’re praying about what is concerning at the moment, but the Spirit prays what needs to be prayed at the moment whether it be for that particular situation or something completely different. Thank God that type of prayer cannot be touched by soulish fears and desires. That is exactly why it is perfect! God knew what He was doing when He gave us such a gift. Yes, I’d say it’s for today. My thought, the soul might say otherwise because it can’t control it. Ok, I’ll just leave that right there and wrap this up. It’s time to call on Him. It’s time to see great and mighty things. It’s time to be great and mighty things.

Threats, Predictions and Precautions

There are all manner of threats, predictions and precautions concerning present perils and the “need for wisdom” in future ministry considerations. While many are calling for such wisdom to be applied in this hour, somewhere a cry should also be going forth for some amount of determination (Eph.6:13-“stand firm”) to be applied. Where is it written that authority is given to events of certain times in history or to evil persons of those times to become the master decision-makers for all of us, especially those who were acknowledging and embracing a divine destiny before these threatening perils and persons started doing their destructive deeds? Job 5:12, Amp — “He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty, So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.” God will partner with His people who pray and declare His purposes in the nation and “He frustrates the devices and schemes of the crafty, So that their hands cannot attain success or achieve anything of [lasting] worth.” (Job 5:12, Amplified)

Unique Participation

Kathy — According to the way you as an individual process and function, God knows how to make things clear to you. Then the way you participate in His Kingdom coming to earth will likely be unique, something that I nor anyone else but you would ever do. The Kingdom lifestyle, bottom line, is basic obedience that facilitates God’s will and influence and power and purpose coming into a life or a town or a situation or a church or a business or a family, etc. There is no way to list all the unexpected turns or varying ways that obedience may be walked out. We have a friend who took care of her household diligently for years. At the same time, she cared for many others with her gift of hospitality and ran her own business. I’m sure she did not foresee her part in the Kingdom of God on earth would also include raising and sowing into the lives of three small step-grandchildren even after she transitioned into widowhood. Her story is a vivid example of the unpredictable uniquenesses of living a Kingdom lifestyle and seeing the will of God done on earth as in heaven. There is literally nothing like it and nothing with more God-infused fulfillment. 

Mighty Things and Relationship

Melissa — It’s going to take loving the Truth (which is a Person—THE Person) to see great and mighty things for which an earth is groaning (Romans 8:17-19). It’s going to take some calling on that Person which requires relationship, not curbside pickup. And relationship takes time, time out of your day. This does not mean you have to set aside hours and hours every day. That is not a bad thing if that’s where you are currently, or a season you are headed into. Other than that, a relationship is all day everyday.