Today in class during a time of activation, we were asked what areas of breakthrough were we longing for a greater anointing on? Immediately I thought of two things: my finances and my painting, particularly painting on stage during worship. At first I thought that the finances one was me focusing on the problem at hand instead of listening to what the Holy Spirit had to say. And as I thought that, He began to make clear to me that no; my heart was clean of worry - I was resting in my faith for breakthrough, I hadn't heard wrong. In order for me to step into my calling, I need to increase my anointing in both of these areas.
There are many areas of my life that I found easy(er) to overcome in; perhaps now looking back it's because I'm looking back rather than being in the throes of it. My purity walk over the past two years has been amazing; but recalling the year before that reminds me the very present struggles during that time with that area of my life. Today it's my finances. I take it very seriously. This poverty spirit is vigilant to keep rising up each time I draw it out and burn some off. The idea that it's hard to hold onto money, hard to get it, not enough - all are evidence of the remnant of a poverty spirit. I know the right answers to these lies; and had been making declarations in line with those for many months. And as soon as I'd get a little breakthrough, I'd back off on the declarations. I have found the same to be true with my weight loss / health goals. What I realized today is the importance of consistency in declaring victory over myself in these area several times a week, if not daily; and sustaining that over months and years, if necessary, until I feel a more permanent victory.
Tonight the Lord wanted to speak to me about it. He's been speaking to me for the past year in repeating numbers, so when I saw the time 11:11pm, I knew I needed to look that up. He brought me to Psalms 111:1:
"Praise the Lord!! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the company of the upright, in the congregation."
So I turned it into a declaration to Him: "I praise you Lord!! I give thanks to you Lord with my whole heart in the company of the upright and in the presence of the congregation."
The next verse was Deuteronomy 11:11:
"But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is the land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."
The land the Israelites crossed the Jordan for was the Promise Land. My promise land is me inheriting the fullness of my calling, stepping into it. Crossing the Jordan signifies a deeper baptism in the Holy Spirit, which must happen as I cross - that's what the Jordan represents, the second baptism. It's a land of mountain (top) experiences for me - and of traveling through valleys (where Jesus and I sit in communion, fellowshipping in the presence of my enemies). It's a land that is sustained by the waters of heaven, full of the Spirit; a land blessed, flowing, offering endless sustenance. It's a land that The Lord MY GOD takes care of, watches over without rest from the beginning to the end. Why does he watch? To protect it? Maybe. But I think he watches it because He's watching with anticipation to see me possess it in increasing measure. If He so desires me to possess it, will He not provide to me everything necessary to bring me there? Is it not already assured then that I will possess it? Yes and yes.
This is it. I take possession over the anointing necessary to overcome the spirit of poverty; and I do it by praising God with my whole heart (without fear or doubt) in the company of the congregation, in the presence of believers. Which means I need a corporate anointing to overcome the last bits of this I'm struggling with. It's a breakthrough I can only get in community with other believers.
I'm sharing this because so many of us here at Bethel are needing the same breakthrough in this area of finance. Our lack of money is a poverty issue. Abundance rests on the other side of need, past our provision. There is more than enough provision in the river of life; we must position ourselves to receive. How do we do that? First we must imagine ourselves receiving, that may look differently for each of us. If we can't imagine it then we have no visualization necessary to muster up enough faith. But second is that we praise our God with thanksgiving in the congregation corporately, accessing the faith made available to us by the understanding that the power of agreement in the group is greater than the power of agreement of us as individuals.
Let us press in together to see the heavens opened up and the glory of God showered on us as His word says!!
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