When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. | Isaiah 43:2

It has certainly been an intense season of testing for many, myself included. It feels as though when we overcome one challenge, we’re only to be met by another that’s even more difficult than the previous one. However, I hear the Lord saying, “Beloved, I have not left you! I am right here by your side, even as I’ve said in My Word, ‘I am the friend who sticks closer than a brother’ (Proverbs 18:24). Know that you are passing through this season, for I will turn your valley of Baka into a place of springs (Psalm 84:6).

“You have endured much weeping and heartache, but I am the God who turns mourning into joy. I know that it feels as though you’ve been hit on every side and that you are becoming battle weary, but My precious child, do not lose heart! Look to Me, cling to Me. I will not leave you. I am working, even through the trials that you are currently encountering. Once again, I assure you, you are passing through!

“I waste nothing; I will take the very ashes around you and turn them into beauty, watch and see. Let hope arise! Spring fourth, O well! Taste and see that I am good. I am with you; I haven’t left. Even as I promised in My Word, I will never leave you or forsake you. I’ll be with you until the end of the age. You are mine,” says the Lord!

If you have noticed an increase in the warfare lately, rejoice! Just as diamonds are produced under extreme pressure, the very pressure you are experiencing is producing the promise! Even now, God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. If only you could see the wonderful things that the Lord has planned for you; you would laugh at the enemy’s attempts to overwhelm you. The enemy is a defeated foe under our feet; he has been stripped of all his authority and can, by no means, harm you.

Jesus replied, “While you were ministering, I watched Satan topple until he fell suddenly from heaven like lightning to the ground. Now you understand that I have imparted to you all my authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will be able to harm you as you walk in this authority. However, your real source of joy isn’t merely that these spirits submit to your authority, but that your names are written in the journals of heaven and that you belong to God’s kingdom. This is the true source of your authority” (Luke 10:18-20).

I sense the Lord saying, “Beloved, regardless of how things look or feel in the natural, keep your eyes on Me. Things are not falling apart, rather, they are falling into place. I am working, and I am moving! Truly My thoughts and My ways are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). You are breaking through and advancing in this hour, fighting from a place of victory, even amidst the struggle. You are My overcoming and victorious Bride. Be encouraged, and know that the very pressure you are feeling is producing the promise.”

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation | Psalm 149:4 (NASB)

“I approve of you, Beloved! You have experienced disapproval and reproach from man, but hear My declaration over you today: you have My approval, and My delight is in you, My Bride. How precious are My thoughts towards you, for they outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:18).

“I have seen the cost, dear one, even when others have not. I have seen your bravery, just as I have also seen the tears you’ve shed in secret. Every tear is precious to Me, because you are precious to Me; each one I have collected in a bottle—as it is written in My Word:

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book (Psalm 56:8).

“I am pulling out the arrows that others have carelessly shot at you through their words and their actions, filling you with My healing balm of Gilead. Hear the love song that I am singing over you: I am binding up your heart, healing your wounds of former seasons. It’s a new day and a new dawn! Do not look to the former, for I am doing something new.

“What the enemy has sought to destroy you with has only served to make you stronger. He has greatly underestimated your strength and tenacity, even as you have said in your heart, ‘though he slay me, I will praise the Lord.’ You have allowed My purposes to be accomplished in you, and now I am turning the bitter into sweet! Surely you will receive double for all that you have suffered. The woundings of your previous season will be the very launching pad that propels you forward to minister with an even greater compassion and anointing! The very areas of which you have overcome, you now carry an even greater anointing in. For freely you have received, now freely give (Matthew 10:8).

“You are My liberated one, arising from the ashes and being sent out to release liberty to the captives, proclaiming My freedom (Isaiah 61:1). You will go forth in great joy, for I am the God who turns mourning into dancing. Hear heaven’s declaration over you, Beloved: the Father approves of you, and His delight is in you,” says the Lord!

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” | Isaiah 30:21

I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying, “I will be your compass, helping you navigate through this new season. What may have worked in the former season will no longer work in this new season that we’ve entered into. Yes, you feel stretched, enlarged, and even in over your head. Be rest assured, Beloved; I am taking you to the next level, and you are being elevated, even in the pressing! I am making new wine!

“Do not panic or fear, for My loving hand is upon you. I’m leading and guiding you into the new, even as a cloud by day and a fire by night (Exodus 13:21). I am expanding you and increasing you! Enlarge and expand your tent pegs, because surely you will spread out to the right and to the left (Isaiah 54:2).

“I am calling you to press deeper into My heart! For as you do, I will be faithful to show you great and mighty things that you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3). Let go of all stress and worry, Beloved, and enjoy your journey with Me. I have many new surprises and adventures in store, and they shall soon burst fourth. You have been equipped and prepared, now it’s time to soar to new heights with Me. Surely I will be your compass, and I will lead and guide you as we embark on our journey together,” says the Lord.

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. | Joshua 6:20

Many have been battling an extreme hopelessness and a feeling of despair. I especially sense this to be true for the intercessors. The enemy has been working tirelessly to try and wear them down because there is so much in the balance right now, both in their own personal lives as well as on a national level.

I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying, “My people, sound the alarm! Lift your voice and release your battle cry! This is not a time to relent or retreat, rather it’s a time to get loud in your intercession. The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). The enemy has a tempted to bombard you and wear you down with warfare and opposition. He has sought to silence your voice by causing you to get wrapped up in despair. My people, it is vital that you pray like never before! There is a great war going on between light and darkness, but know that your prayers and petitions are moving and shifting things in the heavenlies. Pray in the spirit; pray with groans and travailing. Rise above the onslaught and press in, because there is victory on the other side!

“Shake off your slumber; shake off apathy and arise, My bride! Arise and release your sound; release your voice! Pray for your government; pray that righteous men and women will be established in positions of authority and that the wicked will be cut off. My ear is bent towards you, and as I have promised in My Word, ‘When My people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

“It is vital that you stay at your post and pray (Habakkuk 2:1). Do not say, ‘I am just one voice,’ for the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, go up before God from the angel’s hand (Revelation 8:4). Raise the battle cry and sound the alarm! My bride, my ear is bent towards you. Surely your voice will shift nations, and kingdoms of darkness will be forced to retreat at the sound of your voice! Keep storming the gates of heaven, for as you do, the tide will turn. You will see the victory,” declares the Lord of hosts!

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,make straight paths for him.’” | Mark 1:3

“I am sending My fire on your intercession,” declares the Lord. The very hunger, restlessness, and discontentment that you are currently experiencing will be the launching pad that catapults you into your new mantle of authority. I am breathing new life upon you; even now, My Spirit is hovering and brooding (Genesis 1:2).

“I have heard your cries, even as you’ve called out, saying, ‘Show me Your glory!’ Now I am putting My holy fire on your intercession. You will pray with new passion and authority. What doors had been previously locked will now fling open through your prayers and petitions, for upon His shoulder I have placed the key of David, and My government shall know no end! (Isaiah 22:22)

“Beloved, do not shrink back and retreat, for I am sending My fresh fire on your intercession. I am burning away the dross; I am moving, I am working. Surely My voice is over the waters.

The enemy has attempted to silence your voice, but now you are coming forth ten times stronger than before. The battles that you have fought and overcome will carve a new path for others to come behind you, walking into victory. Truly I tell you, the very areas that you have broken through will now be the areas in which you will carry the breaker anointing,” says the Lord.

“Hear My call, My Bride! I am summoning you to awake from your slumber and enter into a place of prayer and intercession that is far beyond what you’ve previously known or experienced in former seasons. Your prayers will affect nations, for as it is written, if you ask of Me, I will give you the nations for your inheritance (Psalm 2:8).

“Your prayers will move mountains and break down strongholds; they will establish and usher in My divine order and government upon the earth. Truly you are the voice of the one crying out in the wilderness, even as it was with John the Baptist, declaring and preparing the way of the Lord (Mark 1:3). I have called you to stand in the gap and contend for freedom in your bloodline, even extending into the future generations! You will be called ‘Repairer of the Breech,’ for you will bring healing and restoration, rebuilding the ruins of the former generations.

“Receive My fresh, holy fire on your intercession. Truly the wind of My favor is blowing on your back, propelling you forward into the new assignments and territory that I am releasing to you. Be encouraged, for everywhere your foot treads, I will give you the land (Joshua 1:3).”

Over the past two weeks, I have been experiencing extreme fatigue and exhaustion, hopelessness, anxiety, and the temptation to simply give up. I could not figure out why I felt like this. However, I know that God is faithful to answer our cries, and He will give us wisdom when we bring Him our concerns. As it is written in Jeremiah 33:3, we are instructed to call upon the Lord, and He will show us great and mighty things that we do not know. Even in my weariness, I’ve been seeking the Lord in faith, asking Him what exactly this is that I have been experiencing.

Last night, I had a vivid dream of a snake lurking in my bedroom. It started out as a small snake and then rapidly grew in size. After spending time in the Lord’s presence upon awaking, I began to gain understanding of what my dream represented. The Lord revealed to me that the snake in my dream had been a python, and it represented the spirit of Python.

Python is a spirit that seeks to suffocate and suck the very life out of you through its relentless and vicious attacks. The Lords showed me that many in the Body of Christ—myself, included—have been feeling the effects of this evil spirit. Looking back, I can now identify that the physical exhaustion and weariness I had been experiencing was as an attack from the enemy. This is why Word of God tells us that we are to “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, [we] may be able to stand [our] ground, and after [we] have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

We can even see in Scripture the spirit of Python trying to latch onto the apostles and leaders of the early church:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her (Acts 16:16-18).

The spirit that had possession over the female slave was that of Python. It was relentlessly taunting the apostle Paul, trying to get him off course and distract him from his assignment from the Lord.

As I continued to press into the Lord, He continued to expand understanding of my dream. I heard Him say, “I am bringing down the spirit of Python! In My goodness, I am exposing the evil spirit that has attempted to subtly sneak in and to harm to My people.” The Lord is now bringing freedom from the oppression that His people have been feeling, as they have cried out to Him for deliverance.

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten (Jeremiah 20:11).

The Lord is turning the tables in this hour, and the attacks of the enemy are being overthrown! Where you have known such deep and seemingly unrelenting heaviness, you will now experience joy unlimited and full glory; where you have known heartache and despair, you will now experience freedom and a new spring in your step. People of God, the Lord is giving you your breath back! You will breathe easily once again, and truly your enemies will be no more (Isaiah 41:12).

The spirit of Python has attempted to get many of the Lord’s prophets to run and retreat into a cave, but now they are arising—coming forth with double strength, boldness, and anointing! For when the thief is caught, he must repay seven fold (Proverbs 6:31).

Just when it has seemed that all hope has been lost, the King of Glory is now coming in and bringing His radical deliverance and recompense! For whom the Son sets free is free, indeed (John 8:36).

Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in (Psalm 24:9).

I prophesy life, hope, and fresh joy over you today, as you are arising out of the very place of despair that the enemy has sought to keep you caged in. Be encouraged! The Lord is bringing you out into a wide and spacious place of freedom (Psalm 18:19).

September 9, 2018 marks the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Even as today is a physical shift on the Jewish calendar, it is also the beginning of a significant shift in the spirit realm.

I hear the Lord saying, “This is your time and your season! I am bringing forth My favor, deliverance, and promotion, even as I did with Joseph. Many have felt confined in a ‘prison,’ for so long, yet they have remained faithful to me. Like with Joseph, I have been with them through the trials and testing, even despite what things may have appeared in the natural.”

“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).

Joseph literally went from the prision to the palace in one day (Genesis 41:14). Similarly, many of you will also experience a seemingly overnight turnaround! Truly God is releasing His favor, deliverance, and promotion over your life. The enemy has been working overtime to get you into a place of despair, but let hope arise! God is roaring His fierce vindication over you, and He is bringing forth justice and recompense for all that you have suffered.

Your finest hour is upon you! Keep your heart tender and pliable before the Lord, staying at peace, for things are about to radically shift in your favor. Stand still and see the salvation of your God!

”You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. | Psalm 118:17

The Lord’s heart is extended towards the battle weary: the ones who feel they have nothing left to offer. As the saying goes, “When we are down to nothing, He is up to something!”

It says in Isaiah 42:3-4, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. ” Many have felt as though situations in their lives have gone from bad to worse, as the enemy has been tormenting them and whispering the lie that things will never change. However, the very opposite is true. The Lord wants to encourage you today that the areas where you’ve experienced the most struggle will be the very areas where you will see the greatest breakthrough manifest! Truly He is going to make your valley of Baca a place of springs (Psalm 84:6).

Your pain will pay! You will arise out of the very ashes of despair and come forth with new vigor, strength, and joy!

For the past few weeks, I’ve been continually hearing the word reset resonating in my spirit. I sense that the Lord is resetting His people, breaking off old mindsets and mentalities. Just like when a computer is rebooted or upgraded with new programming, so the Lord is also resetting His people, expanding them to carry the ‘new wine’—the new increase—that He is pouring out to His Bride.

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17).

The Lord is honoring the radical obedience and faithfulness of His children. These are the ones who have been one hundred percent sold out to Him! They have laid down they reputation, saying, “Father, I’ll go where You tell me to go, and I’ll say what You want me to say!” They have given Him their ‘yes,’ even when many of them have suffered greatly. Some have even been slandered and falsely accused. Now the Lord is arising on their behalf. Behold! His reward is with him! (Revelation 22:12). They will experience double recompense in the very areas where they’ve suffered! Truly God is clearing their names and righting all of the wrongs.

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married (Isaiah 62:4).

I see a picture of the Lion of Judah roaring over His people with mighty vindication and recompense, as they have remained humble and have not sought to defend themselves. Even now, the Lord is setting the table for you to dine in the very presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). He is pouring out His healing balm, binding up the broken hearted!

Many are feeling as though they’ve lost their joy due to the longevity and intensity of the battle, but the Lord is going to restore your laughter even ten times greater than it was before! Just as it says in Psalm 126:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy (Psalm 126:1-3).

Hold on, people of God! Do not cast away your confidence! Just when it seems as though there’s no hope, the Lord is now coming on the scene to do what only He can do. He is fighting for you, you need only to be still (Exodus 14:14). He is making all things completely new! The breakthrough that you will experience will be bigger and greater than anything you have formerly known or experienced. Watch, as you will see and know the goodness of God in the land of the living (Psalm 27:18).

Let hope arise! You are coming forth completely new!

Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in. | Psalm 24:7-9

Your praise will open up the way! The King of glory is coming on the scene, for He inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). He is fighting your battles and bringing vindication where you have experienced injustices. The Lord has you surrounded; truly there are more for you than against you.

God is calling you to more! He is inviting you to come up to higher ground, above the noise and distractions. As you give Him the honor due to His name, those burdens and distractions will no longer weigh you down. Our God is the King of glory, mighty in battle, and worthy of our praise.

The enemy is putting up a lot of smoke and mirrors right now, trying to intimidate many of the Lord’s forerunners; he wants to get them to turn back because the giants in the land seem too big (Numbers 13:32-33). Even so, I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying today, “The enemy is trying to intimidate you because he is terrified at the grounds you are taking. However, do not retreat or relent, rather set your face like flint (Isaiah 50:7) and continue to walk forward,” says the Lord.

“There are more for you than against you. Be encouraged, for everywhere your foot treads I will give you the land (Joshua 1:3)! This is your time and this is your season,” declares the Lord. “Be bold and courageous, and keep walking forward! Do not retreat, for I will be with you wherever you go. Your victory is assured,” declares the Lord of Hosts!

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” | Revelation 22:17

The Lord continues to woo His bride into a place of deeper intimacy and encounters with Himself. Oh, how He longs to be with us! We are the apple of His eye, just as it is written in Song of Solomon:

“You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes” (Song of Solomon 4:9).

Even in the midst of the distractions, transitions, and shaking that are taking place, I believe the Lord is calling us to come away with Him. Truly, better is one day in His courts than thousands elsewhere (Psalm 84:10).

I believe the Lord would encourage you today, saying, “Continue to press into Me above the noise, and you will hear My still small voice. I will make your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth (Isaiah 45:2). I will speak peace to your raging storms. My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14:27). Truly, all you have need of is found solely in Me. As you continue to linger and abide in My presence, those burdens and cares will melt away. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Come to Me and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30). By Me and through Me, all things are being held together.”

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

“Your very life is in My hands, and you are safe with Me,” says the Lord. “Fear not and fret not, My love. I’m calling you to come away with Me.”

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23).

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. | Luke 8:17

Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. | Psalm 126:6 (NIV)

The Lord continues to speak to me on the season of harvest that we are entering into. Many of you have sown with your tears through prayer and intercession. I believe that the Lord wants to encourage you today, saying, “Your season of reaping is at hand! For as it is written, ‘Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them’” (Psalm 126:6).

Beloved, weeping may endure for a night, but truly joy will come in the morning (Psalm 30:5). I see a new day dawning for the Bride of Christ, as the Lord is redeeming the heartache and trauma of your former season. You will be found coming up out of the wilderness, leaning heavily on your Beloved (Song of Songs 8:5).

The Lord is making all things new (Isaiah 43:19). He is making beauty for ashes and giving you garments of praise for a spirit of heaviness. Now watch, as the Lord redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with loving kindness (Psalm 103:4). Truly your best days are at hand!

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. | Song of Songs 8:6

“Continue to let me defend you, My Beloved! For you are My treasure, and I take great delight in you. Even now, I am working on your behalf; My justice will soon burst forth in radical and unseen ways. I will silence the voice of the naysayers, the critics, and those who have falsely accused you (even as you’ve made Me your highest heart’s delight and have set your face like flint amidst the onslaught).

“I honor you, My Bride. You have not looked to the right nor to the left; you have kept your heart pure, even saying through the tears, ‘Father forgive them, they know not what they do.’ Now watch, as I Myself defend you, restoring your honor and your name! I am bringing about my swift vindication and recompense in your life. I am preparing a table for you even in the very presence of your enemies. You are marked, you are chosen, and you are highly favored and esteemed of Me,” declares the Lord of hosts!

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” | John 15:5

“My child, I am calling you to cease your striving and to begin abiding. Apart from Me you can do nothing, but through Me you can do all things (John 15:5).

“In this season of rapid acceleration, change, and increase, it is vital that you continue to remain and abide in Me. There will continue to be many things (some of which are even good) clamoring for your attention and affection. Refuse to let the urgent take priority over the important. Make Me your number one priority, and all of the other things will fall into place.”

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

“The enemy would seek to overwhelm you and distract you with all that is at hand, but be encouraged: with My blessing, there will be no added sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). This is truly a “walking on water” season for you, My Beloved! Prepare to ride the wave of increase and elevation, for I am taking you to a higher place.

“In the book of Daniel it is written, “the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). By Me and through Me you shall do exploits! Fear not, for I have given you everything that you need. You are equipped to navigate the waters of this new season. Surely no good thing will I withhold from those who are called according to My purposes (Psalm 84:11). You are called, appointed, and chosen for such a time as this,” says the Lord!