| Hey there! As I write this, we are exactly one month away from the US Presidential election. (Don’t worry, this is NOT an emotionally-charged political post.) Things in America are intense and there are many spiritual forces at play at the moment. I’ve personally felt an urgent need to pray and the word I want to share with you came from my prayer time yesterday. If you’re able to, please read the whole thing. This post is long but I’ve only included what I think is important (so sorry, not sorry ?.) The Back Story Here’s some background info to set up the word for October. I’ve been studying the Biblical story of Esther on and off over the past few years and this has increased in 2020. On the morning of September 1st, I woke up and heard the word “consecration” in my spirit as soon as I opened my eyes. I immediately understood the implication—it was in the context of Esther preparing herself to go before the king. I knew it meant that the 30 days of September were to be set aside as a time of preparation so I started praying into what that meant for me. (If you’re in my FB Habit Challenge group, I shared a video about it in there as well.) When September finished, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the period of consecration wasn’t over so I planned to continue what I was personally doing into October. I also came across some other prophetic words from people who were speaking of this being an Esther season and that God is calling women to position themselves for the assignments of heaven being released in this hour. Then, as I was praying yesterday, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “October is about ‘essentials only’.” This got me thinking about the meaning of the word essential. Essential (adj) – absolutely necessary; extremely important. What are the things in my life that are essential right now? Keep them. The rest can be set aside, at least for awhile. I also had a few insights that I’d like to share: 1. Esther 2:15: “When the turn came for Esther… to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch… suggested.” (emphasis mine) I believe this links to ‘essentials only.’ Esther ONLY took what Hegai suggested. She’d just been through 12 months of preparation for her night with the king and was allowed to take anything she wanted. But instead of picking something herself, she asked Hegai what he thought she should take in. I see this as an invitation to ask the Holy Spirit about what is essential for us in this season rather than assuming we know what it is. 2. This month IS about shedding the ‘unnecessary’ from your life. You won’t be able to navigate your path properly in this season without doing so. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) I don’t think every season will look like this one, but we aren’t in ordinary days at the moment. We are in extraordinary circumstances which require something different from us than when it’s ‘business as usual.’ What are some of the non-essentials that you could actually benefit from doing without right now, especially in light of current events? 3. This month is NOT about deprivation. While I definitely feel an invitation to ‘fast’ some things this month as part of shedding the unnecessary from my life, I feel strongly that this isn’t about depriving ourselves. Rather it’s about fueling ourselves with what is best rather than what is average. Think of this in light of point number 2 above. An elite athlete who is running the race of a lifetime doesn’t binge on McDonald’s, stay up late partying, or skip practices. She eats only the highest quality food and undergoes only the best training regimen to give herself the greatest chance of winning! Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’ll have to give up what you love. And don’t believe the lie that you’re expendable and that this doesn’t apply to you. (NOT true!) Think of it in terms of lightening the load so you’re only carrying the things that will allow you to thrive. 4. Here’s an invitation for some of you: this is for those of you who want to pray but don’t know HOW to pray right now. You feel an urgency but feel overwhelmed about where to start. I’m going to write a post with some prayer strategies for this coming month which I will post in the next few days (see the post that will immediately follow this one.) After having conversations with multiple people over the past few weeks, what I’m learning is that there are lots of people feeling like they are praying alone or that they don’t have a clear strategy because it all feels overwhelming. The chaos you see around you in our nation is bothering you and you believe in the power of prayer, but you’re not sure where to start. If you have a prayer meeting you attend regularly and it’s providing you with strategy and a sense of direction, great. Stick with them. Don’t fix what’s not broken. Basically, my next post will be for those who resonate with what I’m saying and are carving a sense of direction. Finally, don’t give up—on yourself, on this year, on your fellow humans. The way through this is NOT by slinging mud at those who have different perspectives OR checking out and hiding your head in the sand. We need your voice more than ever AND we are stronger together, not divided. Don’t forget that. xx Despite the craziness, we are uniquely positioned to shine like never before. ??? Lots of love, |
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Prophetic Word: October = Essentials Only
