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2024 Spring – Prepare Letter

Prepare Letter

I’ve been hearing the Holy Spirit talk to me about how part of our PURPOSE here in this short life is to PREPARE to be with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in heaven forever.

A loud voice spoke from God’s throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3 NIV)

Jesus’ disciples were deeply grieved when he said he would soon return to heaven. So, Jesus encouraged them, saying that he would send the Holy Spirit to be with them.

“I tell you the Truth: it’s better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. If I go away, then I’ll send my Spirit to be with you.” (John 16:7 GNT)

Jesus always knew that his ministry on earth was temporary, and that he would return to our Father after his work to save the nations was complete. He also knew about God’s ultimate plan to send the Holy Spirit to dwell inside every born again believer. The Holy Spirit is our Companion, Helper, Guide, Guardian, Teacher, and Comforter.

If we meditate on why God has chosen to save us in this way, we find that what God has always wanted from humans is friendship.

Jesus said, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (John 15:15 NLT)

For most of my faith journey, I’ve fundamentally viewed God as a Master & Judge, and my role was to be a faithful, fruitful servant. But that’s not how Jesus describes us. He calls us, “friends.” I hope you can see what I see: that our primary purpose in life is to prepare for eternity in heaven by being God’s good friends now.

How To Be Good Friends

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-10 NIV)

I pray that the Father may grant you to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit according to the riches of his glory. (Ephesians 3:16 CSB)

Anyone who has ears to hear must listen to the Holy Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. (Revelation 3:6 NLT)

Looking back, I don’t know if anyone ever modeled for me how to be Jesus’ friend. I learned a lot about the Bible, the Gospel, and all that God has done. As a missionary kid, I learned about God’s plan to reach all the nations through his Church making disciples.

As a church planting missionary, my focus really wasn’t on God. I felt that I had learned what I needed to about God in Bible college, so now it was time to reach the lost. My focus was researching effective evangelism strategies for saving unbelievers. My priority was using simple disciple making tools to help new believers grow in spiritual maturity.

What really surprised me during my years of focusing on how to produce fruit for God was discovering his ultimate desire for us to become friends. It never crossed my mind that what God wanted from me more than anything else was time with him.

Here’s one simple way to become good friends with God:

  • Start going for walks with the Holy Spirit. 
  • Don’t have an agenda; don’t bring a checklist.
  • Bring your headphones, and listen to relaxing music.
  • As you walk, talk to the Holy Spirit inside your mind.
  • Tell him that you love him. Be honest about your burdens.
  • Count your blessings, and tell him how grateful you are.
  • Tell the Holy Spirit you’re listening and available to him.
  • Stop praying, keep walking, and listen for his voice.
  • If you hear something, great! If you don’t, so what? The whole point is that God just wants to hang out with you.

Prepare Prayer

Why do you spend money for what is not bread? Why spend your pay for what you do not enjoy? Listen well to me, and eat what is good. Find joy in the best food. Listen and come to me. Hear me, so you may live. I will make a covenant with you that lasts forever, because of the faithful love I promised to David. (Isaiah 55:2-3 NLV)

Father, we see clearly that our primary purpose in life is to prepare to be with you in heaven. We are only here briefly, and then we’ll be with you forever. We want to know you more: not more information or knowledge, but a special friendship where we understand your heart more clearly and seek to see everything from your perspective.

If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have returned. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:15-16 NLT)

Lord Jesus, the longer we live, the more we see how you made us for more. The more we know you, the more we long to be together with you in your coming Kingdom. All our hope is in you. While we are here in these crazy and confusing times, we want to be a blessing to those around us. As you came not to be served but to serve, we ask you for a supernatural sensitivity to your Holy Spirit, so we can hear your voice and fulfill your will.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22 GNT)

Holy Spirit, you are very welcome to be with us. We love you and care about you. Thank you for creating a new home with us, for living in us and speaking to us. We don’t feel worthy to have you, but we know that Jesus has made us worthy through his generosity and righteousness, and our faith.

Holy Spirit, prepare us for heaven. Help us to always remember our purpose: to seek you with all of our hearts and abide with you. You know how easily we are distracted and deceived. We depend on you to keep returning us to you when we stray. Thank you for being our best friend. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen. Maranatha.

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Confirmation Letter – Psalm 139

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and refuse to depend on your own understanding. Faithfully follow Jesus Christ in all your decisions, and he will reveal each next step to take. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Worship the Father and turn away from everything sinful. Abiding in Jesus is healing medicine for your body, mind, and soul. (Proverbs 3:5-8, my paraphrase of NLV)

Every year, the Holy Spirit gives me a “Word for the Year”: a prophetic anchor for me to observe and discern the ways God moves within his Church and among the nations. This year 2023 has been the year of CONTROL SHIFT. I’ve meditated on this word since last summer, and I’ve seen God call his people to fully surrender to him in a thousand ways.

How has Control Shift impacted MY life? God gave me an unexpected revelation back in the Spring. I planned to search for a part-time executive manager for Blazing Trees who would take over our financial management and communications. When I created a tentative list of people to recruit, the Holy Spirit stopped me. He told me that I did not hear him clearly on this matter. He said God wanted me to remain in control of Blazing  Trees’ financial management, because I am the right person to continue leading our ministry in this area of stewardship. 

I immediately surrendered to God’s revelation, and he gave me a real passion for managing our nonprofit myself. Previously, I wanted to SHIFT CONTROL to someone else; instead, God established control in my hands. He knows that I seek to walk with his Holy Spirit in all my passions, whether that be praying for missionaries or nonprofit accounting.

Let’s take Control Shift with us as a helpful resource for the future. We can ask the Holy Spirit any time to reveal ways that we attempt to take control away from him. He will show us where we depend on our own understanding; then, he will teach us how to trust in his will and remain in step with his Holy Spirit every day.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I escape from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-10 NIV)

A major focus for me this year was on CONFIRMATION. Confirmation means the verification of revelation that crosses my path. Once confirmed, the information becomes Trustworthy Truth. We must learn to discern what revelation comes directly from the Holy Spirit, and how to CONFIRM something we heard is truly from him and not an imposter.

I will never forget when God established my personal commitment to seeking confirmation before making any ministry decisions. In 2010, a university invited me to move to Erbil, Iraq with my family to launch some English language schools as platforms for sharing the Gospel in the Middle East. I felt strongly that God wanted us to say yes.

I went home and told Jen. She was pregnant with Aiden and became overwhelmed by this prospect. I told her we would not go unless she heard directly from the Holy Spirit. We took a month to pray, wait on the Lord, and discuss this invitation with family and friends. Believe me, we discovered MANY reasons not to go to Iraq. On the last night before I had to give a final answer to the college president, Jen had a dream. The Holy Spirit spoke these Bible verses from Psalm 139 to her heart. When we woke up the next morning, Jen told me about the dream and said, “God told me that he’s waiting for us in Iraq. Let’s go.”

I cherish that experience, because God taught us to WAIT for confirmation from his Spirit BEFORE making decisions. He invites all of us to live this way with every opportunity: pray first, listen to his Spirit, and confirm his will before we move.

The Holy Spirit will continue to teach all who are willing HOW to discern our Father’s will with four simple steps > 

  1. Pray
  2. Listen
  3. Discern
  4. Confirm

Let us live out God’s will as we follow Jesus. “Wherever he leads, I’ll go. I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so. Wherever he leads, I’ll go.”

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Holy Spirit within you and teach you how to follow my will and be careful to do whatever I tell you. (Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLV)

The Holy Spirit told me this summer that 2024 is the Year of RIGHTEOUS VISION.

I enjoy listening to interviews with leaders and global influencers. All year, I’ve noticed a common pattern of speech in conversations that really stands out. Whenever leaders are about to say something important or personal to them, they say, “Look,” or, “Listen.” The point is to call your attention to what they’re saying. In any two hour interview, you answer a lot of questions and cover a lot of topics. So, they say LOOK or LISTEN to ensure that we don’t miss what’s on their heart. That’s where I got the word VISION.

After they explain something essential or extraordinary, they end with saying, “Right?” They ask a question. I guarantee that if you begin listening for the word RIGHT, you will hear it all the time. It’s everywhere now, and I don’t know how long it’s been happening. They ask, “Right?” at the end of what they’ve explained, because they’re searching for agreement; they desire CONFIRMATION. That’s where I got the word RIGHTEOUS. 

I believe the Holy Spirit has revealed that Jesus’ Church STILL operates in so many of the values and ways of the world without even realizing it. Once followers of Jesus begin to identify areas of our CONTROL that need to SHIFT into Jesus’ control, we will become increasingly purified and refined. Then, we will be capable of seeing ourselves, relationships, resources, and plans with RIGHTEOUS VISION rather than a self-centered perspective.

Imagine with me what a RIGHTEOUS VISION CHURCH looks like. We will become a global family fully devoted to our Father, faithful to abide in Jesus, committed to hearing the Holy Spirit every day, and bearing continual Kingdom fruit through our unique mixes of spiritual gifts. Pray with me for the Body of Christ to SEE with Righteous Vision next year. Abba Father, please prune us of all fake views and false values.

You should think about the kind of life you are living. It should be holy and God-like. You should look for the Day of God to come. You should do what you can to make it come soon. At that time, the heavens will be destroyed by fire. The sun and moon and stars will melt away with much heat. We are looking for what God has promised, which are new heavens and a new earth. Only what is right and good will be there. (2 Peter 3:11-13 NLV)

Heavenly Father, we worship and praise your holy name. You are good, and your love endures forever. We join with all angels and saints, elders and holy creatures, in bringing you glory among all nations. Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Greater are you Holy Spirit living within us than our hellfire adversary in this world.

Lord, prepare us for the Age to come, and help us to be watchful and ready for your return. In line with what will be, don’t let us operate in this Age as if we can keep anything we build or produce here. Help us to live free, light, flexible, and generous. Help us to see ourselves, relationships, resources, and plans with RIGHTEOUS VISION. Guide us to keep everything we cherish and choose with open hands, always available to make adjustments, refining how we spend our time as your Holy Spirit shepherds our steps.

Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left Peter’s house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed. Peter and his companions went out to search for Jesus. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Jesus answered, “We must go on to the other villages around here. I have to preach in them also, because I came here for this reason.” (Mark 1:35-38 GNT)

Abba Father, we want to be like Jesus our Savior King. To discern your will, Jesus >

  1. Got away
  2. Rested in your Spirit
  3. Listened
  4. Received your revelation

With your Holy Spirit’s love, help, and power, we too can get away, rest in your presence, listen carefully, and hear your voice. Please fully align all of us to your perfect will. We want to see clearly. We pray, trust, and believe in Jesus’ wonderful name, Amen, Shalom, Maranatha, Hallelujah!

+> Prophecy by James Harvey, Blazing Trees CEO/Founder.

James Harvey is passionate about freedom in the Holy Spirit and creates resources focused on helping every day disciples cultivate their passions and flourish in their spiritual gifts.

Perks & Possibilities

+> Book James for a free leadership consultation > info@blazingtrees.org

+> Subscribe to our Blazing Trees newsfeed @ blazingtrees.org/news

+> Invest in our team by purchasing our prayer & spiritual warfare handbook > amazon.com

+> Free 12-Week Holy Spirit Freedom Training Course, “Wild Frontier” @ youtube.com

+> Visit James’ personal ministry page > blazingtrees.org/maranatha

#Jesus #hope #freedom #friendship #pray #advocacy #maranatha

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Prophetic Word – Closure – Romans 8

Closure – Romans 8

My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God’s Spirit you say “No” to your desires. Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.  (Romans 8:12-15 CEV)

SHOCKING RELIEF STORY

Have you ever experienced a combination of relief physically and emotionally? I’ll never forget a season of intensely agonizing spiritual warfare during my church planting days in Nashville, TN. During this time, I felt like every conversation was an argument. I felt that everyone in my life was attacking me personally and always assuming the worst about my decisions and motives.

I was complaining to a close friend in Florida during this season, and he said, “You sound like you need a vacation.” He had a guest condo and invited my family down for a week to get away and regroup. In the moment, I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was emotionally, and how desperate I was for a vacation. Immediately I accepted his offer, knowing I needed a break from everything as soon as possible.

As we headed south, I was shocked to experience my stress, anger, fears, and frustration literally melting away mile by mile. The further we got away from Nashville, the more I realized how broken and wounded I was from all the spiritual battles we were fighting. The physical relief I experienced leaving my city led to incredible emotional relief that I didn’t know I needed. 

I was so focused on trying to solve the problems right in front of me that I hadn’t noticed the crushing effects in my own life; the deadly toll of these spiritual battles on my own heart and soul. I found myself completely empty on the drive south. On one hand I was momentarily relieved of my burdens; on the other hand, all that was left was a spiritually-empty, beaten down, dried out husk of a missionary. 

I remember going straight to the beach, even though we had been on the road for 15 hours. I needed to smell the ocean and hear the roaring waves. When I got out of the car, the ocean ambience flooded my body, mind, and soul with so much peace and joy that I hadn’t felt in months, and I wept uncontrollably. I had no idea how much I needed relief, and when I received the firstfruits of relief, my only response was to cry.

God used this experience to prepare me for CLOSURE. Sometimes when we experience seasons of intense spiritual warfare, the purpose is for pruning and refining. We need to persevere through the battles, but stay in the same fields. In other cases, the Lord allows us to go through spiritual warfare to confirm that we’re called somewhere else. The warfare is the sign that it’s time to uproot and replant wherever our Heavenly Father calls us to go next.

We can’t predict God’s will in each season, so we must walk by faith with the Holy Spirit through these storms and listen to his voice as he guides us through each stage of our journey to heaven.

Unknown to me at the time, God was preparing me to launch a new nonprofit ministry. If I hadn’t gone through that season of intense warfare and experienced the visceral relief on the journey to Florida, I don’t know that I would have been sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit to discern God’s calling on my life to move on to something new. 

He used warfare to make me exhausted. Then, he ministered relief into my exhaustion to reveal something that was terribly wrong. Afterwards, he used this revelation to shepherd me into prayer and listening so that I could hear his calling on my heart to begin a new ministry.

In order to launch the new ministry, I needed CLOSURE with my previous ministry. And I couldn’t close the door until I knew God was trying to close the door himself. Only then, I realized I needed to embrace his plan for me and follow him into what he had prepared for my future.

WHAT IS CLOSURE?

Closure means the end of something in my life; shut down, finish, terminate, conclude.

  • Closure can be the peaceful end of a toxic relationship.
  • Closure can be genuinely forgiving someone for the first time in a way where you’re not angry with or hurt by them anymore. Or forgiving yourself and finding freedom from regret.
  • Closure can be laughing for the first time after an endless season of trauma and pain.
  • Closure can be deliverance and freedom from the presence and influence of evil in my heart and life.
  • Closure can be finally achieving a goal you dreamed of. This adventure is over; now is the time for new dreams and visions.

In 2023, we will see marvelous closure to the enemy’s influence in the body of Jesus Christ. For too long, we have held onto false beliefs and served addictive idols. We have tried to serve both Jesus and ourselves, or Jesus and demons. 

John Baptizer said, “I must decrease; the Messiah must increase.” The decrease is closure; the increase is awakening. 

The Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of Yahweh’s people this summer to bring closure to hidden covenants that we made with hell’s agents. He will shepherd us to walk in new heavenly covenants of righteousness, freedom, wisdom, and blessing. And he will give us the strength we need to defeat and remove the toxic influences in our lives, whatever they may be, that prevent us from experiencing more of Jesus.

DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS

Have I ever experienced closure of some kind before? What ended and how did it happen?

What did I learn from that closure experience? How am I different now that it’s over?

Holy Spirit, is there any closure that I need this year in my own life? If so, please reveal to me what I need to remove from my life.

Make a list of barriers to closure. Examples: selfishness, unwillingness to change…

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus speaks of open and shut doors. Sometimes he opens doors, sometimes he closes doors. In terms of closure, is God trying to close a door for me? If so, what is he trying to end in my life? And what do I need to do next to accept God’s will and embrace his plans for my future?

Sometimes closure is instant. Sometimes closure is a long journey. Why is closure so difficult to achieve when it’s a long journey? What’s one step I can take to end something that I know needs to end that’s still been going on in my life for awhile?

God will use me to help facilitate closure in the lives of others around me. When God puts someone in my life that needs prayer support in their closure journey, what’s a Scripture passage that can help encourage someone seeking to close a door?

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2023 Year of Control Shift

2023 Prophecy, “The Year of Control Shift.”

I heard the Holy Spirit say, “2023 is the year of Control Shift, and you will see patterns of 1) Confirmation, 2) Closure, and 3) Clarity in your life journey throughout the next four seasons.”

Control Shift Passage

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding.Agree with the LORD in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight.Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD and turn away from what is sinful.It will be healing to your body and medicine to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8 NLV)

Control Shift is all about recognizing my own worldly tendencies towards a self-centered lifestyle and learning through the Holy Spirit how to surrender my whole life, holding nothing back, into Abba Father’s heart and hands. 

Control Shift is a three-step process. First, the Holy Spirit gives confirmation of parts of my life that are incompatible with the Gospel and the Kingdom of Heaven. I can trust that whatever he revealed is wrong must go. Second, the Holy Spirit guides me in closure with whatever I believed or practiced. He gives me strength to say farewell to whatever I used to think or do. Third, the Holy Spirit purifies me to be more like Jesus, which means I am able to receive more and more from God’s heart for my life, family, and future. He provides clarity to see myself and my life from his perspective, and he shows me each next step to take to be more like my Redeemer & Teacher.

Confirmation Passage

Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice: the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)

Confirmation means the verification or authentication of revelation that has crossed my path. Once confirmed, the information becomes dependable Truth. After confirmation, I can embrace the Truth and put it into practice.

I live in an age of multiplying deception. Every day, I hear ten thousand voices competing for my attention and allegiance. The Bible says that God’s Word is complete, containing everything I need to follow Jesus and go to heaven. The Holy Spirit also speaks directly to my mind, and the Holy Spirit can speak to me through other trustworthy people.

I need confirmation. I need a decisive shift from studying to knowing. I can’t make that shift on my own, because I’m not a worthy judge of Truth. I need the Holy Spirit to be my Counselor, Teacher, and Helper. He helps me to know God’s Truth, and he confirms when I’m hearing lies and when I’m hearing Truth.

In 2023, the Holy Spirit will bring confirmation to the beliefs and habits of Jesus’ disciples worldwide. The Holy Spirit will unveil lies that disciples believe to be true. He will confirm what is True and confirm what is a lie. He will establish the Truth in our generation so we can live it and act upon it.

Closure Passage

My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires.If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God’s Spirit you say “No” to your desires.Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. (Romans 8:12-15 CEV)

Closure means the end of something in my life. Closure can be the peaceful end of a toxic relationship. Closure can be laughing for the first time after an endless season of trauma and pain. Closure can be deliverance and freedom from the presence and influence of evil in my heart and life.

One of the greatest mysteries of following Jesus is continuing to sin after I’m saved. While Jesus saves my soul and fills me with his Spirit, I still continue to sin, battle temptation, and fail to live up to the new, eternal life he gave to me as a free gift. 

I need to practice a culture of closure in my life. As the Holy Spirit reveals unseen idols, lies, temptations, and bad habits within me, it’s not enough to acknowledge they are real. I need closure with those influences in my life. I need to hold a spiritual funeral, say farewell, burn them in holy fire, bury the ashes deep in the earth, and walk in the new life and freedom Jesus gave to me through his death on the cross.

In 2023, we will see a lot of closure in the body of Christ. For too long, we have held on to false beliefs and seductive idols and tried to serve both Jesus and ourselves. We can’t. John Baptizer said, “I must decrease; the Messiah must increase.” The decrease is closure; the increase is awakening. The Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of countless disciples next year to bring closure to hidden covenants we made with hell, and shepherd us to walk in new heavenly covenants of righteousness, freedom, and wisdom.

Clarity Passage

Because the Lord is righteous and good, he teaches sinners the path they should follow.He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them his will. (Psalm 25:8-9 GNT)

Clarity is the supernatural ability to see someone or something through the eyes of Jesus Christ. I struggle with confusion, doubt, frustration, fear, worry, and rebellion. The Holy Spirit helps me to walk in the Truth, in the Light, and in freedom, victory, hope, peace, wisdom, joy, and blessing.

I am a disciple; I’m not and will never be a god. Jesus invited me into divine royalty as an adopted son or daughter of God, but I am not God. I need to be told what to do. I need special revelation for my desires and decisions. I need God to shepherd my soul. I need the Holy Spirit to show me each step to take. And I must posture myself to be led and let go of my addiction to control.

In 2023, we will see many disciples who have prayed for understanding, clarity, and discernment receive this clarity from the Word and the Holy Spirit. Questions will be answered. The light will shine in the darkness. The Holy Spirit will baptize confusion with wisdom. The Holy Spirit will change hesitancy to confidence. We will know what to do, where to go, and what to say. We will do it all through the Holy Spirit as we rest in his presence,  listen to his trustworthy voice, and humbly follow his leadership.

2023 Control Shift Prayer

Abba Father, we praise and worship you. Almighty God, Ancient of Days, Great I AM, Beloved King of our hearts, the One who knows us better than we’ll ever know ourselves, we worship you. We want the whole world to know you and believe. We desire all the nations, every people group and culture, language and tribe worldwide to meet you, listen to your stories, embrace your Truth, receive your Holy Spirit, and join us wholeheartedly in Jesus’ Great Commission.

For too long, Lord, we have kept back doors open to the devil in our lives. It’s just a part of being human: we get comfortable, relaxed, established in a routine, and we don’t want to change. We only want to learn for a season, and then we want to be called “masters” and “teachers.” We want the seat of reputation, we want the titles of honor, we want to be celebrated by others for what we say and what we have done. Help us, Lord, we ask for a fresh release of humility and grace over our generation today in your name.

Father, let control shift from us to you in 2023. We pray for the body of Christ around the world: let your glory baptize us every day. Immerse us in the beauty, wonder, majesty, and splendor of your awesome love. Transform us from the self-centered, self-exalting rebels we are to the true disciples you’ve called us, created us to become since the beginning of time. Forgive us for getting comfortable, and forgive us for caring more about our own lives than your mission to restore all nations and tribes to yourself.

Father, show us your will; make it crystal clear so that we have no doubts. Cultivate unity in the body of Christ, because we live in a time of severe division and severing of ties that used to be strong enough to bind us together. Show us where we are distracted or deceived and lead us in your everlasting way. We will know the Way you want us to go because the fruit will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, righteousness, faithfulness, gentleness, discipline, courage, compassion, comfort, holiness, mercy, grace, empathy, forgiveness, freedom, friendship, and hope. 

Father, we need clarity and discernment to move forward. We need you to show us what to do and where to go; what to keep and what to discard; what to believe and what to say. Help us, Father, because we are a corrupt generation that focuses only on what benefits us from a self-centered heart. We need a new heart, we need a new spirit. You are the Potter; we are the clay. Mold us and make us according to your perfect will every day.

Father, we entrust this next year into your care. We don’t want to live for ourselves, and we don’t want to make any decisions on our own. More than anything, we don’t want to show up on Judgment Day and discover we missed you and spent our time and passions on all the wrong pursuits. We need you first to change our hearts, and then transform our thoughts as we rest in your presence and listen to your voice. As you reveal yourself to us, we will hear you clearly, and your Spirit will confirm what we need to believe, understand, and practice. We posture ourselves to always be disciples; never masters.

We love you Lord. We give you this next year as an offering of worship and trust. We stand ready to be wrong. We stand ready to be changed. We stand ready to follow you Lord Jesus wherever you call. We choose today to be a people who depend fully on you. We first determine where you are working, and only then do we get involved. It’s in the mighty, matchless, marvelous name of Jesus Messiah we pray, trust, and believe, Amen, Shalom, Maranatha, Hallelujah!

<+>

+> Prophecy by James Harvey, Blazing Trees CEO/Founder.

James Harvey is passionate about freedom in the Holy Spirit and creates resources focused on helping every day disciples cultivate their passions and flourish in their spiritual gifts.

Perks & Possibilities

+> Book James for a free leadership consultation > info@blazingtrees.org

+> Subscribe to our Blazing Trees newsfeed @ blazingtrees.org/news

+> Invest in our team by purchasing our prayer handbook > amazon.com

+> Free 12-Week Holy Spirit Freedom Training Course, “Wild Frontier” @ youtube.com

+> Visit James’ personal ministry page > blazingtrees.org/maranatha

#Jesus #hope #freedom #friendship #pray #generosity #maranatha

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Depths Prayer – Colossians 2

Depths Message (Colossians 2)

Here’s what I’ve heard the Holy Spirit say to me lately, “Deep calls to deep.” “Dive deeply into the glory, majesty, beauty, and mystery of Abba Father Yahweh’s heart.” “Let your Faithful Father minister his love, peace, and wisdom to your troubled soul.” “God doesn’t love you because you work hard or achieve great things; he loves you because he made you, and because you said ‘yes’ to Jesus.”

So much of life & leadership is filled with a thousand distractions and ten thousand options every day. Just making it through one day can sometimes feel overwhelming, suffocating, and by day’s end, defeating.

Jesus meant what he said, “Seek me first, my kingdom & righteousness, and then all else that you desire will be added to you.” I can tell you after 27 years of following Jesus and 13 years of attempting to make disciples, I still experience mornings where I don’t want to get in the Word, and where I just want to make it through that day without giving up on life.

The Holy Spirit’s remedy, his divine daily dose of soul medicine, is to abide in Jesus’ presence and dive deeply into who God is. Our time with the Lord tends to be contractual. We confess our sins so he forgives us, and then he’s supposed to answer our prayers and bless us because we did the right thing according to the Bible.

The more I follow Jesus, the less daily abiding feels like what I was told it’s supposed to be like. Abiding in Jesus is really about friendship and rest, not getting the day’s marching orders as devoted soldier in a king’s army.

To know God more, to experience him consistently through changing seasons and on bad days, we’ve got to keep diving deeper into who he is and let him be in charge. He’s the One who needs to speak; he’s the One who needs to move in us. We desperately need him, and we don’t ever need to move on from that Truth that we will always need him to help us.

Depths Passages

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me. The LORD will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night, a prayer to the God of My Life.

Psalm 42:7-8 CSB

My prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time. O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the Truth of Your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the floodwaters overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

Psalm 69:13-15 NKJV

Now that you have welcomed the Anointed One, Jesus the Lord, into your lives, continue to journey with Him and allow Him to shape your lives. Let your roots grow down deeply in Him, and let Him build you up on a Firm Foundation. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always spill over with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7 VOICE

Depths Prayer

Abba Father, thank you so much for teaching me how to dive deeply into your heart. I want more of you God, and I want less of me in my life. John Baptizer said it best, “I must decrease; He must increase.” Increase in me Holy Spirit; have your way in all that I am.

Keep burning away within me whatever doesn’t belong, whatever can never bring you glory. Align my desires with your ways & wisdom. Change my heart and direct my thoughts so that I can live in the beautiful freedom you paid for me to enjoy right now and forever through your suffering & death on Golgotha’s cross.

Take me to deeper places than I’ve ever been. Increase my stamina and cultivate my endurance. Help me to see my self, family, future, struggles, and generation the way that you do. I don’t want you to help me only when I’m aware that I need it; I want you to help me all the time. I want to remain in a place of humility, surrender, and dependence upon you Holy Spirit.

In the depths of your heart, there’s grace, mercy, abundant life, unquenchable hope, and a forgiveness that enables to me to do the impossible: reconcile with those who hurt me. In the depths of your mind, there’s understanding on how to live my life, serve my family, and bless my neighbors and all nations. In the depths of your presence is a peace beyond measure or comprehension, a peace that baptizes every problem & fear in my life and restores my soul to a place of total trust in you.

Father, I don’t know when you’re sending Jesus back to get us. It could be tonight or in a thousand years. When I watch the news today, it feels like the firstfruits of Armageddon, but I can’t predict the future, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. What I do know is that you’ve already given me and my generation a clear mission:

Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

So Father, I praise you for your presence. I treasure your love, and cherish your faithfulness. I’m following your Son Jesus every day the best I can. Help me Father to see the nations; really see and love them the way that you do. Help me to do whatever I can to help them find their way into our eternal, global family of all nations, tribes, peoples, languages, and cultures. Help me to be an advocate for the nations rather than an accuser or adversary. Help me to be generous with my potential for love, grace, mercy, compassion, and empathy.

It’s in the mighty, matchless, marvelous name of Jesus I pray, trust, and believe, Amen, Shalom, Maranatha, Hallelujah.

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Open Wide Prayer

Open Wide Prayer

Abba Father, thank you for all that you revealed to us this year about yourself and your heavenly Kingdom. We want more of you, Lord. We choose to always be disciples; never masters. We will follow you wherever you ask us to go. And, we will need your help often along the journey to remain faithful. Help us return to you if we begin to wander away.

Jesus answered, “Those who drink this water will get thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 GNT)

Thank you Lord Jesus for giving us the life-giving water of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for rescuing our souls so that we may abide with you forever. Father, help us to flow in this life-purifying river, and protect us from trying to control the work of your Kingdom through us. May our hearts open wide to the fullness of your will.

“Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the LORD will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see the glory of the LORD upon you.” (Isaiah 60:2-3 TLB)

Father, opening up fully to your will is worth it. We know that Jesus said all of his true disciples will experience persecution, suffering, and sorrow, but all these trials and challenges are completely worthwhile, because by your grace you’ve found us worthy to share in the sufferings of our Savior & King so that we may also share in your glory. When we rest in you and open our hearts fully to your revelation, the nations see how different we are, and you promise they will both believe and receive you!

Thank you Father for the Good News today that Firstfruits is not an occasional season, but a daily experience for all who remain in you. Forgive us when we walk away from you, or when we get busy and forget about you. Guide us Holy Spirit every day to be more like Jesus, and help us to live in the wonderful ways and wisdom of your Kingdom, amen. 

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2022 Firstfruits Year – Open Wide Season

2022 Autumn > “Open Wide” Letter

When I established Blazing Trees as a new ministry back in 2016, my focus was not sustainability. I was in a dark place spiritually, and I needed a major change in my career. I was exhausted emotionally, and I even considered leaving Gospel ministry altogether. I remember crying out to God every day for help, direction, and answers. I knew he called me to make disciples, but I lost my confidence in what I was doing. I needed a miracle. At this vulnerable crossroads moment, the Holy Spirit gave me a vision for our ministry and asked me to believe in him and take my first steps to begin something brand new.

I desperately needed to learn sustainability in this hard time. I tried various ministry roles in over a dozen organizations, and nothing seemed to fit right; nothing lasted for more than a few years. Looking back, I realized all of those experiences were really important, because God gave me a treasure chest of personal lessons about how a Christian family can become sustainable in the unpredictable adventures of Jesus’ Great Commission. 

I know that God is our Sustainer. He says so in Isaiah 41:10, “So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (NIV) God is our Helper & Sustainer in Psalm 54:4, “God is my Helper; the LORD is the Sustainer of my life.” (CSB) Yet, in my experience, these verses do not mean that I sit around and do nothing while waiting for angels to provide my food and drink and build me a house to live in. Following Jesus still requires our participation, and as we listen to the Holy Spirit every day, he helps us to discern God’s will. The Spirit guides our thoughts to know each step he wants us to take.

Fast forward to today. For the first time in our organization’s history, I feel sustainable. Over seven years of hard work through prayer, cultivating strong friendships, and fundraising, Blazing Trees has what she needs to keep going. And just like many things in life, I was not aware during this seven-year adventure that God was using the experiences of what I didn’t know or understand yet to prepare me for nurturing health and sustainability in the lives and ministries of others.

I’ve observed hundreds of missionaries facing the same uphill battle to cultivate long-term sustainability in their ministries. And of course, we can’t predict the future. So, even as we nurture sustainability, storms will come, suffering will happen, and we can’t ever depend on what we have here on earth. At the same time, if we will seek God first every day, he will establish us. He has established Blazing Trees, and I know this firm foundation will mean our team can focus and flourish. Furthermore, I’m so blessed to have weekly Kingdom conversations with leaders all over the world focused on the sustainability of our faith, families, finances, and fruitfulness. I now know that one reason God created Blazing Trees is to cultivate spiritual sustainability in our companions’ lives.

Open Wide = Surrender & Trust

The word now for Autumn is Open Wide. In this season, we will focus on surrendering fully to whatever the Holy Spirit reveals, practicing total dependence upon him, and making sure there are no hidden areas of our hearts where we may be holding something back from our Father, Savior, Friend, and Shepherd. God must be more than enough for us.

I’ve been meditating on the word Firstfruits since last Autumn when the Holy Spirit gave me this prophetic word for 2022. I’ve spent a lot of time paying attention to the Kingdom culture of Firstfruits, and here are two of my takeaways:

“The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing stream.” (Isaiah 58:11 NLT) Our culture tells us to be strong on our own. We must rise up in our own knowledge, work hard, and do our best to prove or achieve something. The Kingdom of heaven is not like that. The LORD is our strength, and he sustains us as we remain in relationship with him. If we want to be faithful and fruitful, we don’t need more time to work and produce; instead, we need more time alone with Jesus to rest and be filled with his Holy Spirit.

“Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding fresh fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1-2 TLV) Do you see it? Healing flows from the presence of the Father and the Lamb. What is the Great Commission but the healing of the nations? And in the context of the Great Commission, we see Firstfruits, “bearing twelve kinds of fruit; yielding fresh fruit each month.” 

The main Truth I discovered this year is that Firstfruits in heaven is nothing like firstfruits here on earth. Here, we experience firstfruits sometime in late summer or early autumn, but most of the year, we don’t have firstfruits. In heaven, Firstfruits is a culture of the heart, a way of life, a Life Renewal River that flows through our souls to produce fruit that heals all nations. What’s the key? It’s not hard work, intelligent strategies, or great sacrifices. The key to Firstfruits is abiding in Jesus and letting the Spirit flow through us.

Let us open wide our hearts to the fullness of all God wants to pour into us through his Word & Spirit, and let’s remain in this space of trust and surrender for the rest of our days.

<+>

+> Article by James Harvey, Blazing Trees CEO/Founder.

James Harvey is passionate about freedom in the Holy Spirit and creates resources focused on helping every day disciples cultivate their passions and flourish in their spiritual gifts.

Perks & Possibilities

+> Book James for a free leadership consultation > info@blazingtrees.org

+> Subscribe to our Blazing Trees newsfeed @ blazingtrees.org/news

+> Invest in our team by purchasing our prayer handbook > amazon.com

+> Free 12-Week Holy Spirit Freedom Training Course, “Wild Frontier” @ youtube.com

+> Visit James’ personal ministry page > blazingtrees.org/maranatha

#Jesus #hope #freedom #friendship #pray #generosity #maranatha

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Acts Stories List – Draw Bible Stories Project

Acts Stories

We are creating our own list of story names for every book of the Bible to include in our future publication: Draw Bible Stories.

By the time we finish, we will have a master list of every passage of the whole Bible.

We’d love your feedback as we develop these lists. We just completed the rough draft of our Acts Stories list. Take a look, and let us know if you think there’s a better name for any of these stories.

The only requirement is that each story can only have two words. Leave a comment with your ideas. Thanks for all your prayers, generosity, collaboration, and advocacy.

Acts: Great Commission

Jesus’ Ascension 1:1-11

Replacing Judas 1:12-26

Pentecost Baptism 2:1-13

Pentecost Message 2:14-36

First Church 2:37-47

Beautiful Gate 3:1-10

Life Source 3:11-26

Forbidden Message 4:1-22

Boldness Request 4:23-31

Generous Church 4:32-37

Powerful Signs 5:1-21)

Fighting God 5:21-42

Apostles & Deacons 6:1-7

Stephen’s Blasphemy 6:8-7:1

Stephen’s Message 7:2-50

First Martyr 7:51-8:3

Simon’s Sorcery 8:4-25

Ethiopian’s Baptism 8:26-40

Saul’s Vision 9:1-9

Saul’s Baptism 9:10-19

Saul’s Transformation 9:20-31

Healing & Resurrection 9:32-43

Peter & Cornelius 10:1-33

Gentile Pentecost 10:34-48

Gentile Adoption 11:1-18

Antioch Church 11:19-30

Jailbreak Miracle 12:1-19

Herod’s Blasphemy 12:20-25

Blind Sorcerer 13:1-12

Antioch Message 13:13-41

Antioch Movement 13:42-52

Iconium Persecution 14:1-7

Lycaonia Chaos 14:8-20

Planting Churches 14:21-28

Circumcision Heresy 15:1-21

Correction Letter 15:22-35

Apostolic Division 15:36-41

Recruiting Timothy 16:1-5

Macedonia Vision 16:6-10

Lydia’s Church 16:11-15

Oracle Exorcism 16:16-24

Prison Church 16:25-40

Thessalonian Riot 17:1-9

Devoted Bereans 17:10-15

Unknown God 17:16-34

Corinthian Church 18:1-17

Cultivating Maturity 18:18-28

Spirit Baptism 19:1-10

Ephesus Revival 19:11-20

Ephesus Riot 19:21-41

Paul’s Travels 20:1-16

Paul’s Farewell 20:17-38

Jerusalem Journey 21:1-16

Purity Rituals 21:17-26

Jerusalem Riot 21:27-36

Jerusalem Testimony 21:37-22:21

Roman Citizen 22:22-29

Sanhedrin Division 22:30-23:10

Sanhedrin Conspiracy 23:11-22

Paul’s Escape 23:23-35

Felix’s Trials 24:1-27

Caesar Appeal 25:1-12

Agrippa’s Visit 25:13-27

Caesarea Testimony 26:1-23

Paul’s Vindication 26:24-32

Rome Bound 27:1-12

Storm & Shipwreck 27:13-44

Island Miracles 28:1-10

Rome Arrival 28:11-22

Rome Mission 28:23-31

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Suffering Supper – Mark 14 – Draw Bible Stories Project

Suffering Supper Story (Mark 14)

Passover Purpose – Jesus, table, bread, cup – Jesus shared a Passover meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. This meal symbolized Israel’s Exodus from Egypt, when God delivered his people out of slavery.

Broken Body – Jesus, broken bread, cross – Jesus broke bread into pieces and handed them out to eat. This bread symbolized his body broken on the cross.

Blood Sacrifice – grapevine, nail, hammer – Jesus and his disciples drank wine from the same cup, which symbolized both his blood sacrifice to save the nations and the persecution they would experience very soon.

Worship Response – mountain, disciple, flag – Jesus said he would not drink wine again until his return to heaven. They sang a hymn and went to the mountain.

Storytellers Sight

  • Read the Passover Meal story in Exodus 12. What does the Exodus Passover have to do with us today?
  • How does broken bread symbolize Jesus’ sacrifice?
  • How does drinking wine symbolize Jesus’ salvation?
  • How did Jesus transform the meaning of Passover?
  • Why is the Lord’s Supper confusing to unbelievers?
  • What part of Communion means the most to you?

Storytellers Discipleship

The following activities will help you remember the story, apply wisdom to your own life, and tell the story to others.

  • Pray. Listen to the story. Draw the story.
  • Tell the story with the drawings.
  • Draw your own pictures to illustrate the story.
  • Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal wisdom in the story.
  • Pray. What is the Holy Spirit asking you to do next?
  • Go and tell the story to someone. Discuss the story.
  • Disciple others to become Spirit-filled storytellers.

Download this lesson > Click here

Want more stories? Visit blazingtrees.org/storytellers

Ask James a question > info@blazingtrees.org

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