At the beginning of this year, I believe God gave me a clear Prophetic Word that it was His intention for 2010 to be “The Year of Possessing the Promise”. Then my son, Steve received the word, “A Year of Contending”.
Despite an initial response that these two words are very different, they are, in fact, the same message. This is not a year to passively accept the status quo, but to embrace renewed faith, confidence and resolve; and pursue again those things God has placed in your hearts or has clearly given to you in His Word.
There are two vital components of this prophetic statement:
1) The possessing, and
2) The promise.
“Possessing” is the PROCESS, and the “promise” is GOD’S CLEARLY REVEALED INTENTION (for you and through you in the lives of others).
Let me briefly comment on “The Promise” and then move on to “The Possessing”.
The promise is that which God has clearly told you in either
a) part of your inheritance as a child of God through His written word or
b) that specific instruction or commission He has given you by the Holy Spirit, the task He has given you to achieve.
You will never contend with authority and confidence unless
1) your convictions are clear – you know what God has called you to possess, and
2) you pray in ‘faith’ – or literally ‘a conviction born out of hearing’.
So, for your possessing to be successful, your promise must be clear and your conviction of it being God’s word or God’s will, must be strong and decisive.
So now the question is: What has God told you to do?
1. There are things God has clearly declared in His Word for you to do. They are non- negotiable, they are absolute.
2. Then there are things He has declared by the Holy Spirit.
There are things that God has clearly declared to this Nation in times past:
• A strong call to be a prophetic people
• A strong call to be a missionary people
• A strong call to be a united people (Unity in this Body of Christ)
God at various times has clearly spoken these things into the Church in this Nation. I believe that such intentions of God must be recovered, refocused and passionately pursued.
But do you have a conviction about it?
There are, of course, things that God has clearly declared to you as an individual or as a Church. So my first challenge to you is to clarify what God has called you to be and do and then for you to re-establish a strong conviction concerning it.
