I don’t know about you, but the Lord is challenging me to live at a new level. It seems whenever I get comfortable and am not experiencing some measure of stretching, the Lord comes along to turn up the heat. Have you ever noticed that in your own life? I could choose to plod along as is, but that would be against my nature and most definitely the Lords. Complacency just isn't in the Lord's vocabulary. Did we really think His plan is for us to get comfortable and settle down on the back 80?
The Lord doesn’t choose advancement for us to be mean. He does this because He is preparing us to rule and reign with Him. Therefore we have to learn to grow and move up the mountain into the ranks of authority that He has destined for His Bride.
At the same time I sense a shift coming, I am also aware that there is an amazing opportunity, a sort of opening in the heavenlies that is allowing greater revelation of the Kingdom realm. Yet, again, I can ignore this sense of “deep calling unto deep” burning within me, or by faith I can choose to walk out onto the plank and dive into the realm of the unknown.
As I have contemplated this new place the Lord is drawing many, I quickly understand that there will be new requirements. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “New levels come with new devils.” It is impossible to advance to a new level and continue to live at the old one. It’s foolish to think that you can be promoted without more being required of you. Because the Lord wants us to succeed, He prepares us to take new ground. Yet what can we actively do to participate in preparation for a coming shift?
1. Seek first the Kingdom of God and all things will be added unto you.(Mt. 6:33)
2. Love the Lord your God with all…(MT 22:37)“He who love Me…I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21)
3. Tend to loose ends that keep you tethered down and let go of the baggage you can’t take with you into new territory. “I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. “ (Phil. 3:13) (Heb. 6:11-12)
4. Hunger and thirst for righteousness more than comfort and a familiar way of doing things (Mt. 5:6)
5. Be movable and teachable. “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
6. Be a person who seeks, expects and hungers for more, because of the intimacy shared with your Bridegroom. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Mt. 7:7)
7. Survey the condition of the new territory you will be called to overtake, like Joshua and Caleb. After identifying the enemy, Caleb said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." (Numbers 13:30)
8. Battle in the opposing spirit of the things you know will come against you. For instance if you know you will be facing a pervasive attitude of greed and idolatry, intentionally set your heart to worship only God. Set your heart toward generosity. “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him.” Phil. 2:8-9 Use the Sword of the Spirit to battle. (Eph. 6:13-17)
9. Call on God. “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things that you do not know.” (Jer. 33:3) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil 4:6)
10. Let praise lead you! “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.” (Psalm 48:1)
