Three strategies for delivery
- By Christy Johnston
Are you feeling a sudden and intense pressure in the spirit and don’t know why? Are you wondering why it feels as though you have been placed in a pressure cooker of sorts? Are you feeling worn out and ready to give up, wondering if you heard rightly from God for this season? And if so, why does it seem as though everything is upside down? If any of this relates to you, then be encouraged. You are not going crazy and you have not missed God. You have in fact gone into labor to birth a new gift that God has prepared for you and you are not alone. Many are in this time of birthing right now. I saw a vision of multitudes across the body of Christ who were heavily pregnant (I saw both men and women – as odd as that may sound). They were pregnant with new mantles, new visions, strategies, and destiny.
I then saw a picture of an ultrasound of these ‘babies’ that they were carrying. Just as an ultrasound details the babies' bone structures and physical traits, I saw that these ‘supernatural’ babies of the hour were filled with the DNA of heaven with specific answers that the individuals and the earth alike are in desperate need of. Each ‘baby’ had a unique fingerprint, a unique imprint of answers from God’s heart for individuals, families, and nations. I saw these heavily pregnant individuals being ushered by angels into supernatural delivery rooms. I saw that many had reached their due dates, and some were well and truly overdue. Some were prepared for the births and intensely focussed, while others felt confused and scared. I then heard the Father’s gentle and reassuring voice speaking to those who were in fear. He spoke the words of Joshua 1:9; “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” He is with you, you are not alone, do not be afraid. I felt the Holy Spirit impart some strategies to my own life for this season of birthing that I wanted to share with you.
Strategies for delivery.
1. BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHO YOU ALLOW TO SEE YOU IN LABOUR
The Holy Spirit recently reminded me of my own physical labor with my second daughter Sophie and how there are some valuable lessons that can be applied spiritually from the experience (don’t worry – I won’t get graphic). From start to finish, my labor with her lasted three days. You read that right - THREE DAYS. Looking back, I realize I played into some distractions that essentially caused my labor to last longer than it should have. During my earliest contractions, I allowed people into my home thinking it would help with the process. How wrong I was. While I lay on my bed in agony, I had a steady stream of individuals – people who I thought would be of help - came through my home laughing and pointing at my distress whilst helping themselves to my fridge, rather than encouraging me through it. At the time though, I thought they were just trying to help me get my mind off it, but looking back, I now know it was the worst possible thing for labor. It elevated my stress, prolonging the birth.
If you are in spiritual labor right now and you can relate to the intensity of pressure in the spirit, you need to be VERY strategic and intentional about who you allow to come in close at this moment. Labour and birthing – even in the spirit – are both an intimate time and a vulnerable time. If you have a crowd of people that have all access to your life, you are going to need to close the door to all but one or two strategic cheerleaders at this moment. You cannot have people degrading you and laughing at you as you go through the contractions of birth. You need cheerleaders in the delivery room, not fear-mongers, mockers and distractors. There will even be those who may appear good, but want to ride on your delivery. I’m not suggesting to be critical about every person, but I am saying – be strategic, you cannot have people draining your time and resources as you labor. You are going to need very strong boundaries and locks on the doors if needed, to keep anyone out who would try and distract you with all of their own drama. If not, you may end up with a prolonged and delayed delivery, just as I experienced. This will allow you to focus intently on the contractions and deliver what God has assigned to you rather than face delay or worse, still-birth.
2. BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE!
For the past number of days, I have heard a particular word on repeat in my spirit and that word is ‘focus’. The Holy Spirit is saying to you today, “FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!” In a time of birthing, intense focus is required. After two days, I was finally admitted to the hospital, but when I got there, the newly built hospital was under-staffed and they were unable to admit me into a birthing suite. Instead, I was placed in a side-corridor alongside other women who were birthing, just like me, with only curtain partitions to separate us. Just when I thought I could finally focus; I was more distracted than ever by the sounds of other women in labor filling the entire corridors. It was then that Nate gave me headphones with gentle worship playing so I could tune out the distractions I was hearing and focus intently on my breathing. There is a reason you always hear people in movies coaching a woman through labor by saying, ‘breathe, breathe, breathe.’ It’s not just a saying, it is a direction of focus. No sooner did I begin focussing properly on my breathing, than my labor progressed rapidly and a door for a birthing suite was opened up to us and it was not long after that I gave birth – in the peaceful surroundings of a beautiful suite.
It’s likely that you are surrounded by other people in labor right now. You’ve probably noticed that you are surrounded by the intensity of their problems as others push through their own barriers and deliver the promises ordained for their own lives. But know this, you cannot labor for them, so again, you are going to need to ‘tune out’ the noise and focus in on what the Holy Spirit is breathing over you right now. What has He spoken? What are the promises God has declared over you for this season? Don’t lose sight of them in this pivotal moment. You are going to need to rehearse them, breathe them in deeply, and breathe them out. Speak them, fix your eyes on them and declare them. You are about to give birth to what has been promised, don’t get distracted by the intense needs of those around you. God will carry them just as He will carry you – but you NEED to FOCUS. Focus is FAITH in action. This is what Hebrews 11:1 directs us to do;
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]
Interestingly, a definition for the word ‘focus’ says, ‘adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly.’ Isn’t that amazing? Adapt your focus to what God is speaking – not everything else that is surrounding and distracting you. Take your eyes off the problems and fix your eyes on THE light and you will see clearly what is before you and OBTAIN what has been divinely GUARANTEED to you. As you focus, you will deliver the baby quicker than expected.
3. PROTECT THE PROMISE!
In the dreamlike hours following Sophie's birth, we were visited – uninvited I might add - by a very boisterous person (evidently, Nate and I had no idea about the concept of boundaries in those days). He came into our hospital room yelling, screaming and shouting and picked my toddler up in the air and was throwing her about in the room. I remember feeling as though I was about to pass out from the noise, following three days of delivery, it trigged me into a near-panic attack. Thankfully, my midwife happened to be in the room and immediately saw the pale look on my face and ordered him out of the room abruptly. So much so, he became offended. But she looked at Nate and I and said, “It’s fine for the family to come to see the baby, but Mum is just as important as the newborn. If you don’t protect this space, you’ll fall into depression.” I didn’t listen. In the days and weeks following her birth, we had yet another steady stream of people visiting, and I felt the intense pressures to be ‘up and about’ like normal, going to church on Sunday immediately following her birth, making coffees for all of our visitors – giving the impression I was a ‘do it all’ Mother who was all put together. But in reality, I was crumbling inside.
I feel this lesson is imperative for those of you in labor and delivery of your promises right now. Just as western cultures have depicted a narrative that modern mothers should be back on their feet in no time, there is also a subtle belief within the western church – that has a similar storyline, ‘the more you do, the better and the more effectual you are for the Kingdom.’ Whereas, I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking, just like the midwife – ‘PROTECT THE PROMISE! PROTECT YOUR TIME!’ You are important to God, and He doesn’t want you burning out in depression because you felt you needed to rush into the assignment once it was birthed or say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. I believe that now more than ever, we need to be intently focussed on what we are specifically called to do – we need to be nursing the ‘assignment’ and allow recovery and time. This is an era where the enemy is attempting to trap the body of Christ, first into immense amounts of distraction to both prolong the births of mantles and assignments, and even to cause stillbirths of promise. However, if he doesn’t succeed there, he will attempt to draw you into burnout. I believe God is protecting you in this season by preventing either to happen, but we also need to vigilant just as 1 Peter 5:8 states; ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
Notice the enemy is ‘like’ a lion – which gives us keen insight into his strategies. Many lions hunt on their prey when the prey is giving birth. A time of birthing is a vulnerable time, so be vigilant to protect it. Breathe on the promises of God. Shut the door to all distractions… and protect the promise once it has been birthed. Allow yourself time to adjust and for the promise to grow. Don’t rush it. This is not a season to rush. For what you are about to birth will grow in the months and years to come into the weighty call and assignment upon your life. You are birthing destiny for the years to come.
Congratulations on the birthing of your promise ð¥°
