Towards the end of November, I had a significant dream where God spoke to me about the power of the posture of rest as we crossover into 2021. I had been asking God for specifics regarding many areas of our own family life, ministry, and dreams and was needing some clarity. At the time we were finishing up a very busy and fruitful year in our ministry school, finalizing writing for future projects, and preparing for our baby that is due early January. I felt like I needed practical strategies to navigate some areas of life and I needed some pieces to drop to be able to know how to move forward in the new year. Have you felt this way? I want to share what God spoke to me regarding rest in this dream so that you crossover into 2021 refreshed, full of vision and purpose, decluttered, and knowing where you are going in Jesus' name!
OFF THE HAMSTER WHEEL & OUT OF THE DRIVER SEAT
“Enter my rest, enter my rest, you need to enter my rest!” I heard audibly as I slept and I knew this was not just an order but a warning from the Lord and a powerful strategy to escape the burnout, disillusion, and panic that can set in when you are walking through a season of conflict like this year has been. His words felt like a cool drink on a hot day.
So many have been on the hamster wheel of life in 2020, running, running, running, and treading water just to stay afloat because of the many changes and curveballs that have come, but now God is saying to you that it is time to surrender that place to Him. Finish the year out of the driver seat and giving Him permission to end it well. Do you trust Him to do that? Can you move out of your strength and put your trust in His? What areas of your life are you still trying to hold onto the wheel? Let go and let Him do what only He can do.
Key: Hand him the keys to your vehicle, ministry, purpose, and life, especially the areas you have been trying to push and strive in.
MIRACLE WORKING POWER WHERE YOUR STRENGTH HAS FAILED
“This is where I MOVE IN POWER as they rest!” I heard the Lord say. “If you lean into my rest I WILL DO WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO! So enter my rest and let ME MOVE, let ME ORCHESTRATE, and let me DELIVER!” Is what the Lord continued to say.
God wants to take over where you have been burning out trying to make ends meet and hoping to see that breakthrough, that miracle come to pass, and that promise manifested. This is where you rest and as you do you will see HIS power take over and BREAK THROUGH for you!
Key: Rest in His miracle-working power where it feels like you are in the 11th hour. Will He not do it?
THE TRANSITION INTO REST & THE CHANGE OF THE GUARD
“It's the transitioning into rest and the changing of the guard” He continued to say, but it wasn’t an order of inaction or decommissioning but an order to change posture. In the same way that if you are swimming a long distance you change up your swimming style to preserve your strength God is saying “TRANSITION into rest” meaning “Change your stance!” In Hebrews 4:11 the rest spoken of had to be an intentional decision or move that resulted in God working where man's ways didn’t. The changing of the guard spoke to me of an army that was changing its position and right now I believe that God is calling the army of God to shift its formation. We will not be moved from our post, but now we turn, we set our sail. Like Nehemiah’s men, we continue to hold up our swords but we bow our heads. Now watch what He does as we shift.
Key: Ask God what slight adjustments you can make to posture yourself in rest to receive and be refreshed? What areas of your life are unnecessarily wearing you down?
REST WILL REVEAL WHERE YOU ARE SPREAD THIN & CREATE “CAPACITY” FOR THE UNEXPECTED
This is what He spoke to me about next. Capacity. He said that heading into 2021 that He was looking for people that weren’t already too busy or had their hands too full because there were going to be UNEXPECTED opportunities and assignments that He would be giving. Posturing in rest was the key that would reveal areas where God was wanting to untangle you from, commitments you shouldn’t be involved in, and open up your schedule for new possibilities He had waiting for you as you crossed over.
Key: Allow God to show you what carries His glory on it and what is just taking up space in your life. What are you doing that is good that isn’t God? He will show you.
REFRESHING TO THE BURNT OUT AND FATIGUED & THE RE-IGNITION OF DREAMS
Then He said “You can’t do this in survival mode. You can’t do this fighting for air, fighting for scraps, and scrambling to make ends meet”
I knew that He was speaking to the subtle and seductive mentality of survival that is birthed from a traumatic year of hearing endless news stories and constant fear-mongering, and it has driven so many to the brink of burnout and fatigue. But as you rest God is breaking both the survival mentality and the fatigue that comes with it.
He wants you to step out of the place of fear and begging for bread and back into faith so you can DREAM with Him as you crossover.
Key: Ask him to break off the fatigue and reignite your creativity, innovation, and passion.
HAND IN YOUR OLD JACKETS & I WILL BREAK THE HEAVY YOKES
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“Watch me break your heavy yokes! Watch me shatter the mantles of madness that have tried to settle! For I am mantling you afresh in the rest! Hand me your old jackets and rags and let me replace them!”
This year the enemy has tried to put his yokes of heaviness and hysteria upon believers causing them to chase after the wind and go on a wild goose chase. These yokes are demonic and are the counterfeit of true mantles and mandates. But as you rest watch as Holy Spirit breaks every heavy yoke and mantles you with power and purpose for the season ahead.
Key: Give him your old rags. Give him your heavy yokes. Ask for discernment between what are the yokes of the enemy and the easy yoke of the Lord. What causes rest and peace, and what brings burnout and heaviness? That’s your key.
THE SHADOW-BOXING WILL STOP IN THE VORTEX OF REST
“The shadow-boxing must stop!” I heard Him say and in the dream, I saw a picture of a whirlwind of imaginations that were swirling around people and they were wearing themselves down by trying to fight it.
Close your eyes in the next few weeks every day for a moment in His presence and the 10 fights and opponents you have been shadow-boxing will suddenly disappear. Every whirlwind and storm you have been facing will stand still and you will see it for what it really is. No hype or cheap gimmicks of fear.
Key: Learn the art of the secret place again. Lay there and learn to be still even when the thoughts against your mind are warring. Soon they will be silent and you will get your peace back and enter that rest.
RECEIVE THE NEW WINE ORDERS FROM HEAVENS PRINT PRESS & THE NEW DOWNLOADS
There is something about the posture of rest in the presence that PRODUCES. In the next few weeks, God wants to give you “new wine orders” as he told me that will be fresh off the printing press of heaven orders that have not been seen or heard yet.
Generals are going to receive their new orders.. leaders are going to download the blueprints for the thing that the SPIRIT is upon. The old wineskin won’t cut it and you know it so it’s time to RECEIVE and you can’t receive unless you are postured in rest, in ENCOUNTER.
This is where you lay down like Jacob at Bethel and have the dream and lay down like Samuel and get your orders and the download that will shift the course of your family, your city, and nation.
Key: Fight the temptation to be busy and realize that without the fresh download you are stuck. You need the fresh thing so rest to receive it.
MISSING PIECES ARE GOING TO DROP & DOTS WILL CONNECT
It’s a “strengthen yourself in the Lord” moment where God takes your faithfulness to stand and multiplies it and opens the way for the ANSWER to reveal itself, the missing pieces to drop, and the needed direction to appear. There are significant COMPONENTS & TOOLS that many need right now leading into 2021 to solve dire, 11th-hour decisions.
As you rest God is making sure that EVERY missing piece drops and the mess and rubble you are walking through suddenly begin to make sense. This is where what has not been connecting suddenly starts to align and where there has been fogginess and no clarity you will start to see a clearing open up before you.
Key: You can’t be a piece filler, trying to fabricate the piece that fills the gap because if you do it will eventually break down. REST and let the pieces come.
RELOCATIONS, MIGRATIONS, & NEW ADDRESSES
God told me that addresses and new cities would suddenly be shown to people in dreams and impressions for those who have felt like the season where they have been is over but they haven’t known the next step or place to go.
There are mass relocations that are going to take place in January/February as God downloads new assignments and purpose that is attached to physical locations around the world. Your kids might even dream it. You might start randomly hearing a name, but it will come! In REST you will hear your change of address!
Key: Don’t stress over the details. He knows where you need to be and He will make your transition and migration seamless.
THIS IS WHERE OBSTACLES ARE EXPOSED & REMOVED
This is where the things HIDDEN IN DARKNESS are exposed, as we rest, and war from our worship. This is why the enemy has tried so hard to get you into the hamster wheel.. so this would be in your strength and the miracle DID NOT SHOW UP. But as you rest the brick walls and endless obstacles you have been facing will be exposed and removed. You will suddenly see the weak spot, the open door, and the ways the enemy has been robbing you.. and you will SLAM THE DOOR SHUT!
As you rest God is doing a spring clean and a protective reinforcement to make sure you are going into 2021 without the foxes robbing your vineyards.
Key: Be open to see where the enemy has been robbing you. Adjust and shut doors that have been affecting you. It might be people, places, or even just things, but as you discern them you will make a clean break.
IN REST, THE MONKEY WILL GET OFF YOUR BACK, THE SNAKES WILL RETREAT, & YOU WILL FIND THE SOLACE YOU HAVE LONGED FOR
Lastly, I heard the Lord speak about “ALTITUDE” and I heard the scriptures;
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6
“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Revelation 4:1
God is saying that as you rest in HIM in heavenly places you will move into the altitude that snakes start to retreat and the monkey of warfare gets off your back. So many have been facing a myriad of warfare in 2020 and this is God's way of delivering you, freeing you, and healing you as you crossover. This is where you breathe in the clean and fresh air of hope and posture yourself back into the delight of the Lord where you will be able to see what is to come and be tethered once again to the glorious future ahead of you and not the dim and dark future the enemy has been prophesying.
So people of God, REST! This is where it shifts. This is where the reinforcements come in. This is where the blueprints are made clear and the pathway opens up before you where you have been detailed and delayed. REST is your scepter and your powerful key so that you crossover READY & ROARING in Jesus' name!
