About
As a domestic violence and rape survivor and counselor my heart has always gone out to women who are in this situation. My passion is geared towards helping children of this type of situation gain the confidence within themselves to know that love does not mean hurt.
Since my ordination and licensing in 2004 I have maintained a pulpit ministry, outreach program for women and children, volunteered in various homeless feeding programs and I am an advocate for children with developmental disabilities.
I also maintain several websites that have many referral contacts if you have witnessed a violent situation or you may be in one. Please feel free to click on the referral links and see if you can use any of those services.
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Location: Paradise, California
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Prophetic Word: "Raise Up Your Slack Hands!" Plus "Days 11-18 Prayer Guide to Revamp and Move Forward!"
Chuck D. Pierce:
Prophetic Word: "Raise Up Your Slack Hands!" Plus "Days 11-18 Prayer Guide to Revamp and Move Forward!"
So much has happened since the events of September 11, eight years ago. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, is still vivid in the minds and hearts of the world. The collapse of the World Trade Center Towers rearranged the course of this nation and world as we knew it. This terrorist act was a slam against God's covenant plan in the earth. We must realize the wars of the heavenlies that we are now engaged within. You can read about these in The Future War of the Church and God's Unfolding Battle Plan. The first is now a prophetic history book of the changes in the Church that were predicted and now have manifested. The second gives us insight through 2016. Two chapters in God's Unfolding Battle Plan that will help you during these 40 Days of Revamping and Being Revitalized are "The Mind War" and "The Blood War."
There is still time to sign up for Head of the Year 5770: A Season of AYIN (His eye will guide)! You can join us on-site here in Denton from September 17-20 or via the webcast. We are entering a season of occupying our inheritance, digging new wells, and entering the "Tent" to tabernacle with our God. The Hebraic letter, Ayin, is also the number 70. Prepare to cross over into the "head" of the Hebraic year, receive power to war for breakthrough and find new wells of life.
I sent out a card and email of this image that visually illustrates the season we are entering. This has generated several interesting comments. We are not entering a peaceful season. This season is supernatural! God's people must leave "religion" and their natural way of battle and enter this supernatural season with sharpened weapons. This is a season of breaking new ground.
When you look at the symbol for AYIN, you can see the necessary action for breakthrough. You must extend your hand through the darkness and into the heavenlies. At that point, the Lord will give you strength by touching you with His HAND. He will release the Sword of Revelation that will connect with you to do war. This will be the battle of the EYES. You will battle with MAMMON in the next years. You will battle dark watchers and "dark pools." This will be a season where we battle with occult structures that are attempting to rule the earth realm and keep us from unlocking new resources.
What follows are the next seven days of the 40 Day Prayer Focus to Revamp, Receive a New Vitality, and Move Forward Toward the Promises of the Next Season. In Day 18 there is a prophetic word that will encourage you.
DAY 11
We must learn to overcome through prayer and overtake the opposition that the enemy has raised up against our breaking through. Barbara Yoder, Senior Pastor and Lead Apostle of Shekinah Christian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a very good friend and ministry associate. When I was with her church in July, they had just found out that a wonderful lady in the church had been diagnosed with leukemia. She and her husband have been connected with Barbara for several years. They are a wonderful couple who have overcome much.
Barbara wrote me recently to say, "They basically said three weeks ago that she was going to die in a matter of days. That really rocked my boat. However, the report kicked me into a violent confrontation with the powers of Hell and the spirits of infirmity ruling her body. We (a small group) gathered three times. Each time we broke through to a new level. In the last level of breakthrough 'I saw her healing'. Each time I went to her right after we prayed, laid my hands on her and declared over her body what we had broken through to. I am so thankful to announce that the doctors just did a bone marrow test and can find no leukemia. They have declared her in remission 100%. They still want to do the stem cell transplant. However they say it's a miracle she didn't die and had this level of turnaround, given that she was in a coma. This wonderful lady is going to be dismissed from the hospital!
Chuck, I believe that we are pushing against structures that will let go of their rule. This will allow us to break through to this miraculous healing level. We are required to be persistent in spirit and penetrate a level of darkness of fierce opposition. I have not experienced this level of travail before in prayer. We are making it through and you can feel the atmosphere changing."—Barbara Yoder
Think of the woman with the flow of blood who pressed through in prayer. First of all, she was a woman. This meant that she had to get past the social structure of the day. Next, she was legally confined to her home because of her issue of blood and declared "unclean" by the law. Third, she had spent all of her money. Fourth, she was weak and the crowd was strong. She had to press through social issues, religious issues, crowd issues, and supply issues. All she had to do was touch HIM who could release a power that could change her body. Jesus recognized her faith and released a virtue from His body to hers. She was instantly healed.
Do not let your emotions or structures keep you from touching the Lord in a new way. He is there! He is ready to change your last season. The woman in Matthew 9 had been in this physical state for 12 years. There was a time of breakthrough and she took her opportunity and pressed through. Jesus responded with a release that was necessary for her to enter her future.
Read Matthew 9, Luke 13. Meditate on Hebrews 12. Memorize Hebrews 12:4.
DAY 12
"What news?" That was the question Nehemiah asked. "Whose report will you believe?" How and what we listen to is just as important as what we see and say. We should be listening carefully for how the Kingdom is advancing as well as the state of the Church in our region. Is the message you are receiving true? Is the messenger faithful? Can you hear faith and reality in what they are sharing with you? Even if they have a message that reveals a situation like "Jerusalem is in ruins," do you find yourself stirred in your spirit to pray? If the prayer of faith comes forth, your emotions are responding to the Spirit of God and not your own desire and mercy.
Nehemiah was told that the holy city and holy seed were all in ruin. He was told that the wall of Jerusalem and the gates of the city were in ruins. He was informed that his people were in poverty and slavery. He could conclude that they were easy prey for the enemy. This scenario reminds me of many of our homes and cities. Most of our "Jerusalems" have defects and broken down places. There are many breaches that need repairing. Many of us feel like Nehemiah when we see the condition of our land and the nation we dwell in. We feel like weeping, rending our hearts, and mourning.
Weeping is a necessary emotion. What has caused you to weep lately? A person? A loved one? A circumstance? The overwhelming multiple problems all around you? A loss? A missed opportunity? A failure? An unjust situation in your life? A wayward child? An unjust abuse in the landscape of society? Over how dissatisfied you are in life, yourself, or those around you?
Or may I ask—has anything touched your heart and caused you to weep? The kids and I love when the movie "My Dog Skip" comes on. Pam begins to weep at the outset of the music. Her heart is easily touched. Weeping is a valid expression of what we are feeling inside our soul. Jesus wept when Lazarus died. I really think this emotion was linked with the unbelief of the people. He wept when He saw that Jerusalem was not going to turn from the captivity of sin and would miss its visitation. Jesus wept and did not sin. You can weep. It is valid. Your heart needs this expression. Ask the Lord one more question: "Is my heart soft and expressive to the nudges of the Spirit that will produce a new compassion?" Weeping endures for a night, but joy will come again. Let weeping proceed the joy that is on your horizon! Weep, get up, and like Nehemiah, gain vision to rebuild what needs to be rebuilt!
Read Luke 19 and John 11. Meditate on Psalm 30. Memorize Psalm 30:5. Review Nehemiah 1 and 2.
DAY 13
Not all reports are good and produce faith. The moment Nehemiah moved beyond the emotion of the situation of Jerusalem and his people and accepted the new call to advance in the new, all hell seemed to break loose. Nehemiah 4:7-11 says, "But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, 'The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.' Also our enemies said, 'Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.'"
The enemy will wear you down with accusations, seductions, and temptations. He will accuse and send a spirit of fear against you. In your weakness, trouble seems to be magnified. Eventually you say, "Oh Lord, can I endure this situation to the end?" I would encourage you to answer the following questions. Are you falling or submitting to:
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The seducing power of the enemy on your path?
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Evil reports that you are having to process?
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Fear opposing the completion of the project you have been sent to accomplish?
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The secret "messengers of God" that are attempting to sway you from task and completion?
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Forces rallying against you to stop progress?
If you answered "YES" to any of the above questions, remember what Nehemiah did in Chapter 4: "Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.'
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me."
The Lord has a plan. He can send reinforcements. He can get you positioned in your proper place in work, prayer, and warfare. You will endure and come through and into the next phase of your life!
Read Nehemiah 3 and 4. Meditate on the passages above.
DAY 14
How do we become renewed so we can begin to move forward? How do we begin the plan of restoration and rebuilding so that we enter the next season stronger than we were in the last season? First, a process of removal must occur. Specifically, there are three things that God must remove from our lives in order to renew our wineskins.
1. He removes legalism. Most Christians would be greatly surprised to learn how many legalistic structures they have embraced. Simply put, legalism is narrowing all of our mind processes down to the point that we can't receive the mind of God. Rather than having a mind-set that is saturated in His grace and love, legalism is a mind-set that is steeped in man's judgment and control. Legalism always leads to pride and unbelief. In Galatians, legalism is even equated with witchcraft. Paul reminds the Galatians that they were doing great. They were having a good time, growing in the Lord, and walking in faith. Then he asks who has bewitched them? In other words, who narrowed their minds down to such a degree that they were no longer able to receive the grace of God? Who brought legalism into their midst? Our restoration cannot be released while God is tightly locked in a box. We must allow the Lord to remove our legalistic, religiously rigid mind-sets.
2. He removes condemnation. Satan is a liar and a thief. He lies to us about our position with God in order to steal the restoration God has for us. One of his favorite tactics is to bombard Believers with reminders of personal failures or failures in their generations to the point where they wear a sticky garment of condemnation and guilt. They say things such as, "God can't restore me because I: am divorced, had an abortion, had an affair, lied about a friend, took what was not mine…" (you fill in the blank). These are lies! You don't have to wear that old garment. The cycle of the past can end. Getting right with God and then forgiving yourself will break the schemes the devil intended to use to keep you draped in a shroud of guilt, no matter what you've done.
3. He removes judgmentalism. Just as we must put away our own condemnation, so must we put away condemning others through judgmentalism. Because of the law of sowing and reaping, we really can't fully do one without the other. If we condemn others, we will be condemned. And what's worse, the Bible says that we too become dangerously susceptible to falling into the same sin we accuse others of. Don't be fooled. We are not to sit in judgment. Judgmentalism has serious spiritual ramifications and has the power to keep us from entering into restoration. Isaiah 58 says that if you will pray and fast, and let God determine the fast for you (don't do it religiously), and if you'll put away the pointing of that finger and looking outward, He will begin to break forth your light and your healing will spring up. Allow that process of God to bring you into the fullness He has for you.
Read Isaiah 58. Meditate on Romans 6-8. Memorize Hebrews 12:14, 27, 28.
DAY 15
I want to remind you how much the Lord loved you. He loved you so much that He gave His only Son who withstood all of your temptations so that you could be redeemed. He died so you could be free. He rose so you could overcome. His Spirit remains, lives and moves in the earth, seeking who will open their hearts and spirit to be fully occupied by Him. You have a temple. He can come and reside within you, fill you with hope, awaken and make you alive in Him by the Spirit of God filling you to the uttermost. Your spirit man has three functions: communion, intuition, and testimony. The next three days, we want to ask the Lord to revitalize and renew our spirit. We want His Spirit to fill us to overflowing. Therefore, these three functions of our spirit that make us a supernatural creature in the earth will be fully active within us.
As sons and daughters of Adam, we have been in desperate need of restoration since the Garden of Eden. So much of what God intended for us, our original inheritance at the time of creation, was lost through sin and replaced with evil fruit. Where human beings once enjoyed intimate fellowship with God, they were now faced with a wall of separation that was humanly impossible to penetrate. Innocence gave way to self-consciousness and sin. Eternal life in communion with God was replaced by death in judgment. So much was lost! But God truly is a God of restoration, and He has a plan for the restoration of the human race. Through His Son, we are now able to return to intimate fellowship with God, renewed innocence and the promise of eternal life. Restoration is the very nature of God.
What is the order of the restoration process in our lives? Restoration means to revive and return to life, or to bring back to a former or original condition. This definition, however, falls short of all that restoration in God means. God intends to do more than bring us back to a former or original condition. He intends to multiply and increase us beyond that point. He longs for our latter days to be greater than our former days. God's plan for you is restoration! The first thing He restores in us is the first thing we originally lost and is the first thing we always lose—our COMMUNION! He must first bring us back into intimate contact with Himself and others.
Relationship is difficult for many Christians simply because our society breeds fear of intimacy. We protect ourselves. We don't want to get hurt. We don't want to allow our emotions to be seen. And to complicate matters, those who have experienced broken relationships in the past don't want to chance future intimacy. But the simple fact is that we need one another. We need God. Without one or the other, we will never enter into the fullness of restoration. We must begin to allow God to make us intimate communicators with Himself and then each other.
First and foremost, we need to embrace an intimate relationship with God. The classic analogy is Mary and Martha (see Luke 10:38-42). We get so caught up in what we are to do that we forget what we are about. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus until she knew her destiny. Once she knew the purpose of her life, then she could go do the dishes with Martha, or anything else that needed to be done. She did not neglect the task. Through intimacy, Mary simply gained what she needed for her life and then tended to the business of the house.
God is calling us into a new intimate place. From this intimate place, we gain our new strategies for moving ahead. If you are not hearing, you can hear again. If you are not dialoging with the Lord, stop for a moment and tell Him that you have missed Him. If you have never heard Him speak back to you, wait for His voice. Your communion can be restored. He can deliver you from the other voices you have been visiting with. He wants you to spend the best of each day with Him.
Read Luke 10, Genesis 3. Meditate on Psalm 27, Psalm 46. Memorize Psalm 27:1.
DAY 16
Intimacy is not just for ourselves. Because the Lord's ultimate goal is to restore the Bride of Christ so she is without spot or wrinkle, He starts with us personally so that He can complete us corporately. He never has planned for you to be isolated. His goal is for us to be joined together in communion with each other and with Him. That is why Jesus instructed His followers to partake of the Lord's Supper each time they came together. This causes us to remember Him. He begins by getting each of our hearts realigned with Him and then makes sure we are right with each other. We must allow Him to bring us into intimate relationships with one another that will thrust us forward into our destiny. Many times what stops us from communing with Him, the One who knits us together in our mother's womb, is a broken or underdeveloped relationship with Father. Let Him restore your Father/child relationship.
We must each experience adoption. When we do not know God as Abba Father and have not yet come into the spirit of adoption that God has for us, we really do not have the relationship needed to grasp our restoration and the inheritance that comes with it. Many times God starts by dealing with our earthly father and authority issues in order to restore the Father/child relationship that we have with Him. In cases where our fathers have abused their authority, or did not take their proper role in the family, God must restructure our thinking. However, we must let Him do this. He is neither an abusive Father nor an absent Father.
He is a loving Father who cares deeply for us—so much so that He has a plan of restoration for our lives. We need to allow Him to bring us to that understanding. Once those issues are in order, the word of the Lord over our lives can begin to spring forth. Stop and allow the Lord to touch you in areas that your earthly father never touched you. Forgive your earthly authorities for their lack of care on your behalf. Release hurt within you for times they neglected you or were too busy for you. Think of a time when a word was spoken to you that cut your heart instead of covered you. Ask Him to be your Father and teach you the love of a father. Do not hold your earthly father captive by your hurts. Let go! Your Heavenly Father will be there for you. Some of you have never known Father's love for you. Stop and ask Him to reveal His love to you.
Read Matthew 7. Meditate on and Memorize Matthew 7:7-11.
DAY 17
So many of us have forgotten that we cannot please God without faith. God can restore our childlike faith! God sees all our war and wilderness places. He knows how long we have been held in our captivity! He never meant for those times to destroy us. His purpose was for our wilderness to increase our measure of faith. As this childlike faith begins to arise, the glory of God rests upon us.
I have always considered myself to be a man of faith. I lead meetings all around the world filled with great faith and expectation of what God will do. Nonetheless, I learned a new lesson about childlike faith several years ago. One of my assignments was to mobilize prayer throughout the world. This entailed being a watchman for the nations and raising the necessary funds to support this project. One morning I asked the Lord to increase my measure of faith concerning the project I was working on—a communications system for a world prayer thrust. That same day I was on my way down to South Texas to lead a revival meeting. While I was preparing to leave, my 15-year-old son Daniel (who is now 27) came to me and said, "Daddy, when you're in South Texas, I believe God wants you to bring me back a parrot." Chuckling at him, I replied, "Daniel, parrots cost $1,500. Why don't you go ask the Lord if He really wants you to have a parrot? If He does, He'll get one for you."
Accepting my statement, Daniel darted out of the room. About 10 minutes later, he returned and flatly declared, "Daddy, I asked the Lord about my parrot, and He said He wants me to have one." I could not believe it. What could I say? I left, shaking my head and wondering if I had somehow taught him to manipulate what he was hearing from God. When I arrived in South Texas, I told the couple I was staying with about my conversation with Daniel. The man and I just laughed it off. But the wife looked at me and said, "Parrots fly over the border from Mexico through here all the time." I looked at her and wondered what that had to do with anything. We could never catch a wild parrot.
I got up at 5:00 AM the next morning for my quiet time. In the middle of my devotions, I heard something outside. As I looked out my window, I saw that the woman had set up a cage in a nearby tree and was down on her knees praying. I wondered if I had somehow led this woman into total delusion. Did she expect a wild parrot to just walk into the cage? Snickering, I returned to my quiet time. Later that morning I led a big prayer meeting, all filled with faith.
The following morning I got up for my quiet time again. This time I was in deep prayer for the very project for which I needed faith. Again, I heard something outside. I opened my window and looked to see this woman shutting the door of the cage. Inexplicably, a large, beautiful parrot had flown into the yard and walked into the waiting cage all on its own! I looked up at the Lord and said, "Lord, I am in bad trouble for my lack of faith." And it just felt like He agreed with me!
That day the Lord began to speak into my heart and say, "Your borders are too narrow. But I can cross your borders! I can bring the supply that's needed. If you will have faith as a child, I will release that which you need in this hour." Today, 12 years later, that parrot sits in Daniel's house squawking. I can't look at it without being reminded of God's supply in the face of childlike faith.
I encourage you that no matter where you are in life, God has a plan to increase your measure of faith! Ask Him to restore your faith.
Read Luke 9 and Luke 18. Memorize Luke 18:17.
DAY 18: Lift Your Hands for a Fresh Touch!
God says, "Do not let your hands grow slack at this time. Slack hands will not be able to grab the weapon that is needed to defeat the enemy. I am bringing new strength into your hands. Your hands will be free as you ready yourself for the battle ahead. There's a new watchman call that I'm placing upon My people, and they will stand, observe, and see in ways they've not seen before. They will know the order when things are not in order. You must be able to watch and see the slightest 'out of order' issue that would keep Me from moving you and yours forward.
"Don't major on minors, but see with My eyes, for I am setting many 'bodies' in order! One of these is yours! I am setting groups in order. I am setting towns in order, and I am setting cities in new order. This is not a time for slack hands! This is not a time for manipulation and rearrangement or justification! You must see the way I see things; otherwise, you will find yourself saying, 'What happened to the glory in my boundaries?' Raise up your slack hands now, and I will energize them and you will be ready for the battle ahead."
Read Isaiah 35, Hebrews 12. Meditate on Genesis 26. Memorize Isaiah 41:13,14.
To view Days 1-3 of Chuck Pierce's devotion click here.
To view Days 4-10 of Chuck Pierce's devotion click here.
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
Prophetic Word: "Raise Up Your Slack Hands!" Plus "Days 11-18 Prayer Guide to Revamp and Move Forward!"
So much has happened since the events of September 11, eight years ago. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, is still vivid in the minds and hearts of the world. The collapse of the World Trade Center Towers rearranged the course of this nation and world as we knew it. This terrorist act was a slam against God's covenant plan in the earth. We must realize the wars of the heavenlies that we are now engaged within. You can read about these in The Future War of the Church and God's Unfolding Battle Plan. The first is now a prophetic history book of the changes in the Church that were predicted and now have manifested. The second gives us insight through 2016. Two chapters in God's Unfolding Battle Plan that will help you during these 40 Days of Revamping and Being Revitalized are "The Mind War" and "The Blood War."
There is still time to sign up for Head of the Year 5770: A Season of AYIN (His eye will guide)! You can join us on-site here in Denton from September 17-20 or via the webcast. We are entering a season of occupying our inheritance, digging new wells, and entering the "Tent" to tabernacle with our God. The Hebraic letter, Ayin, is also the number 70. Prepare to cross over into the "head" of the Hebraic year, receive power to war for breakthrough and find new wells of life.
I sent out a card and email of this image that visually illustrates the season we are entering. This has generated several interesting comments. We are not entering a peaceful season. This season is supernatural! God's people must leave "religion" and their natural way of battle and enter this supernatural season with sharpened weapons. This is a season of breaking new ground.
When you look at the symbol for AYIN, you can see the necessary action for breakthrough. You must extend your hand through the darkness and into the heavenlies. At that point, the Lord will give you strength by touching you with His HAND. He will release the Sword of Revelation that will connect with you to do war. This will be the battle of the EYES. You will battle with MAMMON in the next years. You will battle dark watchers and "dark pools." This will be a season where we battle with occult structures that are attempting to rule the earth realm and keep us from unlocking new resources.
What follows are the next seven days of the 40 Day Prayer Focus to Revamp, Receive a New Vitality, and Move Forward Toward the Promises of the Next Season. In Day 18 there is a prophetic word that will encourage you.
DAY 11
We must learn to overcome through prayer and overtake the opposition that the enemy has raised up against our breaking through. Barbara Yoder, Senior Pastor and Lead Apostle of Shekinah Christian Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a very good friend and ministry associate. When I was with her church in July, they had just found out that a wonderful lady in the church had been diagnosed with leukemia. She and her husband have been connected with Barbara for several years. They are a wonderful couple who have overcome much.
Barbara wrote me recently to say, "They basically said three weeks ago that she was going to die in a matter of days. That really rocked my boat. However, the report kicked me into a violent confrontation with the powers of Hell and the spirits of infirmity ruling her body. We (a small group) gathered three times. Each time we broke through to a new level. In the last level of breakthrough 'I saw her healing'. Each time I went to her right after we prayed, laid my hands on her and declared over her body what we had broken through to. I am so thankful to announce that the doctors just did a bone marrow test and can find no leukemia. They have declared her in remission 100%. They still want to do the stem cell transplant. However they say it's a miracle she didn't die and had this level of turnaround, given that she was in a coma. This wonderful lady is going to be dismissed from the hospital!
Chuck, I believe that we are pushing against structures that will let go of their rule. This will allow us to break through to this miraculous healing level. We are required to be persistent in spirit and penetrate a level of darkness of fierce opposition. I have not experienced this level of travail before in prayer. We are making it through and you can feel the atmosphere changing."—Barbara Yoder
Think of the woman with the flow of blood who pressed through in prayer. First of all, she was a woman. This meant that she had to get past the social structure of the day. Next, she was legally confined to her home because of her issue of blood and declared "unclean" by the law. Third, she had spent all of her money. Fourth, she was weak and the crowd was strong. She had to press through social issues, religious issues, crowd issues, and supply issues. All she had to do was touch HIM who could release a power that could change her body. Jesus recognized her faith and released a virtue from His body to hers. She was instantly healed.
Do not let your emotions or structures keep you from touching the Lord in a new way. He is there! He is ready to change your last season. The woman in Matthew 9 had been in this physical state for 12 years. There was a time of breakthrough and she took her opportunity and pressed through. Jesus responded with a release that was necessary for her to enter her future.
Read Matthew 9, Luke 13. Meditate on Hebrews 12. Memorize Hebrews 12:4.
DAY 12
"What news?" That was the question Nehemiah asked. "Whose report will you believe?" How and what we listen to is just as important as what we see and say. We should be listening carefully for how the Kingdom is advancing as well as the state of the Church in our region. Is the message you are receiving true? Is the messenger faithful? Can you hear faith and reality in what they are sharing with you? Even if they have a message that reveals a situation like "Jerusalem is in ruins," do you find yourself stirred in your spirit to pray? If the prayer of faith comes forth, your emotions are responding to the Spirit of God and not your own desire and mercy.
Nehemiah was told that the holy city and holy seed were all in ruin. He was told that the wall of Jerusalem and the gates of the city were in ruins. He was informed that his people were in poverty and slavery. He could conclude that they were easy prey for the enemy. This scenario reminds me of many of our homes and cities. Most of our "Jerusalems" have defects and broken down places. There are many breaches that need repairing. Many of us feel like Nehemiah when we see the condition of our land and the nation we dwell in. We feel like weeping, rending our hearts, and mourning.
Weeping is a necessary emotion. What has caused you to weep lately? A person? A loved one? A circumstance? The overwhelming multiple problems all around you? A loss? A missed opportunity? A failure? An unjust situation in your life? A wayward child? An unjust abuse in the landscape of society? Over how dissatisfied you are in life, yourself, or those around you?
Or may I ask—has anything touched your heart and caused you to weep? The kids and I love when the movie "My Dog Skip" comes on. Pam begins to weep at the outset of the music. Her heart is easily touched. Weeping is a valid expression of what we are feeling inside our soul. Jesus wept when Lazarus died. I really think this emotion was linked with the unbelief of the people. He wept when He saw that Jerusalem was not going to turn from the captivity of sin and would miss its visitation. Jesus wept and did not sin. You can weep. It is valid. Your heart needs this expression. Ask the Lord one more question: "Is my heart soft and expressive to the nudges of the Spirit that will produce a new compassion?" Weeping endures for a night, but joy will come again. Let weeping proceed the joy that is on your horizon! Weep, get up, and like Nehemiah, gain vision to rebuild what needs to be rebuilt!
Read Luke 19 and John 11. Meditate on Psalm 30. Memorize Psalm 30:5. Review Nehemiah 1 and 2.
DAY 13
Not all reports are good and produce faith. The moment Nehemiah moved beyond the emotion of the situation of Jerusalem and his people and accepted the new call to advance in the new, all hell seemed to break loose. Nehemiah 4:7-11 says, "But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, 'The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.' Also our enemies said, 'Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.'"
The enemy will wear you down with accusations, seductions, and temptations. He will accuse and send a spirit of fear against you. In your weakness, trouble seems to be magnified. Eventually you say, "Oh Lord, can I endure this situation to the end?" I would encourage you to answer the following questions. Are you falling or submitting to:
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The seducing power of the enemy on your path?
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Evil reports that you are having to process?
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Fear opposing the completion of the project you have been sent to accomplish?
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The secret "messengers of God" that are attempting to sway you from task and completion?
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Forces rallying against you to stop progress?
If you answered "YES" to any of the above questions, remember what Nehemiah did in Chapter 4: "Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.'
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me."
The Lord has a plan. He can send reinforcements. He can get you positioned in your proper place in work, prayer, and warfare. You will endure and come through and into the next phase of your life!
Read Nehemiah 3 and 4. Meditate on the passages above.
DAY 14
How do we become renewed so we can begin to move forward? How do we begin the plan of restoration and rebuilding so that we enter the next season stronger than we were in the last season? First, a process of removal must occur. Specifically, there are three things that God must remove from our lives in order to renew our wineskins.
1. He removes legalism. Most Christians would be greatly surprised to learn how many legalistic structures they have embraced. Simply put, legalism is narrowing all of our mind processes down to the point that we can't receive the mind of God. Rather than having a mind-set that is saturated in His grace and love, legalism is a mind-set that is steeped in man's judgment and control. Legalism always leads to pride and unbelief. In Galatians, legalism is even equated with witchcraft. Paul reminds the Galatians that they were doing great. They were having a good time, growing in the Lord, and walking in faith. Then he asks who has bewitched them? In other words, who narrowed their minds down to such a degree that they were no longer able to receive the grace of God? Who brought legalism into their midst? Our restoration cannot be released while God is tightly locked in a box. We must allow the Lord to remove our legalistic, religiously rigid mind-sets.
2. He removes condemnation. Satan is a liar and a thief. He lies to us about our position with God in order to steal the restoration God has for us. One of his favorite tactics is to bombard Believers with reminders of personal failures or failures in their generations to the point where they wear a sticky garment of condemnation and guilt. They say things such as, "God can't restore me because I: am divorced, had an abortion, had an affair, lied about a friend, took what was not mine…" (you fill in the blank). These are lies! You don't have to wear that old garment. The cycle of the past can end. Getting right with God and then forgiving yourself will break the schemes the devil intended to use to keep you draped in a shroud of guilt, no matter what you've done.
3. He removes judgmentalism. Just as we must put away our own condemnation, so must we put away condemning others through judgmentalism. Because of the law of sowing and reaping, we really can't fully do one without the other. If we condemn others, we will be condemned. And what's worse, the Bible says that we too become dangerously susceptible to falling into the same sin we accuse others of. Don't be fooled. We are not to sit in judgment. Judgmentalism has serious spiritual ramifications and has the power to keep us from entering into restoration. Isaiah 58 says that if you will pray and fast, and let God determine the fast for you (don't do it religiously), and if you'll put away the pointing of that finger and looking outward, He will begin to break forth your light and your healing will spring up. Allow that process of God to bring you into the fullness He has for you.
Read Isaiah 58. Meditate on Romans 6-8. Memorize Hebrews 12:14, 27, 28.
DAY 15
I want to remind you how much the Lord loved you. He loved you so much that He gave His only Son who withstood all of your temptations so that you could be redeemed. He died so you could be free. He rose so you could overcome. His Spirit remains, lives and moves in the earth, seeking who will open their hearts and spirit to be fully occupied by Him. You have a temple. He can come and reside within you, fill you with hope, awaken and make you alive in Him by the Spirit of God filling you to the uttermost. Your spirit man has three functions: communion, intuition, and testimony. The next three days, we want to ask the Lord to revitalize and renew our spirit. We want His Spirit to fill us to overflowing. Therefore, these three functions of our spirit that make us a supernatural creature in the earth will be fully active within us.
As sons and daughters of Adam, we have been in desperate need of restoration since the Garden of Eden. So much of what God intended for us, our original inheritance at the time of creation, was lost through sin and replaced with evil fruit. Where human beings once enjoyed intimate fellowship with God, they were now faced with a wall of separation that was humanly impossible to penetrate. Innocence gave way to self-consciousness and sin. Eternal life in communion with God was replaced by death in judgment. So much was lost! But God truly is a God of restoration, and He has a plan for the restoration of the human race. Through His Son, we are now able to return to intimate fellowship with God, renewed innocence and the promise of eternal life. Restoration is the very nature of God.
What is the order of the restoration process in our lives? Restoration means to revive and return to life, or to bring back to a former or original condition. This definition, however, falls short of all that restoration in God means. God intends to do more than bring us back to a former or original condition. He intends to multiply and increase us beyond that point. He longs for our latter days to be greater than our former days. God's plan for you is restoration! The first thing He restores in us is the first thing we originally lost and is the first thing we always lose—our COMMUNION! He must first bring us back into intimate contact with Himself and others.
Relationship is difficult for many Christians simply because our society breeds fear of intimacy. We protect ourselves. We don't want to get hurt. We don't want to allow our emotions to be seen. And to complicate matters, those who have experienced broken relationships in the past don't want to chance future intimacy. But the simple fact is that we need one another. We need God. Without one or the other, we will never enter into the fullness of restoration. We must begin to allow God to make us intimate communicators with Himself and then each other.
First and foremost, we need to embrace an intimate relationship with God. The classic analogy is Mary and Martha (see Luke 10:38-42). We get so caught up in what we are to do that we forget what we are about. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus until she knew her destiny. Once she knew the purpose of her life, then she could go do the dishes with Martha, or anything else that needed to be done. She did not neglect the task. Through intimacy, Mary simply gained what she needed for her life and then tended to the business of the house.
God is calling us into a new intimate place. From this intimate place, we gain our new strategies for moving ahead. If you are not hearing, you can hear again. If you are not dialoging with the Lord, stop for a moment and tell Him that you have missed Him. If you have never heard Him speak back to you, wait for His voice. Your communion can be restored. He can deliver you from the other voices you have been visiting with. He wants you to spend the best of each day with Him.
Read Luke 10, Genesis 3. Meditate on Psalm 27, Psalm 46. Memorize Psalm 27:1.
DAY 16
Intimacy is not just for ourselves. Because the Lord's ultimate goal is to restore the Bride of Christ so she is without spot or wrinkle, He starts with us personally so that He can complete us corporately. He never has planned for you to be isolated. His goal is for us to be joined together in communion with each other and with Him. That is why Jesus instructed His followers to partake of the Lord's Supper each time they came together. This causes us to remember Him. He begins by getting each of our hearts realigned with Him and then makes sure we are right with each other. We must allow Him to bring us into intimate relationships with one another that will thrust us forward into our destiny. Many times what stops us from communing with Him, the One who knits us together in our mother's womb, is a broken or underdeveloped relationship with Father. Let Him restore your Father/child relationship.
We must each experience adoption. When we do not know God as Abba Father and have not yet come into the spirit of adoption that God has for us, we really do not have the relationship needed to grasp our restoration and the inheritance that comes with it. Many times God starts by dealing with our earthly father and authority issues in order to restore the Father/child relationship that we have with Him. In cases where our fathers have abused their authority, or did not take their proper role in the family, God must restructure our thinking. However, we must let Him do this. He is neither an abusive Father nor an absent Father.
He is a loving Father who cares deeply for us—so much so that He has a plan of restoration for our lives. We need to allow Him to bring us to that understanding. Once those issues are in order, the word of the Lord over our lives can begin to spring forth. Stop and allow the Lord to touch you in areas that your earthly father never touched you. Forgive your earthly authorities for their lack of care on your behalf. Release hurt within you for times they neglected you or were too busy for you. Think of a time when a word was spoken to you that cut your heart instead of covered you. Ask Him to be your Father and teach you the love of a father. Do not hold your earthly father captive by your hurts. Let go! Your Heavenly Father will be there for you. Some of you have never known Father's love for you. Stop and ask Him to reveal His love to you.
Read Matthew 7. Meditate on and Memorize Matthew 7:7-11.
DAY 17
So many of us have forgotten that we cannot please God without faith. God can restore our childlike faith! God sees all our war and wilderness places. He knows how long we have been held in our captivity! He never meant for those times to destroy us. His purpose was for our wilderness to increase our measure of faith. As this childlike faith begins to arise, the glory of God rests upon us.
I have always considered myself to be a man of faith. I lead meetings all around the world filled with great faith and expectation of what God will do. Nonetheless, I learned a new lesson about childlike faith several years ago. One of my assignments was to mobilize prayer throughout the world. This entailed being a watchman for the nations and raising the necessary funds to support this project. One morning I asked the Lord to increase my measure of faith concerning the project I was working on—a communications system for a world prayer thrust. That same day I was on my way down to South Texas to lead a revival meeting. While I was preparing to leave, my 15-year-old son Daniel (who is now 27) came to me and said, "Daddy, when you're in South Texas, I believe God wants you to bring me back a parrot." Chuckling at him, I replied, "Daniel, parrots cost $1,500. Why don't you go ask the Lord if He really wants you to have a parrot? If He does, He'll get one for you."
Accepting my statement, Daniel darted out of the room. About 10 minutes later, he returned and flatly declared, "Daddy, I asked the Lord about my parrot, and He said He wants me to have one." I could not believe it. What could I say? I left, shaking my head and wondering if I had somehow taught him to manipulate what he was hearing from God. When I arrived in South Texas, I told the couple I was staying with about my conversation with Daniel. The man and I just laughed it off. But the wife looked at me and said, "Parrots fly over the border from Mexico through here all the time." I looked at her and wondered what that had to do with anything. We could never catch a wild parrot.
I got up at 5:00 AM the next morning for my quiet time. In the middle of my devotions, I heard something outside. As I looked out my window, I saw that the woman had set up a cage in a nearby tree and was down on her knees praying. I wondered if I had somehow led this woman into total delusion. Did she expect a wild parrot to just walk into the cage? Snickering, I returned to my quiet time. Later that morning I led a big prayer meeting, all filled with faith.
The following morning I got up for my quiet time again. This time I was in deep prayer for the very project for which I needed faith. Again, I heard something outside. I opened my window and looked to see this woman shutting the door of the cage. Inexplicably, a large, beautiful parrot had flown into the yard and walked into the waiting cage all on its own! I looked up at the Lord and said, "Lord, I am in bad trouble for my lack of faith." And it just felt like He agreed with me!
That day the Lord began to speak into my heart and say, "Your borders are too narrow. But I can cross your borders! I can bring the supply that's needed. If you will have faith as a child, I will release that which you need in this hour." Today, 12 years later, that parrot sits in Daniel's house squawking. I can't look at it without being reminded of God's supply in the face of childlike faith.
I encourage you that no matter where you are in life, God has a plan to increase your measure of faith! Ask Him to restore your faith.
Read Luke 9 and Luke 18. Memorize Luke 18:17.
DAY 18: Lift Your Hands for a Fresh Touch!
God says, "Do not let your hands grow slack at this time. Slack hands will not be able to grab the weapon that is needed to defeat the enemy. I am bringing new strength into your hands. Your hands will be free as you ready yourself for the battle ahead. There's a new watchman call that I'm placing upon My people, and they will stand, observe, and see in ways they've not seen before. They will know the order when things are not in order. You must be able to watch and see the slightest 'out of order' issue that would keep Me from moving you and yours forward.
"Don't major on minors, but see with My eyes, for I am setting many 'bodies' in order! One of these is yours! I am setting groups in order. I am setting towns in order, and I am setting cities in new order. This is not a time for slack hands! This is not a time for manipulation and rearrangement or justification! You must see the way I see things; otherwise, you will find yourself saying, 'What happened to the glory in my boundaries?' Raise up your slack hands now, and I will energize them and you will be ready for the battle ahead."
Read Isaiah 35, Hebrews 12. Meditate on Genesis 26. Memorize Isaiah 41:13,14.
To view Days 1-3 of Chuck Pierce's devotion click here.
To view Days 4-10 of Chuck Pierce's devotion click here.
Blessings,
Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
