As I spent time with the Lord asking Him what word He wanted me to release I heard Him say, “I will meet you in the stillness. Put aside the distractions of the day and meet with me. I have so much to reveal to you at this time. I delight in you and long for you to take my invitation to meet with me.”

 

Importance in meeting

 

I felt the enormity of the desire of the Lord to meet with His people in an intimate way. I also felt the weighty importance of meeting with the Lord, especially at this time when many people are going through times of change and preparation for the next assignment the Lord has for them. In times of change it is particularly important to spend time with the Lord so we can ensure we are discerning His will for the path ahead.

 

In the stillness as we put aside distractions and focus on Jesus and spend time in His presence, we come to know God more intimately and we are led into deeper relationship and deeper truth. The Lord delights in spending time with us and He wants us to set aside the distractions of the world and spend time with Him. It’s an invitation He is longing for us to take.

James 4:8 (NASB) – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

James 4:8 (TPT) – Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you.

Psalm 46:10 (NASB) – Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 42:1-2 (TPT) – I long to drink of you, O God, drinking deeply from the streams of pleasure flowing from your presence. My longings overwhelm me for more of you! My soul thirsts, pants and longs for the Living God. I want to come and see the face of God.

Colossians 3:2 (TPT) – Feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.

 

The Lord then showed me a vision of people taking up His invitation to meet with Him. I saw some people were even woken in the night and called to spend time with the Lord in the night hours. The people were meeting with their friend, Jesus, and there was so much excitement and anticipation from both the people and Jesus as they were both eager to meet. These meetings became common events and they communicated deeply. I also saw as the people met with the Lord He was filling each one with His Spirit and power.

 

Revelation, renewal and refreshment

 

For those who accepted the invitation of the Lord to meet with Him, much was revealed and given to them. In scripture we read Jesus called His disciples friends rather than servants because He had revealed to them everything He had heard from His Father (John 15:15). We are true friends of Jesus when we listen to what He wants us to know and then use the information to advance His kingdom. The Lord showed me in a vision that as the people met with Him a television screen appeared before them. I knew it was a screen of revelation. The people were being given heavenly perspective and insight into what was available to them, how to use what was available to them as well as the next step in their destiny. The people were also encountering the heart of God in these times and they were overwhelmed by the love of God for them. Their hearts were being ignited and set on fire in a new way; they were ignited with the love of God. Their time with the Lord was bringing transformation as their hearts and minds were being renewed and refreshed. Worship flowed from the people as they encountered the heart of God. As they spent time with the Lord, they were filled with His peace and joy and their spirits were renewed.

1 Corinthians 2:12 (NASB) – Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.

Romans 12:12 (TPT) – Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times.

Romans 12:2 (NASB) – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable and perfect.

 

Preparation for the plan ahead

 

As the people were meeting with the Lord they were also being prepared for the plan ahead that the Lord had for them. In many cases the people were being prepared for new ground they were commissioned to take. I saw people rising up from time with the Lord dressed in their spiritual armour and wielding spiritual weapons. The Lord particularly highlighted the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit to me. I felt these two items were going to be particularly significant against the enemy. The shields the people were holding were golden and so large in size. The sword of the spirit was razor sharp and glistening and the people were wielding it with precision. The people were also rising up knowing their authority in Christ. They were surrendered to the Lord and filled with His Spirit. Ephesians 6:10 (TPT) – Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

 

The word of God tells us that the shield of faith is needed to defend against the attacks of the devil. Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV) – above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Paul writes that ‘above all’ we need to raise up our shield of faith. Satan is always hurling his fiery darts of fear, doubt, discouragement etc in our direction, but the only time they can hit us is when we let our shield of faith down—when we stop believing God’s word and His promises and stop believing that God is in control and He is working everything out for our good. We are told to ‘take up’ the shield of faith which means we must actively trust in God when the enemy’s arrows fly. Because we have faith in God we can persevere in times of hardship. The things the enemy attempts to use to discourage us can actually become tools in the hands of God. When the arrows are flying and we take refuge behind our shield of faith, we come to know aspects of the Lord’s ways and character that we did not know before the battle.

 

The sword of the spirit can be used both defensively and offensively in battle against the enemy. We are told in Isaiah 55:10-11 that God’s word does not return void. God’s word is truth and in it there is great power. The sword can also be used as a defensive weapon to protect us from the lies of the enemy. Satan is the ‘father of lies (John 8:44) and when we know the truth, we are able to defend against his lies. Scripture tells us that Jesus used the word to defeat Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). This shows us how effective the word of God is in defeating the enemy. In order for us to use the word of God we must know the word and then hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). When we meditate on the word it becomes revelation as given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We can decree scriptures over our lives and situations and this releases God’s purposes into our lives.

Joshua 1:8 (NASB) – This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Hebrews 4:12 (NASB) – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 

Will you take up the Lord’s invitation?

 

The Lord is inviting you to be purposeful about spending time with Him and drawing near to Him. As you do you will draw closer to Him and know Him more intimately. You will receive divine revelation and will be refreshed, renewed and ready for what the Lord has planned. Your special times with the Lord will cause you to rise up in a new way and will accelerate you into the purposes God has for you. Will you take the Lord’s invitation?