We are in an incredible time of momentum, acceleration, and new birth as God is pouring out His Spirit on dreams and visions to see the Kingdom advance in every arena. Many are experiencing His awakening Spirit blowing and bringing life to seeds that were sown, sometimes decades ago. Ideas, dreams, revelations, and inspirations born by the Spirit of God are beginning to burst into life at this time.
All of this is very exhilarating, but for many of you, the prospect of what God is calling you to do and pioneer may seem overwhelming, and for some... impossible! But this is exactly what God is doing in this hour. He is causing miraculous life to come into the dry bones of latent dreams, and He is involving you in the process. He is looking for GREAT FAITH in this hour. He is looking for those who will peer into the landscape of the promised land the Father is giving them and see it with eyes of FAITH and HOPE.
He is watching for the Calebs of this generation who will courageously pioneer into their land of promise and see with Spirit eyes and Heaven's viewpoint. When these "Calebs" encounter the inevitable opposition and giants inhabiting their land, they know to seek the LORD, believing that He will give them the strategies to overcome.
Lessons from the Widow of Zarephath
Recently, I was praying into some fresh vision and dreams the Lord had given me. To be honest, it all felt exciting, but I also felt overwhelmed and somewhat terrified. I was rehearsing in my mind all the obstacles and reasons why these things might not come to pass. Then, God interrupted my futile thoughts and said to me, "You are thinking like the widow of Zarephath." He had my attention! I immediately looked up the story found in 1 Kings 17:7–11:
"Sometime later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: 'Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.' So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, 'Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?' As she was going to get it, he called, 'And bring me, please, a piece of bread.' (Photo via Flickr)
"'As surely as the LORD your God lives,' she replied, 'I don't have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it – and die.'"
After God directed me to this story, I read it again, now understanding it in a fresh way. One thing I had never noticed was that God had already directed the widow of Zarephath to supply Elijah with food before he ever arrived. God had directed her, and with His command, the power to fulfill the word would have already been released and available to her.
If God has spoken to us and given us His words and promises, then the power and grace to fulfill the word is present and available to us! But we know the widow of Zarephath resisted the prophet's request because she had her eyes on what she didn't have, instead of on what she did have – the powerful word of God. When our focus is on the obstacles to our promise, then we block the flow of God's grace to fulfill the promise. Our mind must be renewed to see as Heaven sees to obtain our promises and see the birthing of our dreams.
God has been teaching me to use my imagination to retrain my brain to see as Heaven sees. If God has spoken a promise to you, then imagine yourself receiving the promise. Imagine Him overcoming every obstacle and the increase of His Kingdom manifesting as you see with eyes of faith. When we do this, we begin to fill up the space in our minds with Heaven's perspective, instead of all the obstacles to obtaining our promises.
Fortunately, Elijah ignored the widow's arguments and instructed her further in what to do for him in 1 Kings 17:13–16:
"Elijah said to her, 'Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the Lord of Israel, says: "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land."'
"She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah." (Photo via Flickr)
Obedience Opens the Door
Think of it. The widow of Zarephath went from planning her and her son's funeral to a miraculous season of abundance and provision. Though she initially balked at the impossible-sounding command coming through the prophet, she did obey. And her obedience opened the door for the miraculous flow of God's provision to visit and sustain her family and Elijah throughout the difficult season.
When we experience fear, it doesn't mean we have failed unless it keeps us from doing what God has told us to do. I appreciate the fact that after Elijah addressed the widow's fear, she "went away and did as Elijah had told her." Her hands must have trembled as she mixed the remaining bit of flour and drops of olive oil, knowing that if God didn't come through, it would surely be their last meal. But God did come through, over and above what she could have imagined!
Even greater than the time of the widow of Zarephath, we are in a time of God's miraculous intervention and provision. We are in a great time of fruitfulness and increase like we have never seen before. It is a time for the birthing of dreams and unparalleled Kingdom increase.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20)
Whatever you do, don't miss another ELIJAH LIST email! Subscribe at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Sylvia Neusch
Sylvia Neusch Ministries
Email:Â click here
Website:Â www.sylvianeusch.com
Sylvia Neusch is a wife, mother, pastor, author, prophetic voice and prophetic blogger. Sylvia operates with an anointing to sense the times and seasons and encourages the Body of Christ in stewarding the current and coming move of God. Through her writing and teaching, Sylvia has a passion to encourage and equip people to discover their true God-given identity and mature in Christ to walk in their God-given destiny. She longs to see the modern-day royal priesthood step more fully into their role of partnering with Heaven through powerful prayers and declarations. Sylvia and her husband, Richard, are the senior leaders of True Life, a non-denominational church in Round Rock, Texas. They are also the founders and overseers of the Austin School of Supernatural Ministry.
To receive more words like this in YOUR inbox, subscribe FREE to the Elijah List at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.
Thank you for making the always-free "Elijah Streams" possible. To partner with us, click here.
Your donations truly help us keep these emails free for you. Donate at:
Find us on:
* Facebook click here
* XAPiT click here
